Pixel Watch 4 vs Apple Watch Series 12
Verified 2026-10-03
A factual specification comparison between the Pixel Watch 4 and the Apple Watch Series 12.
Image: Google LLC
Google · SmartwatchPixel Watch 4
- Status
- Released · 2025-10-09
- Announced
- Announced 2025-08-20
- Verification
- Verified
- Last checked
- Checked 2026-10-01
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
SpecificationPixel Watch 4Apple Watch Series 12
Design & Build
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance (differs) | 5 ATM, IP68 | 50m (ISO 22810:2010), IP6X dust resistance |
| Colors (differs) | Matte Black, Polished Silver, Champagne Gold, Satin Moonstone | Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray, Radiant Gold, Natural, Pearl White, Night Blue |
Display
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Display (differs) | Actua 360 display, Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 320 ppi AMOLED LTPO, DCI-P3 color | Always-On Retina OLED, LTPO3, 2000 nits peak brightness |
| Peak brightness (nits) (differs) | 3000 | 2000 |
Performance
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset model name (differs) | Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 | S11 |
Memory & Storage
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage (GB) (differs) | 32 | 64 |
Battery & Charging
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Charging time (differs) | 45mm: 50% in 15 min, 100% in 60 min · 41mm: 50% in 15 min, 100% in 45 min | Up to 80% charge in about 30 minutes (fast charging) |
Connectivity
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi (differs) | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), 2.4/5GHz |
Software
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system at launch (differs) | Wear OS 6 | watchOS |
Security & Sensors
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Health sensors (differs) | Heart rate, ECG, SpO2, Skin temperature, Skin conductance | 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 20 differences; the full specifications below include all of them.
Full specifications
differs · Not disclosed: not published by the manufacturer · —: not recorded
SpecificationPixel Watch 4Apple Watch Series 12
Design & Build
5 differences
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance (differs) | 5 ATM, IP68 | 50m (ISO 22810:2010), IP6X dust resistance |
| Colors (differs) | Matte Black, Polished Silver, Champagne Gold, Satin Moonstone | Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray, Radiant Gold, Natural, Pearl White, Night Blue |
| Weight (differs) | 41mm: 31 g, 45mm: 36.7 g | 42mm aluminum (GPS): 32.2 g, 46mm aluminum (GPS): 39.5 g |
| Case dimensions (differs) | 45mm: 45 × 45 × 12.3 mm | 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) | 100% recycled aluminium housing | Aluminum, titanium, or ceramic case |
Display
3 differences
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Display (differs) | Actua 360 display, Custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 320 ppi AMOLED LTPO, DCI-P3 color | Always-On Retina OLED, LTPO3, 2000 nits peak brightness |
| Peak brightness (nits) (differs) | 3000 | 2000 |
| Resolution (differs) | 456×456 pixels (~320 ppi) | 42mm: 374×446 px, 46mm: 416×496 px |
Performance
2 differences
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset model name (differs) | Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 | S11 |
| Chipset (differs) | Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 with Cortex-M55 co-processor | S11 (64-bit dual-core, 4-core Neural Engine) |
Memory & Storage
1 difference
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage (GB) (differs) | 32 | 64 |
Battery & Charging
2 differences
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Charging time (differs) | 45mm: 50% in 15 min, 100% in 60 min · 41mm: 50% in 15 min, 100% in 45 min | Up to 80% charge in about 30 minutes (fast charging) |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 41mm: 325 mAh (typical), 45mm: 455 mAh (typical) | Not disclosed |
| Battery life (differs) | Up to 30 hours with always-on display (41mm); up to 40 hours with always-on display (45mm) | Up to 24 hours normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode |
Connectivity
4 differences
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi (differs) | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4GHz + 5GHz | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), 2.4/5GHz |
| Bluetooth (differs) | Bluetooth 6.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Contactless payments (differs) | NFC | Apple Pay (NFC) |
| Cellular connectivity (differs) | 4G LTE (cellular model only; requires a compatible wireless service plan) | Cellular models (A3582, A3587) support RedCap 5G and LTE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | Not recorded |
Software
2 differences
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system at launch (differs) | Wear OS 6 | watchOS |
| Phone compatibility (differs) | Works with most phones running Android 11.0 or newer | iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27 or later |
Security & Sensors
1 difference
| Specification | Pixel Watch 4 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Health sensors (differs) | Heart rate, ECG, SpO2, Skin temperature, Skin conductance | 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.
- 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.
- mAh and Wh
- Battery capacity. mAh is charge; Wh also accounts for voltage, so it is the more comparable energy figure across device types.
- LTPO
- A display backplane technology that lets the refresh rate vary, down to low rates to save power.
- OLED
- A display whose pixels emit their own light, so black areas can be fully dark; LCDs use a separate backlight.
Sources & verification
Pixel Watch 4
Verified 2026-10-01- Google LLCManufacturerTier 1
- Google LLCManufacturerTier 1
- Google LLCManufacturerTier 1
- GSMArena — Google Pixel Watch 4Independent technical sourceTier 2
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, as is the case for some facts here.