Apple Watch Series 12 Takes on Whoop and Oura: Should You Wait or Buy a Tracker Now?

Apple is about to make its biggest play for the health-tracking crowd. According to MacRumors, the Apple Watch Series 12 — expected on September 9 — will debut a revamped Health and Fitness app that borrows heavily from what Whoop and Oura have been doing for years: readiness scores, recovery dashboards, and continuous all-day heart rate monitoring. For buyers deciding between an Apple Watch and a dedicated health tracker, this changes the calculus. Here is what we know and what it means for your next purchase.

What Apple Is Adding to the Series 12

Mark Gurman and MacRumors report two major changes coming to the Apple Watch health experience. First, Apple is redesigning its Health and Fitness apps to present wellness data the way Whoop and Oura do — synthesizing sleep quality, recovery status, and daily readiness into a single actionable view rather than scattering metrics across separate screens. Second, Apple is testing continuous all-day heart rate monitoring, collecting data constantly rather than in periodic samples. Together, these changes address the two biggest complaints health-conscious users have had about the Apple Watch: fragmented data and gaps in heart rate coverage.

The Series 12 and Ultra 4 will also receive a new chip — the first major silicon upgrade in several generations — which is likely what makes continuous monitoring feasible without destroying battery life.

How Does Apple Watch Compare to Whoop and Oura Today?

Before the Series 12 arrives, here is where the three platforms stand on health tracking:

Whoop 5 ($239 + $30/month subscription): The gold standard for continuous strain and recovery tracking. Whoop samples heart rate every second, calculates a daily recovery score based on HRV, resting heart rate, and sleep performance, and provides a strain coach that adjusts targets throughout the day. No screen, no notifications — purely a health-data device. The subscription cost adds up: $360/year on top of the device.

Oura Ring 4 ($349 + $6/month subscription): The best sleep tracker on the market, with detailed sleep staging, a Readiness Score, and the most mature health insights software in the ring category. The ring form factor means all-day wear without the bulk of a watch. Subscription is cheaper than Whoop at $72/year, but still required for full features.

Apple Watch Series 11 ($299–$429): The most capable smartwatch, with ECG, blood oxygen, temperature sensing, crash detection, cellular, GPS, and a full app ecosystem. But its health insights have lagged behind dedicated trackers — no readiness score, no recovery guidance, and heart rate is sampled periodically rather than continuously.

Will the Health App Revamp Come to Older Apple Watches?

This is the critical question for current Apple Watch owners. The health and fitness app redesign is a software update, which means it will likely arrive on older models through watchOS 27. If you own a Series 10 or Series 11, you should get the new readiness dashboards and recovery views.

However, continuous all-day heart rate monitoring may be a hardware-exclusive feature. The new chip in the Series 12 is likely what makes constant sensor operation power-efficient enough to maintain acceptable battery life. Older models may not have the silicon efficiency to run the sensor continuously without a significant battery hit.

Should You Wait for the Series 12 or Buy a Tracker Now?

Wait for the Series 12 if: You want both smartwatch features (apps, GPS, notifications, cellular) and health tracking in one device. The September 9 reveal is only 8 days away. If Apple delivers on the readiness dashboard and continuous HR, the Series 12 could be the first Apple Watch that genuinely competes with Whoop and Oura on their own turf.

Buy an Oura Ring 4 now if: Sleep tracking is your top priority and you want a screenless, ring-form-factor tracker. Oura's sleep staging and readiness insights are still the best in the category. Apple is catching up on software, but the ring form factor offers comfort advantages for sleep that a watch cannot match.

Buy a Series 11 at $299 now if: You want a great smartwatch deal and do not need the latest hardware. The health app revamp will likely come to the Series 11 via watchOS 27, giving you the new dashboards without paying full price for the Series 12.

Skip the Apple Watch entirely if: You are a serious athlete who needs strain-based training guidance. Whoop's strain coach and recovery optimization are still deeper than anything Apple has announced. The Garmin Fenix 9 is another strong alternative for dedicated athletes who want GPS and training metrics first.

The Bottom Line

Apple's health app revamp is the clearest signal yet that Cupertino sees Whoop and Oura as serious competitors — not just niche alternatives. If the Series 12 delivers continuous heart rate monitoring and genuine readiness insights, it could be the first smartwatch that makes a dedicated health tracker redundant for most people. But "if" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Wait until September 9 before spending your money. Compare options now in our smartwatch and smart ring guides.