Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799, and Apple says both reach store shelves on Friday, September 18. Apple’s own Series 12 product pages and Ultra 4 specification pages answer most of what buyers are typing into search boxes this week, though on a few points Apple has not published anything at all.
watchOS 27, the free update both watches ship with, arrives separately on Monday, September 14, and requires an iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later, running iOS 27. Everything below comes from Apple’s newsroom release, its Series 12 and Ultra 4 tech specs, and its watch comparison tool, so each answer can be checked directly against apple.com.
| Key facts | Apple Watch Series 12 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $399 | From $799 |
| Case sizes | 42mm, 46mm (43mm, 47mm in ceramic) | 49mm |
| Materials | Aluminum, titanium, ceramic | Titanium |
| Chip | S11 | S11 |
| Storage | 64GB | 64GB |
| Battery, normal use | Up to 24 hours | Up to 50 hours |
| Water resistance | 50 meters | 100 meters |
| Satellite | Not listed | Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My |
| In stores | Friday, September 18 | Friday, September 18 |
What does Apple actually charge for Series 12 and Ultra 4?
Apple’s store lists Series 12 as “From $399” and Ultra 4 as “From $799.” Apple Watch SE 3 continues at its own $249 starting price. Those three numbers describe only the entry configuration in each line: the smaller aluminum case on Series 12, and the standard titanium case on Ultra 4.
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Apple has not published separate prices for the titanium, ceramic or Hermès versions of Series 12, for cellular models of either watch, or for any individual band. Those figures only appear once a shopper configures a specific order in Apple’s online store, and Apple’s press and specification pages do not restate them.
How big are the new watches, really?
Series 12 keeps the familiar 42mm and 46mm case sizes in aluminum and titanium, according to Apple’s tech specs. The new ceramic option is very slightly larger, at 43mm and 47mm, and about 0.15mm deeper than the other two materials. Ultra 4 stays at 49mm, the size Ultra models have used since 2022.
| Case | Case height | Weight (GPS model) |
|---|---|---|
| Series 12, 42mm aluminum | 42mm | 32.2 g |
| Series 12, 46mm aluminum | 46mm | 39.5 g |
| Series 12, 43mm ceramic (Pearl White) | 43mm | 41.7 g |
| Series 12, 47mm ceramic (Pearl White) | 47mm | 51.3 g |
| Ultra 4, 49mm titanium (Natural) | 49mm | 63.0 g |
Those figures come from Apple’s tech specs pages, not its marketing pages, which do not mention weight at all. They are the numbers to use when comparing case size against a watch already on your wrist.
Is 5G on Apple Watch the same as 5G on an iPhone?
No. Apple’s connectivity specification for the cellular models of Series 12 and Ultra 4 lists support for “RedCap for 5G and LTE,” a lower-power, lower-bandwidth version of 5G designed for devices that do not need an iPhone’s data speeds. The iPhone 18 Pro’s C2 modem is a separate, full-speed 5G implementation. Apple’s watch spec sheet never uses the word “5G” without that RedCap qualifier attached.
Does satellite connectivity work on both watches?
No. Apple’s watch comparison tool lists satellite features, Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My, for Ultra 4 only; the Series 12 row on the same page reads “No.” Apple describes the satellite window as free for two years, a benefit it says applies to Ultra 3 and later, though this year’s Ultra 4 materials do not restate country-by-country coverage.
When and where do the new watches arrive?
Pre-orders for both watches opened September 9, alongside the rest of Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” announcements. Apple says both reach stores Friday, September 18, in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE and more than 50 other countries and regions.
What Apple has not said
- Titanium, ceramic, Hermès and cellular prices for Series 12
- Prices for any individual band on either watch
- The exact test conditions behind the 24-hour and 50-hour battery claims
Until Apple’s store configurator, a further support document, or independent hands-on testing (which nobody has yet, since the watches have not shipped) fills those gaps, the “From” prices and comparison-tool figures above are what buyers can rely on. As of September 12, 2026, pre-orders remain open for delivery by the September 18 in-store date.
