Home / Technology / Apple Watch 12: Heart Health Gets Major Upgrade
Apple Watch 12: Heart Health Gets Major Upgrade
17 Sep
Summary
- New sensors boost heart rate and HRV measurements frequency significantly.
- Series 12 showed higher heart rate accuracy than Pixel Watch 5.
- Key health features are free, unlike some competitor subscription models.
The Apple Watch Series 12, launched last Wednesday, features an enhanced Health Sensing System, improving heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements. Unlike previous models measuring heart rate every five minutes, the Series 12 captures these metrics every five seconds, with HRV measured every five minutes instead of every two hours. This increased frequency supports new features like daytime Vitals and future longevity tools such as Health Age.
During a recent test in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, the Series 12 was worn alongside a Pixel Watch 5 and a Polar H10 chest strap. The Apple Watch Series 12 exhibited greater accuracy in tracking heart rate, with a mean absolute error of 1.9 bpm compared to the Pixel Watch 5's 5.3 bpm. Its correlation to the reference chest strap was .998, notably higher than the Pixel Watch's .943, especially during recovery transitions.
Beyond health tracking, the Series 12 includes features like Shazam integration for music identification. While battery life remains similar to the previous generation, providing about a day's use, Apple plans to release a revamped Health app later this year. The company claims its new system makes the Apple Watch the most accurate heart-tracking wearable available, with many advanced metrics offered free of charge.
