Request a product

Apple Watch Series 12 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleWatch Series 12AppleWatch Ultra 2
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2026September 2023
Display
Case sizes42 mm or 46 mm49 mm
PanelLTPO OLEDLTPO OLED
Peak brightness2,000 nits3,000 nits
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detailAlways-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 brightnessAlways-On Retina LTPO2 OLED display; 410 x 502 pixels at 326 ppi; 1,185 sq mm display area; 1 nit minimum brightness; Night Mode with the Modular Ultra or Wayfinder watch face
Screen protectionCeramic Shield 2 (aluminium cases); sapphire front crystal (titanium and ceramic cases)Flat sapphire crystal front
Health and fitness
ECGYesYes
Blood oxygenYesYes
Skin temperatureYesYes
Sleep apnoea alertsYesYes
High blood pressure alertsYesYes
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionYesYes
Crash detectionYesYes
GPSSingle-bandDual-band (L1 and L5)
Water resistance50 m100 m
SensorsHealth 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 sensorElectrical heart sensor; third-generation optical heart sensor; temperature sensor; depth gauge to 40 m (±1 m accuracy); water temperature sensor; compass; always-on altimeter (–500 m to 9,000 m); high-g accelerometer (up to 256 g); high dynamic range gyroscope; ambient light sensor
Health featuresReadiness 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; NoiseVitals app (heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen and sleep duration); irregular rhythm notifications; high and low heart rate notifications; low cardio fitness notifications; sleep stages and sleep score; Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates; Medications; Mindfulness with state of mind tracking; Noise
Fitness featuresCustom 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; GymKitCustomisable Action button with Precision Start; custom workouts; Training Load; Heart Rate Zones; Race Route; Pacer; stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation; automatic track detection; multisport workouts; offline maps with custom route creation; elevation alerts; swimming with custom pool workouts, stroke type tracking and SWOLF; recreational diving to 40 m with the Depth app or a dive computer app from the App Store; cycling power zones and cadence with Bluetooth accessories; GymKit
Safety featuresEmergency SOS; international emergency calling; Fall Detection; Crash Detection; Check In; Backtrack; Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint; torch; noise monitoringEmergency SOS; international emergency calling; Siren; Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint; Check In; Backtrack; torch; noise monitoring
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 24 hoursUp to 36 hours
In low-power modeUp to 38 hoursUp to 3 days
Mobile data optionYesYes
Works withiPhoneiPhone
ChipS11S9
Storage64 GB64 GB
Battery life detailUp to 24 hours of normal use; up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode; up to 10 hours of outdoor workoutMulti-day figure tested over 36 hours with 600 time checks, 180 notifications, 30 minutes of app use and a 60-minute workout with music, including 8 hours on LTE; built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
ChargingFast 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 trackingFast charging to 80% in about 1 hour
ConnectivityWi-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 LTEL1 + L5 precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou); 4G LTE and UMTS; Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n); Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip; Apple Pay
Design
Weight (lightest version)31.5 g61.4 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materials100% 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 resistantGrade 5 titanium case (95% recycled titanium) with ceramic and sapphire crystal back; water resistant to 100 m (ISO 22810:2010); EN13319 recreational scuba diving to 40 m; IP6X dust resistant; tested to MIL-STD 810H
Size42mm 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 g49 x 44 x 12 mm; 61.4 g (natural) or 61.8 g (black)
BandsFits 130–200 mm wrists (42mm) or 140–245 mm wrists (46mm)Fits 130–210 mm wrists; Alpine Loop, Trail Loop and Ocean Band, plus Titanium Milanese Loop from September 2024
ColoursAluminium in Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black and Space Grey; titanium in Radiant Gold and Natural; ceramic in Pearl White and Night BlueNatural titanium; Black titanium from September 2024
In the boxApple Watch Series 12, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)Apple Watch Ultra 2, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)

More comparisons