Apple Watch Series 12 Nails Step Counts, Trails 1-Second Rivals on Heart-Rate Sampling
Updated
Updated · Lifehacker · Sep 18
Apple Watch Series 12 Nails Step Counts, Trails 1-Second Rivals on Heart-Rate Sampling
3 articles · Updated · Lifehacker · Sep 18
Summary
Initial 24-hour testing found Apple Watch Series 12 step counts quick and seemingly accurate, but its heart-rate performance did not clearly improve on Series 11 in treadmill and outdoor runs.
Heart-rate doubts centered on sampling frequency: Series 12 records every 5 seconds during workouts—12 data points a minute—versus 60 a minute from a chest strap and Garmin Forerunner 570.
Apple’s new on-watch step metric is limited to Series 12 because a new processor includes a dedicated pedometer model; Series 11 and earlier watches will not get the feature.
Other headline features remain untested or unavailable: Live Rewind, Siri Recaps and Readiness are still pending, while early recovery HRV showed 45 on Apple versus 50 on an Oura ring.