Apple Watch Series 12 vs Apple Watch Ultra 4
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 lists for about $400 more than the Apple Watch Series 12. On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 50 h for the Apple Watch Ultra 4 against 24 h for the Apple Watch Series 12. For a GPS workout the figures are 18 h and 10 h. Only the Apple Watch Ultra 4 has dual-band GPS. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Apple
Apple Watch Series 12
~$399
Apple's 2026 mainstream watch adds a new Health Sensing System that, per Apple, takes background heart rate readings 60x more often than Series 11 and HRV 24x more often, feeding a new Readiness score.
Best for: iPhone owners who want the full Apple health suite and don't need multi-day battery
Apple
Apple Watch Ultra 4
~$799
Apple's outdoor and endurance model keeps the 49 mm titanium case and sapphire crystal but adds the 2026 Health Sensing System, which Apple says samples heart rate 60x more often than Ultra 3.
Best for: iPhone owners who hike, dive or race long and want two days between charges
| Specification | Apple Watch Series 12 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$399 (42mm aluminum GPS, 'From $399' on apple.com/shop/buy-watch) | ~$799 (49mm titanium (GPS + Cellular is the only version), 'From $799' on apple.com/shop/buy-watch) |
| Type | Everyday smartwatch | Rugged outdoor |
| Platform | watchOS | watchOS |
| Case sizes | 42 mm / 46 mm | 49 mm |
| Weight | 42 mm: 32.2 g · 46 mm: 39.5 g (aluminum, GPS, case only (Apple spec page)) | 49 mm: 63 g (natural titanium, case only (black: 63.1 g) (Apple spec page)) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 24 h (Apple: 'All-day battery life, up to 24 hours of normal use' (both sizes; includes 6 hours of sleep tracking)) | 50 h (Apple: 'Multiday battery life, up to 50 hours of normal use' (includes 12 hours of sleep tracking)) |
| Battery, always-on display | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Battery, GPS workout | 10 h (Apple: 'Up to 10 hours workout tracking' — outdoor run, without iPhone, heart rate on (single-frequency L1 GPS)) | 18 h (Apple: 'Up to 18 hours workout tracking' — outdoor run, without iPhone, heart rate on; Apple does not separate single- and dual-frequency GPS figures) |
| Battery note | Apple: up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode; Apple does not state whether the always-on display was enabled in its 24-hour test | Apple: up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode, 25 hours Extended Workout and 45 hours Max Extended Workout (Low Power Mode on, some metrics off) |
| Works with | iPhone only | iPhone only |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes |
| Android | No | No |
| Phone limits | Needs iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 or later; Apple sells no Android pairing | Needs iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 or later; Apple sells no Android pairing |
| Paid tier | Apple Fitness+, $79.99/year | Apple Fitness+, $79.99/year |
| What the paid tier gates | No watch feature requires it; it adds guided workout and meditation video classes that use the watch's metrics on screen | No watch feature requires it; it adds guided workout and meditation video classes that use the watch's metrics on screen |
| Update years | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Cleared health features | ECG app (FDA), Irregular rhythm notifications (FDA), Sleep apnea notifications (FDA), Hypertension notifications (FDA) | ECG app (FDA), Irregular rhythm notifications (FDA), Sleep apnea notifications (FDA), Hypertension notifications (FDA) |
| Display | OLED | OLED |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-band GPS | No | Yes |
| Maps | Downloadable maps, no topo (Apple: 'Offline maps with custom route creation' plus 'Topographic maps for thousands of national and regional parks (U.S. only)' — not worldwide topo) | Downloadable maps, no topo (Apple: 'Offline maps with custom route creation', 'Topographic maps for thousands of national and regional parks (U.S. only)', plus Backtrack and elevation alerts) |
| Music on the watch | Yes | Yes |
| LTE | Optional (GPS + Cellular version needs a carrier plan; the carrier sets the price (apple.com/watch/cellular)) | Optional (GPS + Cellular version needs a carrier plan; the carrier sets the price (apple.com/watch/cellular)) |
| Contactless pay | Yes | Yes |
| Flashlight | No | No |
| Water rating | 50 m (ISO 22810:2010) + IP6X | WR100 (100 m, ISO 22810:2010), EN13319 dive to 40 m, IP6X |
| Case | aluminum | titanium |
| Released | 2026 | 2026 |
Apple Watch Series 12: what it gives up
- Apple's 24-hour rating is half the Ultra 4's, so it is the one to pick only if charging every day or two suits you
- Single-frequency GPS only, where the Ultra 4 has dual-frequency
- Works only with an iPhone
- 10-hour workout figure is short for marathon-plus events
Apple Watch Ultra 4: what it gives up
- 63 g titanium case is heavy for sleep tracking and small wrists, with no smaller size
- Highest Apple Watch price
- Still iPhone-only
- Topo maps cover U.S. parks only, not the worldwide topo of a Garmin fenix
- Satellite features are free for two years only
Full pages: Apple Watch Series 12 · Apple Watch Ultra 4