Apple has not published a dollar trade-in value for any Apple Watch, from Series 7 through Series 11 or the original Ultra through Ultra 3, toward Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4. Its Apple Trade In page explains the process and asks condition questions before it quotes a credit, and no Apple Store page we checked shows a per-model figure.
What Apple has published is each watch’s launch price, the $399 and $799 targets you would be trading toward, and the watchOS 27 compatibility list, which is the most useful input when deciding whether to trade at all. Nothing below is estimated.
Key facts on Apple Watch trade-in this week
| Item | What Apple says |
|---|---|
| Per-model Apple Watch trade-in values | Not published; the estimator requires condition answers |
| Apple Watch Series 12 | From $399, or $11.99 a month over 24 months on Apple Upgrade |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 | From $799, or $24.99 a month over 24 months on Apple Upgrade |
| Apple Watch SE 3 | From $249, still sold |
| Watches still sold by Apple | Series 12, Ultra 4 and SE 3 only |
| watchOS 27 support | Series 9, 10, 11, 12; SE 3; Ultra 2, 3, 4 |
| Availability | Pre-orders open now; in stores Friday, September 18 |
How Apple Trade In works for a watch
Apple’s trade-in page at apple.com/shop/trade-in loads a process explainer rather than a price list. To see a credit you answer questions about the specific watch and its condition, and the figure appears only then. No “up to” value for a watch appeared on the trade-in page, the Series 12 store page or the Ultra 4 store page when we checked.
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That differs from the iPhone side, where Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro store page repeats carrier wording about up to $1,200 in trade-in credit through AT&T, with similar offers at T-Mobile and Verizon. No comparable line exists for Apple Watch. Our iPhone 18 Pro trade-in guide covers the phone side.
What each watch cost new, and whether it runs watchOS 27
Launch prices come from Apple’s press releases. They are not trade-in values, but they show Apple has held the Series line at $399 since 2021 and the Ultra line at $799 since 2022, so the watch you trade toward costs what yours did.
| Model | Launch price (Apple press release) | Chip | Battery | watchOS 27 | Sold by Apple now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 7 (2021) | $399 | S7 | Up to 18 hours | No | No |
| Series 8 (2022) | $399 | S8 | Up to 18 hours | No | No |
| SE 2 (2022) | $249 | S8 | Up to 18 hours | No | No |
| Ultra (2022) | $799 | S8 | Up to 36 hours | No | No |
| Series 9 (2023) | $399 | S9 | Up to 18 hours | Yes | No |
| Ultra 2 (2023) | $799 | S9 | Up to 36 hours | Yes | No |
| Series 10 (2024) | $399 | S10 | Up to 18 hours | Yes | No |
| Series 11 (2025) | $399 | S10 | Up to 24 hours | Yes | No |
| Ultra 3 (2025) | $799 | S10 | Up to 42 hours | Yes | No |
| Series 12 (2026) | From $399 | S11 | Up to 24 hours | Yes | Yes |
| Ultra 4 (2026) | From $799 | S11 | Up to 50 hours | Yes | Yes |
The watches with the strongest reason to trade
Apple’s watchOS page lists the models that can run watchOS 27, which arrives free on Monday, September 14: Apple Watch SE 3, Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Series 12, Ultra 2, Ultra 3 and Ultra 4. Series 7, Series 8, the second-generation SE and the original Ultra are not on it, so their last major release is watchOS 26.
- Series 7, Series 8, SE 2 and the original Ultra: no watchOS 27, no Siri AI on the wrist, no dynamic app grid. These are the watches with a software reason to trade, not only a hardware one. Our Ultra 4 vs original Ultra comparison and Series 12 vs SE 2 comparison go deeper.
- Series 9 and Series 10: supported by watchOS 27, but still on 18-hour batteries and without the Health Sensing System, which measures heart rate every five seconds and HRV every five minutes.
- Series 11 and Ultra 3: one year old, supported, and the smallest jump. Series 11 already has 24 hours of battery and 5G; Ultra 3 already has satellite and 42 hours. Read Series 12 vs Series 11 and Ultra 4 vs Ultra 3 before trading these.
What you are trading toward
Series 12 brings the S11 chip, a third-generation electrical heart sensor, the Readiness score, Audio Intelligence with Live Rewind and Siri Recap, Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminum models, a ceramic case option, up to 24 hours of battery and a 15-minute charge that gives 12 hours. Ultra 4 adds the same sensing system to a 49 mm titanium case with up to 50 hours of battery, 84 hours in Low Power Mode, a 45-hour Max Extended Workout mode and satellite features with two years included.
Both are sold outright or through Apple Upgrade: $11.99 a month for Series 12 and $24.99 a month for Ultra 4, each over 24 months. Apple has not said how a trade-in credit interacts with the monthly plan.
What Apple has not said
- Any per-model trade-in value for an Apple Watch, or a range like the one it gives for iPhones.
- Whether trade-in credit can be applied to Apple Upgrade monthly pricing for Series 12 or Ultra 4.
- Titanium, ceramic, Hermès and cellular prices for Series 12, and per-band prices for Ultra 4.
- How long Series 7, Series 8, SE 2 and the original Ultra will keep receiving watchOS 26 security updates.
To get a real figure, open apple.com/shop/trade-in or the Apple Store app, choose Apple Watch, answer the condition questions and note the credit before the September 18 in-store date. Pre-orders for Series 12 from $399 and Ultra 4 from $799 are open now, and both reach stores on September 18.
