The Apple Watch Series 12 is here with Apple having announced the new watch on September 9 alongside the new Apple Watch Ultra 4. Apple also announced the new iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, and the AirPods 5 true wireless earbuds.
The Apple Watch Series 12 may not look like any big changes were made on the outside in terms of design, but on the inside, Apple has definitely made some adjustments to improve the overall user experience. This includes the use of a new chip to help power all the new features, as well as better battery life. There are also some new finishes available, and one new case material. One thing Apple hasn’t changed is the price. At $399, the Apple Watch Series 12 costs the same amount as the Apple Watch Series 11 during its launch period. This was a surprise, given that other major brands have increased the price of their watches this year.
In this guide, we’ll go over specs, where you can buy the watch, the available bands, what colors the watch comes in, and what the main new features are. Basically, everything you need to know about the new Apple Watch Series 12.
Apple Watch Series 12 Specs
Apple Watch Series 12 Specs
| Material and Finish | Dark Bronze Aluminum, Light Gold Aluminum, Space Gray Aluminum, Black Aluminum, Radiant Gold Titanium, Natural Titanium, Pearl White Ceramic, Night Blue Ceramic |
| Dimensions | 42mm Aluminum/Titanium: 42mm x 37mm x 9.7mm, 42mm Ceramic: 43mm x 37mm x 9.85mm, 46mm Aluminum/Titanium: 46mm x 40mm x 9.7mm, 46mm Ceramic: 47mm x 41mm x 9.85mm |
| Weight | 42mm Aluminum GPS: 32.2g, 42mm Aluminum Cellular: 31.5g, 42mm Titanium: 36.5g, 42mm Pearl White Ceramic: 41.7g, 42mm Night Blue Ceramic: 42.8g, 46mm Aluminum GPS: 39.5g, 46mm Aluminum Cellular: 38.6g, 46mm Titanium: 44.9g, 46mm Pearl White Ceramic: 51.3g, 46mm Night Blue Ceramic: 52.9g |
| Controls | Digital Crown with Haptic Feedback, Side Button, Double Tap and Wrist Flick Gestures, Siri with On-Device Processing |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Chip | S11 |
| Sensors | Electrical Heart Sensor, Optical Heart Sensor, Blood Oxygen Sensor, Temperature Sensor, Depth Gauge, Water Temperature Sensor, Compass, Always-On Altimeter, High-g Accelerometer, High Dynamic Range Gyroscope, Ambient Light Sensor |
| Display Type | Always-On Retina Display with Wide-Angle OLED and LTPO3 |
| Display Size | 1.9 Inches |
| Display Brightness | 2,000 Nits Peak |
| Display Protection | Flat Sapphire Crystal |
| Audio | Speaker, Microphone, Media Playback |
| Battery Life | Up to 24 Hours of Normal Use, Up to 38 Hours in Low Power Mode, Up to 10 hours outdoor workout |
| Charging | Up to 80% in 30 Minutes |
| Operating System | WatchOS 27 |
| Safety | Emergency SOS, International Emergency Calling, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint, Flashlight, Backtrack, Noise Monitoring, Check In |
| Durability | IP6X Certified for Water Resistance up to 50m, Dust Resistance |
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, L1 and L5 GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDuo), 2nd Gen Ultrawideband Chip, Apple Pay, GymKit, 5G, LTE |
| Compatibility | iPhone 11 or Later |
How much does the Apple Watch Series 12 cost?
The Apple Watch Series 12 will start at a cost of $399 for base model, but that price will go up depending on the material, size, and connectivity options you choose. Unlike the Apple Watch Ultra 4 which comes in one size only and only comes in the Cellular + GPS model, the Apple Watch Series 12 comes in two sizes, different material types, and you can get without the cellular connectivity if you wish. So you have way more options.
If you go with the Aluminum in 46mm with no cellular connectivity, the price goes up to $499. But that goes down to $449 if you opt for the 42mm Cellular + GPS model. Adding Cellular to the 46mm option bumps the price further to $549. If you go with the Titanium material in 42mm you’re looking at $699, or $749 for the 46mm. Ceramic in 42mm will cost $899, and then $949 if you bump up to the 46mm size.
Where can I buy the Apple Watch Series 12?
The Apple Watch Series 12 will be available through the usual retailers. This includes being able to get the watch from Apple directly, as well as through Apple’s retail partners like Amazon, and at major carriers like Verizon. Carriers will generally only carry the Cellular + GPS model. So if you want the GPS-only model, then you will want to pick up the watch either from Amazon or Apple.
Apple
Amazon
Verizon
AT&T (Pre-order link coming soon)
T-Mobile (Pre-order link coming soon)
When can I buy the watch?
The Apple Watch Series 12 is available for pre-order now through Apple and Amazon, and will be launching on September 18. Through Verizon, the watch goes up for pre-order on September 12. Neither AT&T nor T-Mobile have confirmed when the pre-orders go live.
What carriers does the watch work on?
The Apple Watch Series 12 will work on your usual carriers here in the US. This includes major carriers like Verizon, and both AT&T and T-Mobile should be carrying the watch soon as well with pre-orders going live around the same time as Verizon.
The watch may also be available from smaller carriers, such as Xfinity Mobile, US Mobile, Metro, Cricket, and Visible just to name a few examples. You will want to check with your carrier to be certain.
What colors does the Apple Watch Series 12 come in?
The Apple Watch Series 12 comes in several different finishes (colors), but the finishes available will depend on which material you choose for the case. For the Aluminum case, the apple Watch Series 12 is available in Dark Bronze, Black, Light Gold, and Space Gray. With the Titanium case, you can choose between two colors: Radiant Gold, and Natural. Finally, with the Ceramic case you can choose from Pearl White or Night Blue.
You will also have several color options for the bands, which is another way to customize the style, and arguably more varied since there will be a lot more options here than for the watch case.
What new features does the Apple Watch Series 12 have?
There are quite a few new features for the Apple Watch Series 12 that users are going to find particularly helpful throughout the day. Whether it’s something to help you rest or ensure you’re ready for the following day, the Watch Series 12 is a wrist-worn companion that really can improve your day-to-day life in numerous ways.
Live Rewind
The new Live Rewind feature is like a quick transcription feature to capture snippets of stuff that was recently said. With the power of Siri and what Apple is calling Siri Recap, the Live Rewind feature lets you double tap the Digital Crown button, and Live Rewind will capture the last 15 seconds of audio conversation and relay it back to you on-screen as text that you can scroll through, just in case you missed something.
Recovery HRV measurements in Overnight Vitals
HRV was already measured in older models, but now Apple says it’s measure more than 24 times as often, and the Overnight Vitals now includes recovery HRV measurements for getting a more complete view of your health. These are analyzed against a user’s personal baseline, and the feature is intended to help users spot shifts in metrics before they actually show up, giving users a chance to adjust.
Readiness
Think of as a similar feature to the readiness score on Wear OS smartwatches. What the Readiness feature does is track data throughout the day to keep up with shifts that could alter the end result of your readiness, such as particularly more intense workout, more stress from a work day, or too much exercise, and it updates throughout the day as this data comes in. It also tells you which factors of those that are measured are the main reasons for the score, and highlights what needs improvement.
Sound Recognition
Sound Recognition is one of a few new features under the “Audio Intelligence” category that Apple says was designed to help users stay alert to important sounds. With Sound Recognition, the watch can listen for sounds like doorbells, car alarms, sirens, and other important sounds that people who are deaf or hard of hearing may miss. It then alerts those users to these sounds via the watch.
Siri Recap
With Siri Recap, users can go back and look at highly detailed summaries of previous conversations. It powers the Live Rewind feature, which is how the text snippets are able to be displayed on the watch. When Siri Recap is enabled, it’ll take previous conversations and organize everything into a detailed summary with key points and a title. It’s fairly similar to Live Rewind but more detailed and intended more for checking back on later as opposed to in the moment.
Shazam
Shazam itself isn’t a new thing for Apple Watch but on the Apple Watch Series 12 with Audio Intelligence, Shazam can now automatically listen for and recognize songs playing in the background, and it’ll give you that information in the Smart Stack.
Single-handed tap gesture
As part of WatchOS 27, Apple has added a new single-handed tap gesture that lets you select stuff from your widgets. This used to be done by the double tap gesture, but Apple has changed things up to give users more control. The single tap gesture is now used for selecting individual widgets, while the double tap gesture is used for scrolling through the Smart Stack.
A new, Dynamic App Grid
This new app grid is there to show users the five apps that they use the most on the watch. It’s a way for users to more quickly access the watch apps that are getting the most interaction.
Smart Stack Widget Suggestions
This is another feature meant to give users automatic information when it’s most useful. With Smart Stack Widget Suggestions, the Apple Watch Series 12 with WatchOS 27 can suggest widgets when they’re deemed most relevant. For example, a birthday reminder for a close contact.
What bands are available for it?
When it comes to band customization, the world is your oyster here. Apple is offering a mother load of options both in type and in color. For types of bands, you can choose the Sport Band, the Nike Sport Band, the Sport Loop, the Milanese Loop, the Link Bracelet, the Nike Sport Loop, the Solo Loop, the Braided Solo Loop, the Modern Buckle, and the Magnetic Link.
Once you’ve chosen a style of band, you’ll have at least three to four options for each style, including new colors like Burgundy, Olive, Umber, Chambray, and Limestone. Not every color will be available for every single band.
The cost of the bands will also vary. Some of the more expensive options include the $399 Link Bracelet and the $199 Modern Buckle. If you’re not looking to get fancy with it, $49 scores you the Sport Band or the Sport Loop.
Images and Video
Should I buy the Apple Watch Series 12?
I think if you already own an Apple Watch Series 11, it’s a tougher sell, and I don’t know that I would recommend the upgrade UNLESS you can trade in the old watch, and really want the newest model, perhaps for the new ceramic case options. if you’re on an older version of the Apple Watch Series line, or something like the original Apple Watch Ultra and want the regular model, or you’re coming from a non-Apple smartwatch, then yes I think this is a solid purchase and it’s worth the money.
There are a lot of features that make this a worthy smartwatch to have on your wrist, not the least of which are all the Audio Intelligence features that add some sort of function that works hands-free.
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