Apple Watch Series 12, arriving this Friday, features larger bezels around its display compared to previous models, a design change Apple did not highlight in its announcement. Despite maintaining the same case height, the Series 12's width increased while the display size remained unchanged, resulting in more noticeable bezels—a reversal of Apple's typical trend toward bezel reduction. The larger case accommodates new internal upgrades including the Health Sensing System and S11 chip.
watchOS 27 removes the double-click Digital Crown shortcut for app switching on older Apple Watch models to make room for Live Rewind, a new 15-second audio transcript feature exclusive to Series 12 and Ultra 4. Older watches now open a dynamic app grid with the same gesture, disappointing users who relied on the quick multitasking feature.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 introduce a new Readiness app that scores user fitness readiness on a 0-10 scale based on activity, vital signs, and sleep data. The app requires upgraded hardware with new optical and electrical sensors and is exclusive to these latest models.