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Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: price, release date and what's new
Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are already out. Apple announced both on Sept. 9, 2026, opened pre-orders the same day and put them in stores on Friday, Sept. 18. Series 12 starts at $399, and Ultra 4 at $799. Both get Apple's new Health Sensing System and S11 chip, which check your heart rate every five seconds and add a daily readiness score, plus longer battery life and faster charging.
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Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 have been in stores since Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. Apple announced both at its September event on Sept. 9 and opened pre-orders that day in the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, India and more than 50 other countries and regions. Series 12 starts at $399, and Ultra 4 costs $799.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 prices
Series 12 comes in two sizes, 42mm and 46mm, and three materials. Aluminum is the only one with a GPS-only version; titanium and ceramic come with cellular. Ultra 4 has one size, 49mm, with cellular built in.
Apple Upgrade, a US leasing program run by Klarna, starts at $11.99 a month for Series 12 and $24.99 a month for Ultra 4 over 24 months. New subscribers can get three months of Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music with either watch.
What’s new in Apple Watch Series 12
The big change is inside: a new Health Sensing System with new optical and electrical heart sensors, run by the S11 chip. Apple says it gives the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable, based on a study of over 1,000 people. The watch now checks your heart rate every five seconds, all day, and measures heart rate variability, a sign of stress and recovery, up to 24 times more often.
That data feeds readiness, a new 0–10 score that looks at your recent activity, training load, vitals and sleep, then tells you to Recover, Pace Yourself, be Ready or Go For It. Apple also says Series 12 has the most accurate step tracking of any smartwatch, with a new Steps complication on the watch face.
Outdoor workouts now last up to 10 hours, 25% more than the previous model, and 15 minutes of charging gives up to 12 hours, 50% more than before. Aluminum models get Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says is 60% tougher than the glass on earlier aluminum models.
What’s new in Apple Watch Ultra 4
Ultra 4 gets the same Health Sensing System, S11 chip and readiness score, plus what Apple calls the most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch. Battery life is the headline: up to 50 hours of normal use, up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode, and up to 45 hours of GPS workout tracking in the new Max Extended Workout mode, which Apple says is typically enough to finish a 100-mile race. Fifteen minutes of charging adds up to 18 hours.
New features coming later this year
Both watches get Audio Intelligence. Sound Recognition alerts people who are deaf or hard of hearing to sirens, alarms, doorbells or a crying baby, even without an iPhone nearby. Live Rewind shows the last 15 seconds of a conversation as text when you double-press the Digital Crown, and Siri Recap writes short summaries of conversations. Apple says these features never store audio recordings, and Live Rewind and Siri Recap arrive in beta later this year. A redesigned Health app on iPhone, with a Longevity tab and a Health Age feature, also arrives later this year, starting in US English.
Siri AI came to Apple Watch with watchOS 27 on Sept. 14 as a beta in English. Apple said French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish would follow in October.
Apple launched the watches alongside its new phones; see our iPhone 18 release date page and our page on iPhone Duo, Apple’s foldable, out Oct. 23.
This page is updated as soon as Apple releases Live Rewind, Siri Recap or the new Health app, or changes Apple Watch prices.
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FAQ
When did Apple Watch Series 12 come out?
Apple announced it on Sept. 9, 2026, with pre-orders the same day, and it went on sale in stores on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, India and more than 50 other countries and regions.
How much is Apple Watch Series 12?
In the US, Series 12 aluminum costs $399 for 42mm and $449 for 46mm with GPS, or $499 and $549 with cellular. Titanium costs $699 and $749, and ceramic $899 and $949, both with cellular.
How much is Apple Watch Ultra 4?
$799 in the US. It comes in one 49mm size, with cellular and satellite communications, in natural or black titanium.
What is new in Apple Watch Series 12?
A new Health Sensing System with the S11 chip, heart rate every five seconds, HRV measured up to 24 times more often, a readiness score, 10-hour outdoor workout battery life, faster charging, a new ceramic model and Audio Intelligence features like Live Rewind and Siri Recap, which arrive in beta later this year.
How long does the Apple Watch Ultra 4 battery last?
Up to 50 hours of normal use and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. Workout tracking lasts up to 18 hours, up to 25 hours in Extended Workout mode and up to 45 hours in Max Extended Workout mode, which Apple says is typically enough for a 100-mile race.
Which watches get watchOS 27?
Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later. It needs an iPhone 11 or later or an iPhone SE (2nd generation or later) with iOS 27. watchOS 27 came out on Sept. 14, 2026.
Pop quiz
2 questions from this story.
How often does Apple Watch Series 12 measure your heart rate?
Larger, power-efficient green LEDs let Series 12 and Ultra 4 measure heart rate every five seconds, all day long.
What is the new, most expensive Series 12 material?
The ceramic Series 12 comes in pearl white and night blue and starts at $899 for 42mm.
Your call
Which new Apple Watch would you buy?
