You Don’t Need an Apple Watch 12 to Use All the New Health Features.
Apple recently announced significant changes to the Health app , as well as new sensors in the upcoming Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. The company combined these and other health-related announcements, but that doesn’t mean you need an Apple Watch 12 to take advantage of all the new features. Here’s a list of the Apple Watch models that will receive the new features, and those that don’t require an Apple Watch at all.
Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 required for availability and more accurate heart rate measurement.
To use Apple’s new heart rate sensor—the one the company touts as the most accurate of any wearable—you’ll need the new Series 12 or Ultra 4. (If true, that’s a huge plus.) These two watches also feature the new S11 processor. The sensor and chip are essential for what Apple calls its “health monitoring system,” which provides more frequent heart rate and heart rate variability measurements throughout the day.
According to Apple, the new systems measure heart rate every five seconds instead of every five minutes , and heart rate variability (HRV) every five minutes instead of every few hours. The nightly vital signs will now include a recovery HRV reading, which is compared to a baseline (so you know when your body is under more or less stress than usual). The Readiness score appears to be dependent on these readings, so you’ll need the new watch to get it.
The updated Health app requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
I recently wrote about the changes Apple plans to make to the new Health app, noting that these will likely be software updates that don’t require a new phone or watch. In a footnote on the Apple Watch page, Apple specifies that the updated Health app requires an iPhone (or iPad) with Apple Intelligence support. The full list of Apple Intelligence-enabled devices can be foundhere , and it includes the iPhone 15 Pro and all iPhone 16 and newer models.
The new app includes “insights,” which appear to be similar to the trends you’ll see in the current Apple Health app. If you’ve ever noticed those little cards with messages like “your cardio is improving over 8 weeks,” it looks like there will be more of these cards, and they’ll be organized into a separate section of the app. There will also be text summaries of your data and recommendations for next steps, presumably generated by Apple Intelligence based on your data.
A VO2max test requires some kind of heart rate monitor (but not necessarily an Apple Watch).
The new Health app includes an on-demand VO2max test that can be taken indoors. A video from Apple’s presentation shows a person placing their phone on the floor, ensuring the phone’s camera can see their entire body, and then walking in place, following a metronome. To perform this test and get results, you’ll need a heart rate monitor, and Apple says any Apple Watch , AirPods Pro 3 , or third-party heart rate monitor will work.
In other words, it looks like this can work with any device that transmits heart rate data, which means practically any wearable. If you have a Fitbit, Whoop, or Garmin (to name a few), you’ll likely be able to get it to transmit heart rate data, and therefore this test will work. The Apple Fitness app can already read heart rate data from these devices, so I expect compatibility with the VO2max test to be the same.
The updated Workout Buddy app requires an Apple Watch Series 9 or later.
The Workout Buddy app, which plays in your earbuds during workouts , requires Apple Intelligence. Previously, this meant you had to carry an Apple Intelligence-enabled phone with you during workouts, but that’s changing. The new Workout Buddy app can work with your Apple Watch without a phone, as long as your watch has internet access via cellular or Wi-Fi (such as Wi-Fi at your gym). Compatible models include Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE 3.