The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 for the 42mm aluminum model and $429 for 46mm, according to a review published by TechRadar on Thursday. In the UK those prices land at £369 and £399, and in Australia at AU$679 and AU$699. Titanium and ceramic finishes, along with LTE connectivity, cost more on top of that. No Indian pricing has been given yet.
The reviewer wore the watch for more than a month, running it alongside a Series 11, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Ultra 4, an Oura Ring 5, and a Pixel Watch 5, before reaching a verdict: the Series 12 is the best mainline Apple Watch in years, but only for people coming from a Series 9 or something older.
Readiness Score is the headline feature
The biggest addition is Readiness Score, a daily number out of 10 built from sleep and other health data that's meant to give a quick read on how prepared you are for the day. TechRadar's review says it isn't locked behind a paywall, unlike some rival wellness scores, and that the results generally lined up with how the reviewer actually felt, enough to change plans around a workout or a longer walk.
Apple also redesigned the rear of the case, updating the LEDs and internal layout of what it calls the Health Sensing System, aimed at making heart-rate and other readings more accurate. Real-time step count and heart-rate complications are new too, letting wearers check numbers from the watch face instead of opening the Fitness app.
The design hasn't moved on
Anyone hoping for a visual overhaul will be disappointed. The Series 12 keeps the same rectangular "squircle" case, Digital Crown and side button as the Series 11, and the review notes it doesn't look dramatically different on the wrist. The Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED display, rated up to 2,000 nits across both the 42mm and 46mm sizes, carries over largely unchanged too.
Under the hood sits Apple's S11 chip, which the review credits with smooth, responsive performance. Connectivity options include Precision L1 GPS covering GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou, plus 4G LTE, Satellite SOS, Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.3 on cellular models.
Where it comes up short
Battery life mostly held up through the review period, though the reviewer reported two nights where the watch died before morning, a reminder that all-night sleep tracking still pushes the limits of a watch this size. The review also flags Apple's promised AI features as a reason to hold off buying right now rather than a reason to rush out and buy, since they weren't ready to test.
Against the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Ultra 4, the Series 12 reads as the more ordinary, everyday option, lacking the larger size and ruggedness that make the Ultra line distinct. And on pure value, TechRadar points out it doesn't match something like the Amazfit Active 3 Premium, though it credits Apple for holding Watch pricing steady for a couple of years running, even as the broader electronics industry deals with supply chain pressure.
The takeaway from the review is straightforward: owners of a Series 9 or earlier have a genuine case to upgrade now, while Series 10 and Series 11 owners probably don't, at least until Apple's AI features actually arrive.
RRFiled by The Reviews Roundup Desk
What the reviews are saying: verdicts on new devices from the outlets that tested them, summarised and credited to each. This desk does not test products itself.
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