It's hard to say without tearing down the machine and inspecting chips. However I think there is a good possibility of that, because of the model numbering. The 12000 has an internal model number of 859, while the 11000 is 860. That suggests that the 12000 was on the drawing board BEFORE the 11000, and it most likely uses the memory chips that were used in the 11000.

The memory chips are soldered onto the main board, so replacing them is not an option. That means if they were to do a 12000SE, it would need a new motherboard. It's not unprecedented to have a hardware component to a machine upgrade. The "Jump Cut" option on the 11000 involved hardware replacement BUT the parts involved were a lot cheaper than a motherboard. We won't really know the details until the new model is unveiled in August. Janome has been taking a beating from Brother, who put out new models every 1-2 years, so they might be trying to match them.

In any case, there's no point in getting mad at your dealer about the price you paid, not being warned of a new model, etc. Dealers are customers of Janome too, and are deliberately kept in the dark about new models for the simple reason that Janome cannot afford to stop selling the current model until the new one ships. Many times I would buy machines, only to have new models or substantially better prices happen a few weeks later. We live in extremely fast-paced times, where technology is concerned. If you want to always have the latest and best, it will be very costly, both in dollars and stress. It's not just Janome. Apple, who typically introduces new products annually, floored everyone last fall when they came out with a 4th generation iPad just a few months after the 3rd generation model. This is, unfortunately, the way of the world we live in. Competition is harder than ever, and companies cannot afford to rest if they want to survive.