Apple Watch Series 12: Will it finally fix Apple Watch Ultra envy?

The Apple Watch Series 12 has improved battery life, heart sensor accuracy and a new Readiness metric but looks the same pretty much. — Picture by Erna Mahyuni

By Erna Mahyuni

First Published: Tuesday, 29 Sep 2026 9:28 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — When the Apple Watch Ultra appeared it probably assuaged the desires of the people secretly wondering if they should get a Garmin instead.

My main reason for considering the Ultra my favourite of the line is that you just don’t have to think about the battery.

There’s also the big screen, the compass and feeling that if I get lost somewhere it could help me navigate back, whether on top of Bukit Gasing or wandering in Taipei.

This time I had to hang out with the Apple Watch Series 12 and see how long it would take before I slapped last year’s Ultra back on.

Same old, same old

Apple has decided the best watch case is a big square one, which is very practical but unfortunately it also means someone can tell you’re wearing one from a kilometre away.

“Ugh, they’re wearing an Apple Watch” is a common criticism, with people saying it looks out of place in non-casual settings.

Look, man, I like having my watch tell me that my heart rate is off and that if I get into a car crash or fall, it will call someone especially now I’m still recovering from a chronic illness.

So at a glance you won’t really be able to differentiate it easily from the last few series though if you squint you’ll see the bezel is slightly thicker.

Is this a problem? Some apps haven’t gotten the memo. Seeing some app displays cut off at the corner was displeasing.

“I wouldn’t have this problem with the Ultra,” I’d think.

Better readiness

What the Series 12 might have over the last few series and maybe the Ultra is that it offers better battery, heart rate accuracy and now recovery heart rate variation (HRV).

HRV was something I tracked for years, mainly to see how much exercise I could handle on a certain day or to check how rested I was.

Having a high pain tolerance means I can often push myself a little too much and sometimes it’s nice to know whether my malaise for the day is more physical or mental.

Avoiding injury or overloading matters so having HRV baked into the Apple Watch instead of relying on third-party apps and pesky subscriptions is a big deal.

There is still debate as to whether HRV is truly an accurate measurement of “readiness” though Apple, in its scoring of how ready you are physically also takes into account your Vitals reading and Sleep score.

So, no, even if your HRV numbers are miraculously good despite not sleeping well your Watch is going to note that.

The Readiness shortcut is handy but you still do have to listen to your body and your own common sense. If you’re not feeling it, you’re not feeling it.

Like the Sleep Score, the Apple Watch will need you to sleep with it on for at least seven days to get enough data for the Readiness metric.

Mildly annoying but if you’re buying an Apple Watch for health reasons, a week’s worth of data or sleeping with the watch on shouldn’t bother you too much.

My watch goes on

You need seven days of tracking or sleeping with the Watch to get enough Readiness data. — Picture by Erna Mahyuni

I took the Apple Watch out on the same day I did my iPhone testing and while the phone was running low on battery after eight hours, the Watch was still chugging along at more than 50 per cent.

Apple says it can last up to 24 hours of normal use, and I found it’s fairly accurate -- slap it on, wear it to sleep and by the next morning it’ll have enough juice to tell you to charge it already.

The best thing? You only need 15 minutes to charge it for at least 12 hours of battery life so brush your teeth, have a shower and your Watch will be charged and ready to go.

To get or not to get?

The new Readiness tracking, all-day battery life and being a lot cheaper will make the Apple Watch Series 12 a very good alternative to the Apple Watch Ultra series without too much of a compromise.

Still, it would be nice if Apple learned a bit of whimsy when it comes to Apple Watch displays.

The Snoopy watch face was cute but it would be nice if there was more customisation and having to resort to third-party apps for less boring screens is a tad disappointing.

Sadly Apple Watch silicone straps still make me itch so I will happily slap back on last year’s Watch Ultra mostly for the comfort of the larger straps.

Still, for most people (who aren’t me), the Series 12 would probably be more comfortable on the wrist and might persuade you to wear it at night for sleep tracking.

The Apple Watch Series 12 is already available at your nearest Apple retailer with prices starting from RM1,799.