Apple Watch Series 12 adds a ceramic case for the first time in this line, in two finishes, pearl white and night blue. It sits above the four aluminum finishes and two titanium finishes in the Series 12 range, and Apple has not published a price for it; only the $399 aluminum starting price is in the release.
Ceramic is a return rather than a debut for Apple Watch. Apple previously sold a ceramic case as part of its Apple Watch Edition line before dropping it, and the material had not appeared on a mainstream Series model until today. Keynote coverage flagged the ceramic option early, and Apple’s press release confirms the two colors. Our Series 12 preview covers what was expected going in.
Pearl white and night blue: where ceramic sits in the Series 12 lineup
Series 12 now comes in three case materials. The table below lists every finish Apple has confirmed, and the one price it has published.
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| Material | Finishes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | Dark bronze, black, light gold, space gray | From $399 |
| Titanium | Radiant gold, natural | Not published |
| Ceramic | Pearl white, night blue | Not published |
Both ceramic finishes come in the same 42mm and 46mm sizes as the rest of the range. Inside, the watch is identical to any other Series 12: S11 chip, the new Health Sensing System, Readiness, up to 24 hours of battery life and 15-minute charging that gives 12 hours.
What Apple has not said about the ceramic Apple Watch
The press release confirms the material and the colors and little else. Several details that matter for a premium case are missing.
- Price: Apple has not published ceramic pricing, nor titanium or cellular pricing
- Front crystal: Ceramic Shield 2, 60 percent tougher than Ion-X, is specified for aluminum models only; Apple has not said what covers the ceramic case
- Weight: not published for any Series 12 model
- Recycled content: Apple cites 100 percent recycled aluminum and titanium cases, but does not make a claim for ceramic
- Scratch and drop resistance: no figures for the ceramic case itself
- Cellular: Apple has not said whether ceramic is sold in GPS-only, cellular or both
Apple also has not said whether the ceramic models ship in every country on the launch list, or whether they are limited to select stores.
Ceramic Series 12 or titanium?
With no prices published, the practical difference today is the look. Titanium comes in radiant gold and natural, and it is the material Apple uses for the Hermès edition. Ceramic offers the two colors that no other Series 12 case has, a white and a dark blue, and Apple’s release does not claim a durability advantage for either material over the other.
Pre-orders for every Series 12 configuration opened today, September 9, with in-store availability on Friday, September 18 in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, UAE and more than 50 other countries. Expect the ceramic and titanium prices to appear in Apple’s online store as orders go live; we will update when they do. Our event recap has everything else Apple announced.
