Apple’s tech specs page for the Apple Watch Series 12 fills in every number the September 9 press release left out: a 2000-nit display, weights from 31.5 g to 52.9 g depending on material, a 50 m water rating, 64GB of storage, 5G RedCap on cellular models and a battery rated at 24 hours normal use or 38 hours in Low Power Mode. The watch starts at $399 and ships September 18.
The headline changes over Series 11 are the S11 chip, the Health Sensing System, a new ceramic case option and Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminum models. The spec sheet shows that the display, water rating and battery ratings carry over from last year, which matters if you are deciding whether to upgrade. Our Series 12 launch story covers the announcement itself; this is the numbers-only companion.
Series 12 sizes, dimensions and weights
Series 12 comes in 42 mm and 46 mm cases. Aluminum and titanium models measure 42 by 37 by 9.7 mm and 46 by 40 by 9.7 mm. The ceramic models are fractionally larger at 43 by 37 by 9.85 mm and 47 by 41 by 9.85 mm, according to Apple’s tech specs.
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Weights range from 31.5 g for the lightest aluminum 42 mm model to 52.9 g for the 46 mm Night Blue ceramic. Titanium sits in between at 36.5 g and 44.9 g. One oddity: Apple’s tech specs list the aluminum cellular models as slightly lighter than the GPS-only versions, which is the reverse of past years. We are quoting the page as published.
Band fit is 130 to 200 mm wrists for the 42 mm case and 140 to 245 mm for the 46 mm.
Display, chip and storage
Both sizes use an Always-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3, refreshing down to 1 Hz. The 42 mm panel is 374 by 446 pixels over 970 square millimeters; the 46 mm is 416 by 496 pixels over 1196 square millimeters. Both are 326 ppi, peak at 2000 nits and dim to 1 nit.
Those display figures match Series 11 on Apple’s compare page. Aluminum models get Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple calls tougher than any smartwatch glass and 60 percent tougher than Ion-X. Titanium and ceramic models use sapphire crystal.
Inside is the S11 chip with a 64-bit dual-core processor and a four-core Neural Engine, plus 64GB of storage. Apple lists a third-generation electrical heart sensor, an always-on optical heart sensor, Blood Oxygen and temperature sensors, a compass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, ambient light sensor, a depth gauge to 6 meters and a water temperature sensor.
Water rating, battery and charging
| Spec | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|
| Case sizes | 42 mm, 46 mm |
| Peak brightness | 2000 nits (1 nit minimum) |
| Chip | S11, dual-core, 4-core Neural Engine |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Water resistance | 50 m (ISO 22810:2010), IP6X dust |
| Battery, normal use | Up to 24 hours |
| Battery, Low Power Mode | Up to 38 hours |
| Outdoor workout | Up to 10 hours |
| Fast charge to 80 percent | About 30 minutes |
| 15-minute charge | Up to 12 hours normal use |
| 5-minute charge | Up to 10 hours sleep tracking |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) 2.4 and 5 GHz / Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Cellular | 5G RedCap and LTE (cellular models) |
| Satellite | No |
| Price | From $399 |
Series 12 is rated WR 50M under ISO 22810:2010, so it is swimproof, and IP6X against dust. That is the same rating as Series 11 and half the 100 m figure of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Apple rates the battery at up to 24 hours of normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode and up to 10 hours of outdoor workout. The press release called the workout figure 25 percent better than before. The charging numbers are where Series 12 moves: about 30 minutes to 80 percent, 12 hours of use from a 15-minute charge and 10 hours of sleep tracking from five minutes on the puck. Apple calls the 15-minute figure 50 percent faster than before.
5G RedCap, GPS and connectivity
The cellular models (A3582 and A3587) support RedCap for 5G as well as LTE. Apple’s tech specs list 14 FDD and three TDD 5G NR bands plus an LTE list that includes bands 12, 13, 17, 66 and 71 used by US carriers.
GPS is Precision L1 with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou. There is a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, Apple Pay, GymKit and Apple Watch For Your Kids support. Satellite features are Ultra-only; the compare page lists Series 12 as No.
Series 12 ships with watchOS 27 and needs an iPhone 11 or later on iOS 27. The box contains the watch, a band and the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m). Apple has not published per-configuration prices for titanium, ceramic or cellular models beyond the $399 starting point; the store page shows only the From price. Pre-orders are open now ahead of the September 18 release, alongside the rest of the event lineup.
