Apple released the Apple Watch Series 12 on September 10, 2026, featuring updated health sensors and a new proprietary chip. Alongside the launch, the company published a study evaluating the heart rate accuracy of its wearable compared to competitors, including the Garmin Forerunner 970, Google Pixel Watch 4, Huawei Watch 5, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and WHOOP Band 5.0.
The research, conducted in July and August 2026, assessed heart rate accuracy during exercise and daily activities. Apple reported that the Apple Watch Series 12 demonstrated statistically higher accuracy in most metrics. However, the Huawei Watch 5 was noted as the only exception where the difference in heart rate mean accuracy during exercise did not reach statistical significance.
This study marks the first time in seven years that Apple has publicly compared its hardware to Huawei. The previous instance occurred during the 2019 iPhone 11 launch event, where Apple compared its chip performance against competitors including Huawei, Samsung, and Google.
The Huawei Watch 5, released in June 2025, is priced starting at ¥2699. It features NearLink and HarmonyOS AI integration, along with an X-TAP sensor module. The device supports various health monitoring functions, including ECG, blood oxygen measurement, and a 60-second micro-checkup that generates reports covering 17 different health data points.
