In a new video, The Quantified Scientist’s Rob ter Horst compares the new A pple Watch Series 12 ’s heart rate sensor against a Polar H10 ECG chest strap. Here’s what he found.
It could be the case, ter Horst notes, that Apple is still tweaking its algorithms for the new sensor. For the Apple Watch Series 12 , Apple completely revamped the device’s heart sensor, which now measures heart rate every five seconds even when the user isn’t active. In our review of Apple Watch Series 12 , which you can read here , we found that the added data can provide more detailed insights into how everyday activities and moments throughout the day affect heart rate, such as hauling groceries, doing yard work, drinking an afternoon cup of coffee, or dealing with a stressful moment at work. That said, Rob ter Horst from The Quantified Scientist YouTube channel published an in-depth look (via MacMagazine ) at the Apple Watch Series 12 ’s new heart rate sensor during indoor cycling, running, and weightlifting, and compared its readings with those from a Polar H10 ECG chest strap. All in all, the Apple Watch Series 12 ’s new heart sensor performed very well, particularly during indoor cycling, where its readings were nearly identical to the Polar H10 data. Compared with his longer-term testing of the Apple Watch Series 11, ter Horst said the new Apple Watch Series 12 delivered broadly similar heart rate accuracy overall, with the older model actually performing slightly better during running in his tests. Finally, ter Horst also tested the Apple Watch Series 12 ’s step counter. He manually counted roughly 5,000 steps and found the Series 12 was generally spot-on or only slightly overcounted. Once you’re done, make sure you catch 9to5Mac’s own review of the new Apple Watch Series 12.
