GoKawiilApple rolled out the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at the “Surprise and shine” event. The new watches feature sizable improvements to the health sensors and tracking, plus the ability to recite audio transcriptions and summaries, plus a ceramic case option for the Series 12. Despite the new features, the watches start at the same base price as their previous iterations. The Apple Watch Series 12 costs $399 for the aluminum version without cellular, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs $799.
The biggest differences between the models are new features powered by the S11 processor. It supports the new Apple Intelligence features as well as more detailed health and fitness programs. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 also has longer battery life, up to 50 hours on a single charge, up from 42 on the Ultra 3. All the watches are slightly heavier, with the ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 sitting at 42.8 grams for the 42mm version and 52.9 grams for the 46mm version. The heaviest Apple Watch Ultra is 63.1 grams, up from 61.8 grams on the older model.
Make sure to check out our hands-on if you’re curious about the full scope of the changes. You can also scroll around in the YouTube video above to find where Victoria Song jumped into our post-event Vergecast livestream. On the other hand, if you’re more curious about how the new watches stack up to the previous versions, we’ve gathered up all the relevant information below in one handy, albeit sprawling, chart.
Categories Apple Watch Series 12 Apple Watch Series 11 Apple Watch Ultra 4 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Starting MSRP $399 (Aluminum) / $699 (Titanium) / $899 (Ceramic) $399 (GPS) / $499 (5G) $799 $799 Sizes 42mm / 46mm 42mm / 46mm 49mm 49mm Case material Aluminum or titanium or ceramic Aluminum or titanium Titanium Titanium Weight (Grams) 42mm: 32.2 (aluminum GPS) / 31.5 (aluminum 5G) / 36.5 (titanium) / 41.7-42.8 (ceramic) 42mm: 30.3 (aluminum GPS) / 29.7 (aluminum 5G) / 34.6 (titanium) 63.0 (natural) / 63.1 (black) 61.6 (natural / light gray) /61.8 (black) Display Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED / wide-angle OLED Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED / wide-angle OLED Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED / wide-angle OLED Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED / wide-angle OLED Screen brightness Up to 2,000 nits brightness Up to 2,000 nits brightness Up to 3,000 nits brightness Up to 3,000 nits brightness Screen resolution 42mm: 374 x 449 42mm: 374 x 446 422 x 514 422 x 514 46mm: 416 x 496 46mm: 416 x 496 Minimum brightness 1 nit 1 nit 1 nit 1 nit Processor S11 with 64-bit dual-core processor S10 with 64-bit dual-core processor S11 with 64-bit dual-core processor S10 with 64-bit dual-core processor Ultra wideband chip (second-gen) Yes Yes Yes Yes Operating system watchOS 27 watchOS 26 WatchOS 27 watchOS 26 Water resistance Water resistant up to 50 meters Water resistant up to 50 meters Water resistant up to 100 meters Water resistant up to 100 meters Dust resistance IP6X-rated IP6X-rated IP6X-rated / Tested to MIL-STD 810H IP6X-rated / Tested to MIL-STD 810H Connectivity Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 and 5GHz) + L1 GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 and 5GHz) + L1 GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 and 5GHz) + Precision dual-frequency GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 + 5G Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 and 5GHz) + Precision dual-frequency (L1 and L5) GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 + 5G Storage 64GB 64GB 64GB 64GB Estimated battery life Up to 24 hours; 38 hours in low-power mode Up to 24 hours; 38 hours in low-power mode Up to 50 hours; 84 hours in low-power mode Up to 42 hours; 72 hours in low-power mode Fast Charging Yes (80 percent in about 30 minutes) Yes (80 percent in about 30 minutes) Yes (80 percent in about 45 minutes) Yes (80 percent in about 45 minutes) Features Siri, Apple Pay, single tap, double tap, wrist flick Siri, Apple Pay, single tap, double tap, wrist flick Siri, Apple Pay, single tap, double tap, wrist flick Siri, Apple Pay, single tap, double tap, wrist flick Health tracking Sleep, cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, third-generation optical heart sensor, ECG, hypertension, blood oxygen Sleep, cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, third-generation optical heart sensor, ECG, hypertension, blood oxygen Sleep, cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, third-generation optical heart sensor, ECG, hypertension, blood oxygen Sleep, cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, third-generation optical heart sensor, ECG, hypertension, blood oxygen Health notifications Sleep apnea, hypertension, high/low/irregular heart, fall detection, crash detection Sleep apnea, hypertension, high/low/irregular heart, fall detection, crash detection Sleep apnea, hypertension, high/low/irregular heart, fall detection, crash detection Sleep apnea, hypertension, high/low/irregular heart, fall detection, crash detection Environmental tracking Temperature sensor, compass, offline maps, always-on altimeter Temperature sensor, compass, offline maps, always-on altimeter Temperature sensor, compass, offline maps, always-on altimeter Temperature sensor, compass, offline maps, always-on altimeter Emergency SOS Yes (cellular only) Yes (cellular only) Yes (cellular, satellite) Yes (cellular, satellite) Built-in mic and speaker Yes Yes Yes, triple-mic array, dual speakers Yes, triple-mic array, dual speakers Media playback Yes Yes Yes Yes Siren No No Yes Yes Night mode No No Yes Yes Water temperature and depth sensors Depth gauge up to 6m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for snorkeling Depth gauge to 6m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for snorkeling Depth gauge to 40m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for use as a dive computer Depth gauge to 40m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for use as a dive computer Colors Aluminum: dark bronze, light gold, black, space gray; Titanium: radiant gold, natural; ceramic: pearl white, night blue Aluminum: jet black, rose gold, and silver; Titanium: slate, gold, and natural Natural titanium and black Natural titanium and black