Customers upgrading from Apple Watch Series 11 to Apple Watch Series 12 are noticing some design changes, namely a larger bezel and a Digital Crown that sticks out a bit further.
The Apple Watch Series 12 has a new Health Sensing system, which replaced the rear sensor stack with a larger surface area. That seemed to be the only significant external design change, at least, until customers got their hands on them.
According to various posts on Reddit, customers are noticing a few minute differences between Apple Watch Series 12 and the previous Apple Watch Series 11. When looking at the display head on with a non-black background, the bezels are noticeably larger on the new model.
Plus, the Digital Crown appears to slightly protrude more, but this could also be due to how the case curves around the area.
The display change might be a surprise for some, but it is likely related to needing more internal space for the new health features. The case has increased by 1mm in one direction regardless of if you get aluminum or ceramic cases.
That slightly change in case size without a change to the active display area means larger bezels. The only way you’d ever notice the change is if you had the two models side-by-side to compare.
Some social media users speculate that this means Apple could release an Apple Watch 13 with a larger display in 2028, but it is anyone’s guess at this point.
Users have also noted that the new Apple Watch models don’t appear to support handwashing detection. Apple’s support page doesn’t list the new models on the compatibility page, though it could be that the page hasn’t been updated yet.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 shipped to customers Friday and are available in stores. The focus for this release cycle is on health upgrades and Audio Intelligence.