Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Apple Watch Series 12 And Ultra 4
Another year, another generation of the Apple Watch. Like last year's Series 11 and Ultra 3, things have largely stayed the same. That said, there are still a few major under-the-hood updates and some new aesthetic changes, but we're still carrying over the Apple Watch's subtle tenth-anniversary redesign from a few years ago, so the familiar dimensions remain. That also holds true for the Ultra 4. Across the board, the main improvements come in a new, more powerful chip and a vastly improved health sensor equipped on the back of each watch. With iterative improvements like this in the yearly refresh cycle, this new generation offers a solid upgrade for those coming from several versions back, and less of a temptation for those fresh off last year's models. But there will always be those who avidly find every chance to upgrade to the next year's latest and greatest—Apple's got you covered with some fun additions, too. A Return To Ceramic 46mm Night Blue (left) and 42mm Pearl White (right) ceramics. To me, the most exciting news from this year's Apple Watch announcements was the return of ceramic as a case material. Titanium is cool and all, especially since all the latest titanium cases since last year have been 3D-printed, but there's something a little nerdier about an Apple Watch in ceramic. Apple introduced ceramic on the Apple Watch as early as the Series 3 in 2017. I was a happy owner of a 2019 Series 5 Apple Watch Edition in white ceramic, so my interest has natura...
