Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Series 12
Verified 2026-10-03
A factual specification comparison between the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Apple Watch Series 12.
Image: Apple Inc.
Apple · SmartwatchApple Watch Ultra 3
- Status
- Released · 2025-09-19
- Announced
- Announced 2025-09-09
- Verification
- Verified
- Last checked
- Checked 2026-10-02
Image: Apple
Apple · SmartwatchApple Watch Series 12
- Status
- Released · 2026-09-18
- Announced
- Announced 2026-09-09
- Verification
- Verified
- Last checked
- Checked 2026-09-30
Key differences
SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 3Apple Watch Series 12
Design & Build
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance (differs) | 100m water resistance (ISO 22810:2010); recreational scuba diving to 40m; IP6X dust resistance; MIL-STD-810H tested | 50m (ISO 22810:2010), IP6X dust resistance |
| Colors (differs) | Natural, Black | Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray, Radiant Gold, Natural, Pearl White, Night Blue |
| Weight (differs) | Natural titanium: 61.6 g, Black titanium: 61.8 g | 42mm aluminum (GPS): 32.2 g, 46mm aluminum (GPS): 39.5 g |
Display
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Display (differs) | Always-On Retina display, wide-angle OLEDs, LTPO3, 1Hz refresh, flat sapphire crystal, up to 3000 nits peak brightness | Always-On Retina OLED, LTPO3, 2000 nits peak brightness |
| Resolution (differs) | 422×514 pixels at 326 ppi, 1245 sq mm display area | 42mm: 374×446 px, 46mm: 416×496 px |
Performance
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset (differs) | S10 (64-bit dual-core, 4-core Neural Engine) | S11 (64-bit dual-core, 4-core Neural Engine) |
Battery & Charging
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life (differs) | Multiday battery life, up to 42 hours of normal use, up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode | Up to 24 hours normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode |
Connectivity
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi (differs) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), 2.4/5GHz |
| Contactless payments (differs) | NFC for Apple Pay and GymKit | Apple Pay (NFC) |
Security & Sensors
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Health sensors (differs) | Electrical heart sensor, Third-generation optical heart sensor, Blood oxygen sensor, Temperature sensor, Depth gauge, Water temperature sensor, Compass, Always-on altimeter, High-g accelerometer, High dynamic range gyroscope, Ambient light sensor | Electrical heart sensor (2nd generation), Optical heart sensor, Blood oxygen sensor, Skin temperature sensor |
These are specifications where both devices have a confirmed value and the values differ. A difference is not a judgement that either device is better. Showing 10 of 12 differences; the full specifications below include all of them.
Full specifications
differs · Not disclosed: not published by the manufacturer · —: not recorded
SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 3Apple Watch Series 12
Design & Build
5 differences
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance (differs) | 100m water resistance (ISO 22810:2010); recreational scuba diving to 40m; IP6X dust resistance; MIL-STD-810H tested | 50m (ISO 22810:2010), IP6X dust resistance |
| Colors (differs) | Natural, Black | Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray, Radiant Gold, Natural, Pearl White, Night Blue |
| Weight (differs) | Natural titanium: 61.6 g, Black titanium: 61.8 g | 42mm aluminum (GPS): 32.2 g, 46mm aluminum (GPS): 39.5 g |
| Case dimensions (differs) | 49mm: Height 49mm, Width 44mm, Depth 12mm | 42mm case (aluminum/titanium): 42 x 37 x 9.7mm; 46mm case (aluminum/titanium): 46 x 40 x 9.7mm; ceramic case: 47 x 41 x 9.85mm |
| Build materials (differs) | Titanium case (Grade 5), sapphire crystal front, ceramic back | Aluminum, titanium, or ceramic case |
Display
2 differences
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Display (differs) | Always-On Retina display, wide-angle OLEDs, LTPO3, 1Hz refresh, flat sapphire crystal, up to 3000 nits peak brightness | Always-On Retina OLED, LTPO3, 2000 nits peak brightness |
| Peak brightness (nits) | Not recorded | 2000 |
| Resolution (differs) | 422×514 pixels at 326 ppi, 1245 sq mm display area | 42mm: 374×446 px, 46mm: 416×496 px |
Performance
1 difference
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset model name | Not recorded | S11 |
| Chipset (differs) | S10 (64-bit dual-core, 4-core Neural Engine) | S11 (64-bit dual-core, 4-core Neural Engine) |
Memory & Storage
No differences
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage (GB) | 64 · same on both | |
Battery & Charging
1 difference
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Charging time | Not recorded | Up to 80% charge in about 30 minutes (fast charging) |
| Battery life (differs) | Multiday battery life, up to 42 hours of normal use, up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode | Up to 24 hours normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode |
Connectivity
2 differences
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi (differs) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), 2.4/5GHz |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 · same on both | |
| Contactless payments (differs) | NFC for Apple Pay and GymKit | Apple Pay (NFC) |
| Cellular connectivity | Not recorded | Cellular models (A3582, A3587) support RedCap 5G and LTE |
Software
No differences
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system at launch | watchOS · same on both | |
| Phone compatibility | Not recorded | iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27 or later |
Security & Sensors
1 difference
| Specification | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Health sensors (differs) | Electrical heart sensor, Third-generation optical heart sensor, Blood oxygen sensor, Temperature sensor, Depth gauge, Water temperature sensor, Compass, Always-on altimeter, High-g accelerometer, High dynamic range gyroscope, Ambient light sensor | Electrical heart sensor (2nd generation), Optical heart sensor, Blood oxygen sensor, Skin temperature sensor |
Terms used on this page (6)
- ppi
- Pixels per inch: how densely pixels are packed on the screen.
- Nits
- A unit of screen brightness (candela per square metre). Typical, HDR and outdoor peak figures are measured under different conditions.
- Refresh rate (Hz)
- How many times per second the display can redraw the image.
- IP rating
- Ingress protection under IEC 60529: the first digit rates dust protection, the second water protection, each under the manufacturer's stated test conditions.
- OLED
- A display whose pixels emit their own light, so black areas can be fully dark; LCDs use a separate backlight.
- MIL-STD-810H
- A US military test standard. Manufacturers choose which of its tests to run, so it does not imply a specific level of durability.
Sources & verification
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Verified 2026-10-02- Apple Inc.Manufacturer support documentationTier 1
- Apple Inc.Manufacturer newsroomTier 1
- Apple Inc.Manufacturer support documentationTier 1
Apple Watch Series 12
Verified 2026-09-30- AppleManufacturer newsroomTier 1
- Apple Inc.Manufacturer specificationsTier 1
Tier 1 sources are the manufacturer's own product pages, technical specification sheets, or support documentation. Tier 2 sources are reputable independent technical references, used only for facts that couldn't be confirmed from official documentation.