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Apple Watch Series 12 vs Google Pixel Watch 5

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleWatch Series 12GooglePixel Watch 5
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2026August 2026
Display
Case sizes42 mm or 46 mm41 mm or 45 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 brightnessActua 360 domed AMOLED LTPO display; 320 ppi; DCI-P3 colour; 1–60 Hz; 1 nit minimum brightness (always-on display)
Screen protectionCeramic Shield 2 (aluminium cases); sapphire front crystal (titanium and ceramic cases)Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Health and fitness
ECGYesYes
Blood oxygenYesYes
Skin temperatureYesYes
Sleep apnoea alertsYesNo
High blood pressure alertsYesNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionYesYes
Crash detectionYesYes
GPSSingle-bandDual-band (L1 and L5)
Water resistance50 m50 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 sensorMulti-path optical heart rate sensor; multipurpose electrical sensors for the ECG app; red and infrared sensors for SpO2; far-field skin temperature sensor; electrical sensor for skin conductance (cEDA); compass; altimeter; barometer; magnetometer; 3-axis accelerometer; 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; NoiseECG app and irregular heart rhythm notifications; SpO2, heart rate variability, breathing rate, skin temperature variation and resting heart rate; sleep stages and Sleep Score; body response tracking (cEDA); Morning Brief with readiness
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; GymKit50+ activity modes; dual-frequency GPS with machine learning; real-time audio and visual guidance; weekly cardio goals and daily readiness; custom workouts; Google Health Coach with a Google Health Premium subscription
Safety featuresEmergency SOS; international emergency calling; Fall Detection; Crash Detection; Check In; Backtrack; Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint; torch; noise monitoringEmergency SOS; Fall Detection; Car Crash Detection; Loss of Pulse Detection; Safety Check; Emergency Sharing; Satellite SOS on LTE models in supported countries, including the UK
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 24 hoursUp to 40 hours
In low-power modeUp to 38 hoursUp to 3 days
Mobile data optionYesYes
Works withiPhoneAndroid
ChipS11Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated
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 workout41mm up to 30 hours with always-on display and 48 hours in Battery Saver mode (332 mAh); 45mm up to 40 hours and 72 hours in Battery Saver mode (465 mAh)
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 trackingQuick Charge Dock (USB-C) in the box; 41mm about 15 minutes to 50%, 25 minutes to 80% and 45 minutes to 100%; 45mm about 15 minutes to 50%, 30 minutes to 80% and 60 minutes to 100%; timings with a 30 W adapter, sold separately
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 LTE4G LTE and UMTS (LTE models); Bluetooth 6.0; Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax at 2.4GHz and 5GHz; NFC; Ultra-Wideband; dual-frequency GPS (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou and QZSS); works with most phones on Android 12 or newer
Storage–64 GB eMMC flash
Design
Weight (lightest version)31.5 g31 g
SoftwarewatchOSWear OS
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 resistant100% recycled aluminium housing; 5 ATM (ISO 22810:2010) and IP68
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 g41mm is 41 mm across and 12.3 mm high, 31.0 g without band; 45mm is 45 mm across and 12.3 mm high, 36.7 g without band
BandsFits 130–200 mm wrists (42mm) or 140–245 mm wrists (46mm)Active Band (2nd gen) in HNBR with soft-touch coating, small and large included; 41mm fits 130–210 mm wrists, 45mm fits 150–215 mm wrists
ColoursAluminium in Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black and Space Grey; titanium in Radiant Gold and Natural; ceramic in Pearl White and Night BlueMatte Black with Obsidian band, Polished Silver with Fog, Satin Pyrite with Olive; Champagne Gold with Canyon (41mm only)
In the boxApple Watch Series 12, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)Pixel Watch 5, Active Band (2nd gen) in small and large, Quick Charge Dock, quick start guide

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