Apple Watch Series 12: How Accurate Is the New Step Counter?
I decided to get the Apple Watch Series 12 mainly because of its improved pedometer. Being able to see my step count directly on the watch face as a complication might sound like a small feature, but it's actually quite important to me.
I want my step count to be as accurate as possible, so I decided to put the Apple Watch Series 12 through a series of real-world tests.
I tested the 46mm titanium model in all kinds of situations: walking, running, walking randomly, keeping my hands in my pockets, carrying and using a camera, carrying a box, filming with a gimbal, and even pulling a rolling camera bag.
Here's what happened.
Walking 100 steps
I started with the simplest test possible: walking 100 steps in a straight line.
The Apple Watch was showing 617 steps when I started, so I needed to reach 717.
After counting exactly 100 steps, the watch showed 718.
So it counted 101 steps.
Pretty impressive for a first test.
Running 100 steps
Next, I wanted to see if running would make any difference.
I started at 205 steps and needed to reach 305. After running 100 steps, the Apple Watch showed 306.
Once again, it counted 101 steps.
So far, so good.
Random walking
Walking in a straight line is obviously not how we move all day, so I decided to make things a little more realistic.
I walked around a park, changing direction and moving randomly rather than following a straight path.
I started at 696 steps and walked exactly 100.
The Apple Watch finished at 800, meaning it counted 104 steps.
That's four more than I actually took, but still a very good result.
Hands in pockets
Next, I put my hands in my pockets.
This is an interesting test because when your hands are in your pockets, your arms aren't moving naturally as you walk.
I started at 143 steps and walked another 100 steps with my hands in my pockets.
The watch finished at 243.
Exactly 100 steps.
So even with my hands in my pockets, it managed to count every step.
Walking with a camera
As a photographer, this is one of the tests I was particularly interested in.
When I'm shooting an event, I often hold my camera down beside my hip rather than letting my arm swing naturally.
So I took my Leica SL3-P, held it at my side and walked 100 steps.
I started at 362 steps and finished at 465.
That means the Apple Watch counted 103 steps.
Not perfect, but extremely close considering that I was holding a camera the entire time.
Shooting with a camera
I then pushed the test a little further.
Instead of simply carrying the camera, I actually used it while walking. I took photographs as I moved, changing the position of the camera as I went.
I started at 843 steps and needed to reach 943.
After walking my 100 steps, the watch showed...
Exactly 100 steps.
That's pretty impressive considering how much my hands and body were moving while I was shooting.
Carrying a heavy box
Next, I grabbed a box.
It wasn't completely empty, although it wasn't extremely heavy either. It was simply quite cumbersome to carry.
I started at 6,025 steps and walked another 100 while carrying it.
The Apple Watch finished at 6,125.
Exactly 100 steps again.
Gimbal / Ninja walk
This was probably the most interesting test.
I took a DJI Ronin gimbal and tried to do a proper "ninja walk" — the technique used by filmmakers to reduce the up-and-down movement of the body and keep footage smooth.
I started at 415 steps and walked 100 steps through the park.
When I finished, the Apple Watch still showed...
415.
It hadn't counted a single step.
And honestly, that's actually good news for me.
It means I was doing a pretty good ninja walk with very little vertical movement.
The downside is that if you're filming an entire event with a gimbal and doing a good ninja walk, your Apple Watch may record virtually no steps during that time.
So technically, I walked 100 steps, but according to the watch, I didn't go anywhere.
100-step shopping kart pushing test
For this test, I wanted to see if the Apple watch series 12 could count a 100-step walk while pushing a shopping kart.
I started at 12,766 steps, so I should have finished at 12,866.
After walking 100 steps with the shopping kart, the Apple Watch showed 12,867.
So once again, it counted 101 steps.
Pulling a rolling bag
Finally, I wanted to test something that is very relevant to my work as a photographer.
I often pull a rolling camera bag behind me, so I wanted to see whether the Apple Watch would still recognize my steps while I was doing that.
I started at 505 steps and walked 100 steps while pulling my Lowepro camera bag.
The Apple Watch finished at 526.
So it counted only 21 steps out of 100.
Unfortunately, this test definitely didn't pass.
Final thoughts
Overall, I'm really impressed with the Apple Watch Series 12's step counting.
In most of my tests, the results were extremely close to the actual number of steps I took. Even when I had my hands in my pockets, was carrying a camera, actively taking photos or carrying a box, the watch managed to count my steps surprisingly accurately.
The two situations where it struggled were also interesting: the ninja walk resulted in zero steps being counted, while pulling a rolling bag resulted in only 21 out of 100 steps being recorded.
So the Series 12 isn't going to be perfect in every possible situation, but for normal everyday walking, the results were very impressive.
And for me, that's exactly what I wanted. I don't need the Apple Watch to count every possible movement my feet make. I want it to give me a reliable idea of how much I'm actually walking throughout the day.
After putting it through all of these tests, I'm pretty happy with what I'm seeing.
Je suis également photographe de mariage en Suisse — découvrez mes reportages de mariage ici
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