Apple Watch Series 12 Goes On Sale In Japan With Reworked Rear Sensor Array
The health-tracking hardware on the back of the watch is the part Apple actually changed this cycle, while the case, thickness, and pixel count carry over, so the Series 12 stands or falls on sensor accuracy rather than on design.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
The Apple Watch Series 12 launched on Friday, September 18, 2026, after being announced at the September 10 event. A 42mm Dark Bronze Aluminum GPS model with a Burgundy Sport Band ships in a box marked Product of Vietnam, model number A3581, carrying a wireless charging cable. Its back sensors are new: electrodes, photodiodes, and green LEDs are all renewed, with the electrodes set radially and the center photodiode and LEDs made smaller.
The band mounts sit on the top and bottom surfaces, the speaker on the left, and the side button, microphone, and Digital Crown on the right. Width comes in at 37mm, 1mm wider than the 42mm Series 11, while the 9.7mm thickness is unchanged. The 42mm aluminum display measures 970mm2 at 374x446 pixels, a slightly smaller area than the Series 11's 989mm2 at the same pixel count, which leaves the bezel looking a touch wider. With the band fitted, the watch weighs 56g.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.