Is Apple Watch 12 worth the upgrade? My advice as a Series 10 and 11 owner 

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Apple is set to unveil new Apple Watches on Wednesday.
• Your choice to buy a new one depends on a few things.
• I break down budget and feature concerns ahead of the release.

We’re a day away from Apple’s biggest launch event of the year, and we can almost guarantee that a new Apple Watch — two, if the rumors are true — is in Apple’s future. 

But if you own one already, you might be weighing the pros and cons of spending around $400 on a new device. I’ve religiously used the Apple Watch Series 10 and 11, and I tested the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and SE 3 last year as well. 

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I’m walking you through the buying decision ahead of a possible Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4release, so you can stay informed even before a shiny new device graces your feed and taunts you with its novelty. 

Is your old Apple Watch broken?

First and foremost, if you are working with a functional Apple Watch and enjoy the majority of its uses, I’d advise against buying a new Apple Watch. But if you’ve been using your watch for a few years now and it’s no longer one of the devices that Apple has included in its software updates (Apple Watch Series 8 and earlier, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE 2 and earlier), or if the battery is depleting faster and faster, then maybe now’s the time for a new smartwatch. 

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That doesn’t mean you need to purchase one right after Apple announces its next generation. In fact, you’d probably score a deeper deal on last year’s model if you waited until Black Friday, when older Apple Watch models see newly reduced prices. 

How much do you want to spend?

The iPhone 18 lineup is set for a price hike. Will the Apple Watch Series 12 lineup get one as well? 

Apple confirmed earlier this year that it will raise prices on several of its products due to the RAM shortage. Because smartwatches don’t have the memory and storage demands of other devices, like iPhones and Macs, the Apple Watch Series 12 might be safe from a price hike. 

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Also important to keep in mind is that when you buy a product from Apple’s site, the company has a 14-day return window. So if you are unsatisfied with your new device, you’ll only get two weeks to get your money back. Other retailers, like Amazon and Best Buy, have more generous return windows. 

Do the new Apple Watch features interest you?

FDA-cleared blood pressure monitoring

A new rumor suggests that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will get an FDA-cleared blood pressure monitoring feature. This builds on the potential hypertension detection feature Apple rolled out to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11 last year. If you use your smartwatch to monitor conditions like hypertension, this feature may interest you. 

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If the Apple Watch Ultra 4 comes with continuous blood pressure monitoring, a user would no longer need to use a cuff to measure their blood pressure multiple times a day. This new feature would be valuable to users with hypertension and a worthy reason to buy the new device. 

Next-generation chip

Last year, Apple kept the chips from the Series 10 Apple Watch to power both the Series 11 and Ultra 3. So this year, one of the biggest revamps will be the next-generation chip Apple could include in these devices (it will either be called the S11 or S12 chip). A new processor could bring more power, AI integrations, longer battery life, and more use out of the smartwatches. 

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Unlike a rumored blood pressure monitoring feature with a clearly demonstrated use case, a new, more powerful chip may not be the sexiest sell to consumers, especially ahead of the event, when we don’t yet know how it will impact the next generation of smartwatches. 

Ceramic cases

What could be a hotter sell is the rumored ceramic cases Apple is decking the smartwatches out with this year.

Apple discontinued the ceramic Apple Watch cases after the Apple Watch Series 5, but they’re due for a comeback this year. Before being discontinued, the ceramic watches had a starting price of $1,299 for the 40mm model and $1,349 for the 44mm model in 2019.

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It’s unclear what colors this watch will come in or whether Apple can make a true case for a $1,000 smartwatch. 

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