Apple’s tech specs list three items in the Apple Watch Series 12 box: the watch, a band, and an Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable, 1 meter long. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 box lists the same three items. Neither box includes a USB-C power adapter, so you need your own.
That is the same list Apple published for Apple Watch Ultra 3 last year, and it matches the new iPhones: iPhone 18 Pro ships with iOS 27 and a 1 meter USB-C cable, nothing else. Apple says the packaging for both watches is 100 percent fiber-based.
Key facts: what ships with each watch
| Item | Apple Watch Series 12 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Watch | Apple Watch Series 12, watchOS 27 | Apple Watch Ultra 4, watchOS 27 |
| Band | One band | One band |
| Charger | Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m) | Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m) |
| Power adapter | Not included | Not included |
| iPhone required | iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 | iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later, with iOS 27 |
| Packaging | 100 percent fiber-based | 100 percent fiber-based |
| Price and date | From $399, in stores September 18 | From $799, in stores September 18 |
The Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable
The cable in the box is the part that makes Apple’s charging claims work. On Series 12, Apple rates a 15-minute charge for up to 12 hours of normal use, which its press release calls 50 percent faster than before, a fast charge to 80 percent in about 30 minutes, and a 5-minute charge for up to 10 hours of sleep tracking. Our Series 12 announcement article has the rest of the battery figures.
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Ultra 4’s larger battery takes longer but goes further: 15 minutes gives up to 18 hours of normal use, 80 percent takes about 45 minutes, and the same 5-minute charge gives up to 10 hours of sleep tracking.
| Charging figure | Series 12 | Ultra 4 | Ultra 3 | SE 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast charge to 80 percent | About 30 minutes | About 45 minutes | About 45 minutes | About 45 minutes |
| 15-minute charge | Up to 12 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 12 hours | Not published in Apple’s compare rows |
| 5-minute charge | Up to 10 hours of sleep tracking | Up to 10 hours of sleep tracking | Not published | Not published |
| Cable in the box | Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C, 1 m | Same | Same | Not confirmed |
The magnetic puck also has a second job if you buy the $149 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case: Apple’s press release says that case charges on Apple Watch chargers as well as Qi chargers and USB-C, so one puck on the nightstand covers AirPods 5 and the watch.
The band: what “Band” means on the spec sheet
Apple’s spec pages list a single item, “Band”, for both watches, and give the wrist sizes each watch fits with the bands Apple sells. A 42 mm Series 12 fits wrists from 130 to 200 mm, a 46 mm Series 12 from 140 to 245 mm, and Ultra 4 from 130 to 210 mm.
The band you get depends on the configuration you choose. For Series 12, Apple’s press release lists a Sport Band in olive, burgundy, wildflower blue and pale succulent; a Sport Loop in chambray blue, magenta, burgundy plaid and light umber plaid, made with a new inkjet printing process; a Milanese Loop in radiant gold and dark bronze; and a Modern Buckle in a new woven material with a gold hardware option. Ultra 4 comes with a Trail Loop in dark umber, sand or burgundy, an Alpine Loop in desert, dark olive or burgundy, or an Ocean Band in translucent gray, kelp or black.
Apple has not published band prices, and the spec sheet does not say which band or band size is packed with which case. The Hermès editions are separate: Series 12 Hermès pairs radiant gold titanium with a Noir Clou de Selle band or the new Rocabar Club band, and Ultra 4 Hermès comes with the Grand H titanium band.
What is not in the box, and what you need on day one
- A USB-C power adapter. Apple lists none for either watch, so use one you own; Apple has not said which wattage its charging figures assume.
- An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 27, which is a free update on September 14. Ultra 4’s spec page also lists iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later.
- A second band size. Apple lists one band per box.
- A cellular plan, if you choose a cellular model; Apple has not published cellular pricing for either watch.
The watch itself comes with watchOS 27, so a Series 12 or Ultra 4 unboxed on September 18 is already on the software Apple releases four days earlier. That update brings Siri AI in beta, the dynamic app grid, the single-handed tap gesture and perimenopause support in Cycle Tracking, as covered in our iOS 27 and watchOS 27 release date coverage.
What Apple has not said
- The wattage of USB-C adapter the fast charging figures assume, or whether a slower adapter changes them.
- Which band and which band size ship with each configuration, and band prices.
- Whether the Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable is sold separately, and at what price.
- SE 3 box contents, which are not in the Apple pages we drew on.
Both watches are on pre-order now and reach stores on Friday, September 18, Series 12 from $399 and Ultra 4 from $799. Have a USB-C adapter ready and your iPhone updated to iOS 27 before the box arrives.
