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Introduction
On September 9, Apple revealed the Apple Watch Series 12 along with the Apple Watch Ultra 4. We don’t see a big difference in prices from the previous models, so many are concerned about whether there are any changes or if they are even worth upgrading from their previous generations. Considering these questions is way more complex. There are some things that both have, but they’re still different. Now there is another question: which watch is best for you?
Quick Facts Comparison Table
| Feature | Apple Watch Series 12 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Everyday use | Sports and adventure |
| Case sizes | 42mm / 46mm | 49mm |
| Case materials | Aluminum, titanium, ceramic | Titanium |
| Chip | S11 | S11 |
| Health sensing | New Health Sensing System | New Health Sensing System |
| Readiness score | Yes | Yes |
| Display peak brightness | Up to 2,000 nits | Up to 3,000 nits |
Features and Design
The Apple Watch Series 12 is going to be available in Space Gray, Black, Light Gold, and Dark Brown in an aluminum casing. For the ceramic case, it’s going to be Pearl White and Light Blue. If you want it in a titanium case, you’re going to have two options: polished gold and polished silver. You can choose between 42mm or 46mm. The size of the display is changing, and on top of the screen, it’s going to be coated with Ceramic Shield 2, which is stronger than the previous Ion-X glass. But the basic design is going to remain unchanged.
Now let’s talk about the Ultra 4. It only comes in black or natural titanium. You have only one option, and that is 49mm. It has a sapphire crystal coating on top of it. It has WR100 water resistance and IP6X dust resistance. The Series 12 has WR50 water resistance and IP6X dust resistance.
Health and Fitness Features
The Apple Watch Series 12 has an upgraded and redesigned health sensing system. It now has a new, improved optical and electrical heart sensor and more powerful, efficient green LEDs. It now measures your heart rate every five seconds throughout the day, 60 times more frequently than the Series 11. With that, it offers the most frequent heart rate sensing available in Apple’s own studies. Even heart rate variability (HRV) is measured more often, every five minutes, which is 24 times more frequently than in the previous model. All of this is to better help you with your fitness and health goals.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 also features a newly redesigned health sensing system with more frequent heart rate and HRV measurements. Just like the Series 12, it measures the heart rate every five seconds and measures HRV every five minutes. For most people, it could help you understand your health, fitness, stress, and recovery.
There’s a new Readiness Score that both watches provide. This score can range from 0 to 10. The watch is going to look into your daily habits, like training load, sleep score, and vital signs, and it provides daily guidance, such as whether you should recover, pace yourself, or go for it. After any rest or other change in your daily habits, your score for the day can change.
There is also going to be Health Age in the Health app. Apple has redesigned the Health app, featuring Personal Insights, a longevity section, and Health Age. Health Age is a feature I like because looking at your real age and what the watch is telling you about your actual health age can really open your eyes. The AI will also provide personal health insights and guidance throughout the day.
With Apple’s new AI, it’s going to give you some nice advice. I’m going to be talking more about the AI in the chip section.
S11 Chip, Siri AI and Audio Intelligence
If we talk about what’s inside both watches, both watches have the same S11 chip, which features a 64-bit dual-core processor and a four-core Neural Engine. This chip can support the new Apple Audio Intelligence feature and other AI features easily.
So, step counting is really important and the most useful feature, according to me. Apple has redesigned the pedometer system on both watches. They use a new machine-learning algorithm to improve step counting. Whether you’re outside or inside, walking or running, it can count your steps more accurately.
Both watches also feature powerful AI through Siri, but Apple is also trying its best to concentrate on voice assistant features like Live Rewind. Live Rewind is a feature that lets you see or listen to the previous 15 seconds of your conversation. On top of that, there’s Siri Wake Up, which is going to summarize it or highlight key points that are important in your conversation.
There are other features, like Sound Recognition. It can detect certain sounds, and if you didn’t hear them, you’ll know because your watch is going to pick up on them. Personally, I feel this feature is more or less useful because, in some scenarios, it’s going to work really well, and you’re going to be pretty careful. But in other scenarios, it could be a disaster.
So imagine you’re driving and an ambulance is coming right behind you. Now, you already know because the siren is really loud, but you have to move your car. At the same time, the Apple Watch is going to disturb you, which will create confusion for me.
But if your baby is sleeping or crying upstairs, or you’re doing the laundry or something, and your baby is crying, the watch can alert you that the baby is crying. I think I’m going to be amazed by this feature.
But with these features, some of you are going to be a bit concerned about privacy. Don’t worry, Apple doesn’t keep the data; some data is deleted, and the recap summaries can be saved in your iCloud.
Live Rewind and See Recap are scheduled to arrive in beta later in 2026.
Battery Life and Charging
The Apple Watch Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of battery life with normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode, and up to 10 hours when tracking an outdoor workout. A 15-minute charge can provide up to 12 additional hours of battery life.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 offers 50 hours of battery life with normal use and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. For outdoor workouts, it supports up to 18 hours of standard tracking, but it can also go up to 25 hours in extended workout mode and 24 hours in maxed-out workout mode. In 15 minutes, you can charge it for up to 18 hours of use.
But the real thing is that battery life all depends on different things, like your settings, cellular coverage, signal strength, GPS use, workouts, and other factors.
Price and Availability in Canada
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 can start at $799 USD, but in Canada, it can easily sell for around $989 or C$1,099.99. Even for the Series 12, if you choose aluminum, titanium, or ceramic, there’s different pricing for each, so it can start at C$549 and go up to around C$1,299.
Both are going to be available on September 18, 2026. The price can change depending on what type of band or cellular connectivity you choose.
| Apple Watch Series 12 Model | 42mm | 46mm |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum (GPS) | $399 | $448 |
| Aluminum (GPS + Cellular) | $499 | $548 |
| Titanium (GPS + Cellular) | $699 | $749 |
| Ceramic (GPS + Cellular) | $899 | $949 |
| Apple Watch Hermès Series 12 | Starts around C$1,929 | Varies by configuration |
Who Should Buy Each Watch?
So, after all of this, you might have the question: which one should I buy, and which one is best for me? If you want a less expensive watch with a smaller and lighter design that also works as a smartwatch for your daily life, where your sleep, workouts, and other fitness goals can easily be tracked, I think the Apple Watch Series 12 is the best option.
But if you do regular hiking, running, or cycling outdoors, have longer workouts, and want a strong watch with a bright display and advanced communication tools that can help you in tight spots, I think the Ultra 4 should be the best choice for you.
FAQ
- Which Apple Watch has better battery life? The Ultra 4 provides more battery life than theApple Watch Series 12.
- Which Apple Watch is better for hiking? If you go hiking once in a while, the Apple Watch Series 12 should be good, but if you hike all the time, the Ultra 4 is the better option. But that’s not the only reason you should buy the Ultra 4.
- Are the Series 12 and Ultra 4 powered by the same chip? Yes, both are powered by the same chip.
- Do both watches have the new Health Sensing System? Yes, they both have the newer health sensing system.
Conclusion
Personally, I really like this smartwatch because you can see your health up close, but it can also lead to stress. But personally, I would like to try the Ultra 4, and if it fits well on my wrist, I might buy it one day.
- You might be interested in reading this post as well as:
- Apple iPhone Duo: Amazing Features, Price & Full Review (2026)
