Apple announced two new watches today: Apple Watch Series 12 from $399 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 from $799. Both run the S11 chip, both get the new Health Sensing System and Readiness score, and both reach stores on Friday, September 18.
That shared core makes the choice simpler than it was a year ago. The $400 gap now comes down to battery life, case material, satellite and the long-workout modes, so here is what each side of that line gets you, based on Apple’s press releases.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Series 12 specs and prices
| Spec | Apple Watch Ultra 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $799 | From $399 |
| Apple Upgrade lease | $24.99 a month, 24 months | $11.99 a month, 24 months |
| Chip | S11 | S11 |
| Case | Natural or black titanium | Aluminum, titanium or new ceramic |
| Sizes | Not published | 42mm and 46mm |
| Battery | Up to 50 hours | Up to 24 hours |
| Low Power Mode | Up to 84 hours | Not published |
| Longest workout mode | Up to 45 hours | Up to 10 hours outdoor workout |
| 15-minute charge | 18 hours | 12 hours |
| Satellite | Yes, two years included | Not mentioned by Apple |
What both watches share
The S11 chip, which Apple calls its most powerful wearable chip, is in both models, along with its Secure Exclave for on-device audio processing. That means Sound Recognition alerts, Live Rewind, Siri Recap and Shazam detection work on either watch.
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The Health Sensing System is identical too: heart rate every 5 seconds, HRV every 5 minutes, Recovery HRV, the new daytime vitals view and the Readiness score from 0 to 10. Apple’s claims of the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable and the most accurate step tracking of any smartwatch apply to both.
Both ship with watchOS 27, arriving Monday, September 14, and both feed the new Health app in iOS 27 with its Longevity tab and Health Age.
What the extra $400 buys on Ultra 4
- Battery: 50 hours against 24, and 84 hours in Low Power Mode
- Workouts: 25 hours in Extended Workout and 45 hours in Max Extended Workout with one-second GPS, against 10 hours of outdoor workout on Series 12
- Satellite communications with two years included
- GPS that Apple calls the most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch
- A 100 percent recycled titanium case in natural or black
- Trail Loop, Alpine Loop and Ocean Band, plus a Hermès edition with a Grand H titanium band
Series 12 answers with choice. Aluminum comes in dark bronze, black, light gold and space gray with Ceramic Shield 2, titanium in radiant gold and natural, and a new ceramic case in pearl white and night blue. Apple has not published the titanium, ceramic or cellular prices for Series 12.
Which Apple Watch should you buy?
Buy Series 12 if you charge nightly and want the new sensors at the lowest price, or if you want a ceramic or gold titanium case. Buy Ultra 4 if you need two days between charges, race or hike beyond cell coverage, or track workouts longer than 10 hours.
Apple did not update Apple Watch SE today, after SE 3 went unavailable ahead of the event, so these two are the new lineup for now. Both are on pre-order today, in stores September 18, and our Series 12 preview and event recap have more.
