Here’s why I upgraded from Apple Watch Series 10 to Series 12

I’m someone who doesn’t often upgrade my Apple Watch as soon as a new one comes out. The Apple Watch Series 10 I previously owned was only purchased in January, although it was originally released in September 2024. That said, the Apple Watch Series 12 was a very compelling purchase, despite the fact that the two share much of the same design language. Here’s why I took the plunge.

So yes, the Series 10 and Series 12 share largely the same design. In fact, the Series 12 is arguably a regression as the bezels are slightly thicker. This didn’t bother me, since I use a watch face with a black background anyway.

However, the new features of the Apple Watch Series 12 really fascinated me. In particular, I was attracted by the much improved heart rate monitor, as well as the new “Readiness” app. Everything on the Series 12 also feels much faster, especially Siri.

Previous Apple Watches never really gave me what I wanted in terms of health tracking. The 12 series offers much more information. Before, you kind of just had your activity rings and a bunch of data scattered around the Health app. Now the new Health app tells you absolutely everything you need to know in an incredibly helpful way.

I still carry my WHOOP, mainly because I’d like to compare the two over a longer term before abandoning it altogether, but for now, Apple’s Health app holds up — and I’m happy with what the Apple Watch Series 12 offers in terms of health tracking.

It’s also worth noting that WHOOP is a $239/year subscription that no longer offers much compared to Apple Health.

Overall, my purchase of the Apple Watch Series 12 can be summed up by the fact that the Apple Watch has made a major effort to become serious as a health wearable. It no longer seems like an afterthought.

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