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Apple Watch (1st generation) vs Apple Watch Series 12

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleWatch (1st generation)AppleWatch Series 12
Overview
ReleasedApril 2015September 2026
Display
Case sizes38 mm or 42 mm42 mm or 46 mm
PanelOLEDLTPO OLED
Peak brightness–2,000 nits
Always-on displayNoYes
Display detailRetina display with Force Touch; OLED panel, 272 x 340 pixels on 38mm or 312 x 390 pixels on 42mm (iFixit)Always-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3; 1Hz refresh; 374 x 446 pixels (42mm) or 416 x 496 pixels (46mm) at 326 ppi; 970 or 1,196 sq mm display area; 1 nit minimum brightness
Screen protectionIon-X glass on Sport; sapphire crystal on stainless steel, Hermès and EditionCeramic Shield 2 (aluminium cases); sapphire front crystal (titanium and ceramic cases)
Health and fitness
ECGNoYes
Blood oxygenNoYes
Skin temperatureNoYes
Sleep apnoea alertsNoYes
High blood pressure alertsNoYes
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoYes
Crash detectionNoYes
GPSNoneSingle-band
Water resistance–50 m
SensorsOptical heart-rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and ambient light sensor; Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, speaker and microphoneHealth Sensing System with third-generation electrical heart sensor, always-on optical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor and temperature sensor; compass; always-on altimeter; high-g accelerometer; high dynamic range gyroscope; ambient light sensor; depth gauge to 6 m; water temperature sensor
Health featuresHeart-rate monitoring and Activity ringsReadiness app; Vitals app (heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, sleep duration and HRV); Recovery HRV; high-frequency background heart rate tracking; ECG app; Blood Oxygen app; irregular rhythm notifications; high and low heart rate notifications; hypertension notifications; sleep apnoea notifications; sleep stages and sleep score; Cycle Tracking with fertile window and retrospective ovulation estimates, perimenopause and menopause support; Medications; Mindfulness; Noise
Fitness featuresWorkout tracking; route and distance measurements use the paired iPhone's GPS (TechRadar)Custom workouts; Training Load; customisable heart rate zones; VO2 max; Race Route; Pacer; cadence, stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation and running power; automatic track detection; multisport workouts; offline maps with custom route creation; Backtrack; pool and open-water swimming with SWOLF; cycling power zones with Bluetooth accessories; GymKit
Safety features–Emergency SOS; international emergency calling; Fall Detection; Crash Detection; Check In; Backtrack; Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint; torch; noise monitoring
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 24 hours
In low-power mode–Up to 38 hours
Mobile data optionNoYes
Works withiPhoneiPhone
ChipS1S11
Storage8 GB64 GB
Battery life detailRechargeable battery; maker's up-to-18-hour rating varies with use and configurationUp to 24 hours of normal use; up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode; up to 10 hours of outdoor workout
ChargingMagnetic charging cableFast charging to 80% in about 30 minutes; 15 minutes for up to 12 hours of normal use; 5 minutes for up to 10 hours of sleep tracking
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz; Bluetooth 4.0; Apple Pay; requires iPhone 5 or laterWi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.4GHz and 5GHz; Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip; NFC for Apple Pay; Precision L1 GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou); GPS + Cellular models (A3582, A3587) with 5G RedCap and LTE
Storage8 GB onboard storage and S1 system-in-package identified by iFixit–
Design
Weight (lightest version)25 g31.5 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materialsAnodised aluminium with composite back (Sport), stainless steel with ceramic back (including Hermès), or 18-carat yellow/rose gold with ceramic back (Edition); IPX7 splash and water resistance under IEC 60529, not for submersion100% recycled aluminium or 3D-printed 100% recycled titanium case with zirconia back, or ceramic case; water resistant to 50 m (ISO 22810:2010); IP6X dust resistant
Size38mm case is 38.6 x 33.3 x 10.5 mm; 42mm is 42.0 x 35.9 x 10.5 mm. Case weights are 25/30 g (Sport), 40/50 g (stainless steel), 55/69 g (yellow-gold Edition) or 54/67 g (rose-gold Edition), for 38/42mm respectively42mm is 42 x 37 x 9.7 mm (ceramic 43 x 37 x 9.85 mm); 46mm is 46 x 40 x 9.7 mm (ceramic 47 x 41 x 9.85 mm); lightest is the 42mm aluminium GPS + Cellular at 31.5 g, heaviest the 46mm Night Blue ceramic at 52.9 g
BandsSport Band, leather straps, Link Bracelet and Milanese Loop; Hermès Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff joined the range in 2015Fits 130–200 mm wrists (42mm) or 140–245 mm wrists (46mm)
ColoursSport in Silver, Space Grey, Gold or Rose Gold; stainless steel in polished steel or Space Black; Edition in yellow or rose goldAluminium in Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black and Space Grey; titanium in Radiant Gold and Natural; ceramic in Pearl White and Night Blue
In the boxWatch, band, 2 m magnetic charging cable, 5W USB power adapter and quick start guide; Edition also includes a magnetic charging case and Lightning to USB cableApple Watch Series 12, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)

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