Apple Watch Series 12 Review: Is 449 Euros Worth It Without Siri AI?

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Apple Watch Series 12 Review: Is 449 Euros Worth It Without Siri AI.

Apple introduced the Watch Series 12 with two big themes on stage: a newly engineered heart sensor system and a package of audio features with AI, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap. Anyone who watched the keynote in the US gets almost none of that in the European Union. According to Xataka, Siri AI is not available here, and the two audio-intelligence features are unavailable in any market – Apple only mentions a beta "más adelante este año," starting with English. That makes the question you have to ask yourself in Germany considerably more down-to-earth than in California: Is the watch worth it at 449 euros if you set the AI aside?

The short answer from the review: mostly yes. The detailed answer isn't in the display and not in the software, but literally on the underside of the case. That's where a sensor setup sits that measures your pulse every five seconds – delivering Apple's densest heart-rate capture to date.

What that means in practice, how the watch feels in everyday use, and for whom the jump from a Series 9, 10, or 11 is actually worthwhile – we go through it step by step.

What Works at Launch in the US – and Doesn't Here

The Apple Watch Series 12 presentation had two clearly defined stars: the new sensor system and the AI audio features around Siri. Both topics were shown extensively at the keynote, according to Xataka. For customers in Spain – and therefore also in the EU – the second half of the show is currently empty as far as the audio package is concerned.

Siri AI is not available in the European Union. Live Rewind and Siri Recap are not available in any market yet, according to Apple; a beta is set to start "más adelante este año," initially in English. Xataka puts it directly: anyone buying the Watch Series 12 for these features should not expect a delivery date in the EU – and nobody can assume it'll happen within a few months.

Design: Familiar Shape, New Materials

Apple stays true to itself with the case. The Series 12 still has 9.7 mm case thickness, the same buttons, and the same display with 2,000 nits peak brightness. So it's not a redesign, but a targeted update – and that starts with the finishes.

The aluminum models get Ceramic Shield 2, a more robust glass cover. In parallel, the ceramic variant returns for the first time since 2020. New in the lineup is also the color "dark bronze," which also adorns the test device from Xataka. It sounds like little, but it does stand out in everyday use, because Apple has barely tweaked the material palette in years.

The Real Star: The Sensor on the Back

What's truly new on the Apple Watch Series 12 is on the underside. The reworked sensor system measures the pulse every five seconds – continuously throughout the day, even while moving. Additionally, heart rate variability (HRV) is captured every five minutes. In combination, this produces a data base that Apple uses to feed a new feature called "Disposición": a recovery score on a scale of 0 to 10 that, according to Xataka, runs directly on the watch without an additional subscription.

That's the actual reason the watch review gives it a score of 8.8 – with peak values of 9.5 in sensors and wearable experience. Apple addresses a field where providers like Oura or Whoop are usually active, often on a subscription model. Anyone who has been paying for a pure recovery score display can cross off that line item with the Series 12.

What you do need to know: "Disposición" does not store a history of how the value changes throughout the day, according to Xataka. You see the current status, but no curve like in classic recovery apps. If the history matters to you, that's a real catch.

What the Series 12 Actually Delivers in the EU

If you cross off Siri AI, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap, what remains is an Apple Watch that noticeably stands out from its predecessors in three areas: continuous pulse measurement every five seconds, HRV every five minutes, and the integrated Disposición score. On top of that comes a fast-charging function that, according to Xataka, actually changes the way you handle the watch at night – a short charge during the day is enough to make it ready for sleep tracking.

Small improvement, big everyday impact: the new One-Touch gesture, which lets you trigger actions with a double-tap. In the review, it's described as "muy acertado" – well-executed, not revolutionary, but thoughtful.

Who Should Actually Buy It

The pros and cons list from the review reads differently for the EU version than for the US market. On the positive side: the denser heart-rate sensor with pulse every five seconds, Disposición without a subscription, the stable starting price of 449 euros in a year of general price increases, noticeably better fast charging, the new One-Touch gesture, and the reworked materials.

On the negative side: the missing AI features in the EU, a battery life and charging speed that, according to Xataka, come out "algo irregular," still no multi-band GPS in a 449-euro device, and the missing history of Disposición values.

Si quitamos la IA, ¿vale 449 euros? Casi siempre, sí.

Verdict: 449 Euros – Yes, but Not for Siri

The Apple Watch Series 12 is primarily a hardware upgrade in the EU. If you wear a Series 9 or older, use the Watch primarily for health and fitness, and value the continuous pulse measurement with the Disposición score, the jump to the Series 12 makes sense. The same applies if you currently pay for an Oura or Whoop subscription just for the recovery score – you can save yourself that line item.

You should wait if you own a Series 10 or 11. The sensor update alone rarely justifies the upcharge. And don't buy it for Live Rewind, Siri Recap, or Siri AI – these features simply aren't available in the EU, and it's unclear when they'll arrive.

As for the battery, Apple remains conservative: if you expect more than a day and a half of runtime or multi-band GPS for trail running, the Series 12 isn't the watch that solves that. For everyone else, it's a solid piece of hardware – just without the AI magic that was so extensively celebrated in Cupertino.