How much should you push yourself after a bad night's sleep or an intense workout? The Apple Watch Series 12 seeks to help answer that question with more frequent measurements and a new tool that brings together activity, sleep, and recovery data. Along with watchOS 27, Apple's proposal combines that tracking with a more conversational assistant and changes to make the watch easier to use.
More frequent heart tracking
Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: the new features in health, training, and artificial intelligence
The Series 12 incorporates the S11 chip and a renewed system of optical and electrical sensors. According to Apple, it now records heart rate every five seconds during the day and measures heart rate variability up to 24 times more often. The latter metric corresponds to the differences in time between heartbeats and is part of the watch's recovery analysis.
The information is presented with charts updated in real time and a daytime vitals view. This way, the user can check how their readings evolve throughout the day, in addition to reviewing the measurements collected while sleeping. These features are available on the Series 12 and the Ultra 4, both recently launched in Chile by the Cupertino-based company.
Readiness: a score to organize your effort
Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: the new features in health, training, and artificial intelligence
The new Readiness feature combines recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score. It delivers a result from 0 to 10, accompanied by a recommendation on how to approach the day. The score updates as it receives new data and shows which factors influence the result. For example, it can reflect the effect of a demanding session or changes in the user's readings.
watchOS 27 also improves distance measurements in treadmill workouts. On the Series 12 and the Ultra 4, the new pedometer and the S11 chip allow for more accurate step counting, with an indicator that can be checked directly on the watch face.
Siri gains space on the wrist
Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: the new features in health, training, and artificial intelligence
Siri AI incorporates understanding of personal context, actions in apps, and access to general information. The new Siri app allows starting queries or resuming conversations, which sync via iCloud across Apple devices. The Siri Modular watch face adds an access point to the assistant and a space that shows the most relevant widget from the Smart Stack.
Apple launched Siri AI in English initially and announced the official Spanish version for October, although it is already available in beta for developers.
Workout Buddy can accompany your workout without the iPhone nearby
The Workout Buddy training assistant expands its feedback with information on pace, distance, and duration. It can also work without the phone nearby when the watch has Wi-Fi or cellular connection. It is available in English and Mexican Spanish. It still requires a linked iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence and Bluetooth headphones.
New gestures and more accessible apps
Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: the new features in health, training, and artificial intelligence
watchOS 27 allows selecting a widget from the Smart Stack by pinching the index finger and thumb together once. The dynamic grid highlights the most used and recent apps, while suggestions can show the location of your parked car or remind you of a contact's birthday. The update also brings people, devices, and items together in a single Find My app, and adjusts Liquid Glass to improve contrast and readability.
In health, Cycle Tracking incorporates tools for logging perimenopause and menopause symptoms, along with educational resources and notifications about certain changes in recorded patterns for people from age 40.
Audio Intelligence and new finishes
Apple announced Audio Intelligence features that include recognition of sounds such as doorbells, sirens, or a baby crying, and automatic song detection with Shazam. According to the company, the user decides whether to activate them and the processing does not create or store audio recordings. Its launch was announced for later this year.
In design, the Series 12 offers aluminum, titanium, and ceramic versions, the latter in pearl white and night blue. The aluminum models incorporate Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple describes as 60% more durable than the previous Ion-X glass. The stated battery life remains up to 24 hours of normal use, with fast charging that provides up to 12 hours of use in 15 minutes.
Price in Chile and compatibility
Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: the new features in health, training, and artificial intelligence
The Apple Watch Series 12 has an announced starting price of $499,990 in Chile, with immediate availability.
watchOS 27 can be installed on the Series 9 and later, SE 3, and Ultra 2 and later. It requires an iPhone 11 or later, or a second-generation iPhone SE or later, running iOS 27.