The Apple Watch Series 12 brings Apple's new Health Sensing System to the standard Apple Watch, pairing a third-generation electrical heart sensor with an always-on optical heart sensor. That hardware feeds the new Readiness app, which gives you one daily score based on your recent activity, vitals and sleep, plus Recovery HRV and high-frequency background heart rate tracking.
There is also a new case material. Alongside aluminium and titanium, the Series 12 is now available in ceramic, in Pearl White and Night Blue. Aluminium models get Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, while titanium and ceramic models use a sapphire front crystal. Both 42mm and 46mm sizes carry over, and the watch runs watchOS 27 with Siri AI on the S11 chip.
Available at Sharaf DG across Dubai and the UAE, with Apple listing availability from 18 September 2026 and pre-orders open now. Battery life is up to 24 hours of normal use, or 38 hours in Low Power Mode, and a 15-minute charge now gives up to 12 hours of use. Explore the full specifications and comparisons below.
| Feature | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|
| Case sizes | 42mm and 46mm in aluminium and titanium. Ceramic cases measure 43mm and 47mm |
| Case materials and finishes | Aluminium in Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black and Space Gray. Titanium in Radiant Gold and Natural. Ceramic in Pearl White and Night Blue |
| Dimensions | 46mm: 46 x 40 x 9.7 mm. 42mm: 42 x 37 x 9.7 mm. Ceramic cases are 9.85 mm deep |
| Weight | 42mm from 31.5 g in aluminium, 36.5 g in titanium, 41.7 g in ceramic. 46mm from 38.6 g in aluminium, 44.9 g in titanium, 51.3 g in ceramic |
| Wrist fit | 42mm fits 130 to 200mm wrists. 46mm fits 140 to 245mm wrists |
| Display | Always-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3, 1Hz refresh, 326 ppi, 2000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum. Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminium cases, sapphire front crystal on titanium and ceramic cases |
| Chip | S11 chip with 64-bit dual-core processor, 4-core Neural Engine, 64GB capacity |
| Health Sensing System | Third-generation electrical heart sensor, always-on optical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, temperature sensor |
| Other sensors | Compass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, ambient light sensor, depth gauge to 6 metres, water temperature sensor |
| Health and wellness features | Readiness app, Vitals app with HRV, Blood Oxygen app, ECG app, Heart Rate app, Recovery HRV, high-frequency background heart rate tracking, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, Advanced Cycle Tracking, Medications, Mindfulness, Noise, Sleep app with sleep stages, sleep score, sleep apnea notifications |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours of normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode, up to 10 hours of outdoor workout |
| Charging | 0 to 80% in about 30 minutes. 15 minutes gives up to 12 hours of normal use, 5 minutes gives up to 8 hours of sleep tracking |
| Water resistance | WR50, 50m under ISO standard 22810:2010. Suitable for swimming and snorkelling to 6 metres, not for scuba diving or high-velocity water sports |
| Dust resistance | IP6X |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 4 on 2.4GHz and 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, Precision L1 GPS with GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou, second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, Apple Pay, GymKit. Cellular models support RedCap for 5G and LTE |
| Connectivity options | GPS, or GPS + Cellular |
| Controls | Digital Crown with haptic feedback, side button, single tap, double tap and wrist flick gestures, Siri powered by Apple Intelligence |
| Audio | Speaker, microphone with Voice Isolation, media playback |
| Safety | Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, flashlight, Backtrack, noise monitoring, Check In |
| Operating system | watchOS 27 |
| Compatibility | iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE 2nd generation or later, with iOS 27 or later |
| In the box | Apple Watch Series 12, band, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m) |
| Starting price at Sharaf DG | [[AED PRICE]] |
| Feature | Apple Watch Series 11 | Apple Watch Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | S10 chip | S11 chip |
| Heart sensing | Standard Apple Watch heart rate sensing | Health Sensing System with third-generation electrical sensor and always-on optical heart sensor |
| Readiness score | Not available | Readiness app with a daily score |
| Recovery HRV and background heart rate | Not available | Recovery HRV and high-frequency background heart rate tracking |
| Case materials | Aluminium or titanium | Aluminium, titanium or ceramic |
| Front cover | Ion-X glass on aluminium, sapphire on titanium | Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminium, sapphire on titanium and ceramic |
| Siri | On-device Siri | Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence |
| Gestures | Double tap and wrist flick | Single tap, double tap and wrist flick |
| Display | Always-On Retina, LTPO3, up to 2000 nits | Always-On Retina, LTPO3, up to 2000 nits |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode | Up to 24 hours, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode |
| Fast charge, 15 minutes | Up to 8 hours of normal use | Up to 12 hours of normal use |
| Water and dust resistance | WR50, IP6X | WR50, IP6X |
| Requires | iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26 or later | iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 or later |
| Starting price at Sharaf DG | [[AED PRICE]] | [[AED PRICE]] |
The battery, the display and the water resistance are unchanged, so this is not the year to upgrade for endurance or screen quality. What you are getting is health hardware and software: a redesigned sensing system with an always-on optical heart sensor, the new Readiness score, Recovery HRV, and high-frequency background heart rate tracking. Add the S11 chip, Siri AI, Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminium models, and the new ceramic case option. If you own a Series 11 and mainly check notifications and close rings, there is little pressure to move. If you train seriously and want recovery data, or you want the ceramic finish, the case is stronger. Anyone on a Series 9 or older gets a much bigger jump, including six extra hours of battery over the Series 10 and everything above.
| Feature | Apple Watch Series 12 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Case sizes | 42mm or 46mm | 49mm |
| Case materials | Aluminium, titanium or ceramic | Grade 5 titanium |
| Weight | From 31.5 g | 63.0 g |
| Display brightness | Up to 2000 nits | Up to 3000 nits |
| Chip | S11 chip | S11 chip |
| Health features | Readiness, Recovery HRV, high-frequency background heart rate, ECG, Blood Oxygen, sleep score, sleep apnea notifications | Readiness, Recovery HRV, high-frequency background heart rate, ECG, Blood Oxygen, sleep score, sleep apnea notifications |
| Battery, normal use | Up to 24 hours | Up to 50 hours |
| Battery, Low Power Mode | Up to 38 hours | Up to 84 hours |
| Workout battery | Up to 10 hours outdoor workout | Up to 18 hours standard, up to 45 hours Max Extended Workout |
| Water use | WR50, swimming and snorkelling to 6m | WR100, recreational scuba diving to 40m under EN13319 |
| GPS | Precision L1 GPS | Precision dual-frequency GPS |
| Action button | Not available | Customisable Action button |
| Starting price at Sharaf DG | [[AED PRICE]] | [[AED PRICE]] |
Both watches run the same S11 chip and carry an identical set of health features, so you are not giving up health tracking by choosing the Series 12. The difference is size, endurance and ruggedness. The Series 12 is roughly half the weight, comes in two sizes and three materials, and costs less. The Ultra 4 gives you double the battery life, a brighter display, dual-frequency GPS, an Action button and a case rated for scuba diving to 40 metres. For everyday wear, work, the gym and swimming, the Series 12 covers it. For endurance events, diving or long days outdoors away from a charger, the Ultra 4 is the one.
How much does the Apple Watch Series 12 cost in Dubai?
The price depends on the case size, the case material and whether you choose GPS or GPS + Cellular. Current Sharaf DG pricing for each configuration is shown at the top of this page.
When is the Apple Watch Series 12 available in the UAE?
Apple lists availability from 18 September 2026, with pre-orders open now.
Which chip is inside the Apple Watch Series 12?
The S11 chip, with a 64-bit dual-core processor, a 4-core Neural Engine and 64GB of capacity. The Series 11 used the S10, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 uses the same S11 chip as the Series 12.
How long does the battery last?
Up to 24 hours of normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode, and up to 10 hours of outdoor workout tracking. Charging is faster than on the Series 11: 15 minutes gives up to 12 hours of use, compared with 8 hours before, and 0 to 80% takes about 30 minutes.
Does the Series 12 have an always-on heart rate sensor?
Yes. The Health Sensing System includes an always-on optical heart sensor alongside a third-generation electrical heart sensor, a blood oxygen sensor and a temperature sensor. It supports high-frequency background heart rate tracking, Recovery HRV and the new Readiness score.
Is the Series 12 display brighter than the Series 11?
No. Both peak at 2000 nits with an Always-On Retina display using wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3. What has changed is the front cover: aluminium models now use Ceramic Shield 2, while titanium and ceramic models use a sapphire front crystal.
What case sizes and materials does it come in?
42mm and 46mm in aluminium and titanium, and 43mm and 47mm in ceramic. Aluminium comes in Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black and Space Gray, titanium in Radiant Gold and Natural, and ceramic in Pearl White and Night Blue.
Can I swim with the Apple Watch Series 12?
Yes. It is rated WR50 under ISO 22810:2010, which covers swimming in a pool or the sea and snorkelling to 6 metres. It should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing or other high-velocity water sports. For scuba diving to 40 metres you need the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Apple notes that water resistance is not permanent and can diminish over time.
Should Series 11 owners upgrade?
The battery, display and water resistance are the same, so the upgrade is about health tracking. If you want the always-on optical heart sensor, the Readiness score and Recovery HRV, or you want the new ceramic case, it is worth considering. If you mainly use your watch for notifications and general fitness, there is less reason to move this year.
Which iPhone do I need?
An iPhone 11 or later, including the iPhone SE 2nd generation or later, running iOS 27 or later.
What is the difference between the Series 12 and the Ultra 4?
Both use the S11 chip and share the same health features. The Series 12 is lighter, comes in 42mm and 46mm and in three case materials, and costs less. The Ultra 4 has a 49mm titanium case, a 3000-nit display, up to 50 hours of battery, dual-frequency GPS, an Action button and scuba diving to 40 metres.
Can I trade in my old Apple Watch at Sharaf DG?
Yes. Eligible older Apple Watch models can be traded in and the value applied towards a new Series 12. Trade-in value depends on the model, year and condition of your device.
