Apple Watch Series 12 - First Scientific Test!
In a Nutshell
The Apple Watch Series 12 delivers near-perfect heart rate accuracy during indoor cycling (R=1.0) and strong performance in running (R=0.98) and weightlifting (R=0.97) versus a Polar H10 chest strap. Step counting shows a median error of just 5 steps per 1,000, while GPS tracking is acceptable but inconsistent around obstacles. Overall, the Series 12 outperforms most competitors in exercise tracking and appears optimized for all-day continuous monitoring rather than peak performance.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Apple claims the Series 12 has the most accurate heart rate sensor of any wearable. Testing methodology involved comparing the Apple Watch Series 12 against an ECG chest strap (Polar H10) similar to how Apple tested it. Additional testing included manual step counting, GPS accuracy assessment, and weightlifting exercises - the exercise type that has traditionally caused Apple Watches the most difficulty. The tester is a post-doctoral scientist specializing in biological data analysis.
Indoor cycling was tested as one of the easier exercises for devices to track. The reference device (Polar H10) is displayed along the horizontal axis with the Apple Watch Series 12 heart rate on the vertical axis. The correlation R value is rounded to 1.0, indicating essentially perfect correlation. A single indoor cycling session was tested with the reference shown in blue-green and Series 12 in red. The Series 12 tracked all intervals correctly with no complaints about performance.
Running showed a correlation of 0.98, slightly lower than indoor cycling. Traditionally, Apple Watches have struggled with running on this tester. Minor deviations appear in the higher heart rate range, specifically at the beginning of the run. Despite these small deviations, overall performance remains good for running.
Weightlifting is identified as the hardest exercise for Apple Watches and all devices tested. The correlation achieved was 0.97. Unlike many devices that detect too low values in higher heart rate ranges due to wrist tension, the Series 12 does not appear to have this issue. Traditional Apple Watch problems include dropouts at peak heart rate values, where Apple has historically prioritized quality over quantity by dropping unreliable readings.
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