Apple has introduced a new readiness score feature on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, adding a fitness tracking tool that closely mirrors a feature long associated with the Whoop Strap and several other competing wearable brands. The addition was announced during Apple’s major September event, which also introduced the company’s long awaited foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, though the new Apple Watch models drew separate attention from reviewers focused specifically on the wearable technology space.
The new readiness score, graded out of 10, takes into account a user’s recent exercise activity, vital signs, and sleep quality to indicate whether they are prepared for a demanding workout or would benefit from resting instead. This type of scoring system has been a core feature of the Whoop Strap for several years, with Oura closely following suit, while Samsung and Google have offered their own versions of the same underlying concept since the Galaxy Watch 7 and Pixel Watch 3 respectively. Apple’s decision to introduce a comparable feature now places the Apple Watch Series 12 in line with a fitness tracking approach that has already become fairly standard across the broader wearable technology industry, rather than introducing an entirely new concept to the market.
Industry observers have noted that Apple’s approach with the iPhone Duo showed the company had clearly studied the competition closely as a first generation foldable device, arriving with a confident design and software tailored specifically to the folding form factor. The Apple Watch Series 12, by comparison, has been described as a case where Apple’s typically deliberate approach to introducing features already available elsewhere may work less in its favor, given that readiness scoring has been increasingly questioned by some long time users of similar tools on other platforms. Reports from users of the Whoop Strap and comparable systems have periodically noted that these scores are not always a reliable indicator of actual physical readiness, adding to a broader conversation about how useful the feature genuinely is for everyday fitness tracking.
Beyond the readiness score, the new Apple Watch models also continue to build on features such as baseline tracking through the existing Vitals app, which monitors metrics including skin temperature and respiration to help flag early signs of illness or lifestyle related changes. Apple has additionally expanded the capabilities of Siri AI, its revamped voice assistant, to allow users to discuss and plan workout ideas directly through conversation, a feature that mirrors similar coaching tools already available through Fitbit Air and Google’s Health Coach. With the ceramic model of the Apple Watch Series 12 in particular drawing early interest, further hands on testing is expected to reveal how the new readiness feature and expanded AI coaching capabilities perform in practice as the device becomes more widely available to consumers.
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