How much is the Apple Watch Series 12?

The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 for the 42mm or 46mm aluminium GPS model, unchanged from Series 11. Titanium is $699 and the new ceramic finish is $899. Pre-orders opened 9 September 2026 and the watch ships 18 September.

How much is the Apple Watch Ultra 4?

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs $799 for the 49mm titanium GPS and Cellular model in natural or black, the same price as the Ultra 3 it replaces. Apple also offers a Klarna-backed lease from $24.99 a month. It ships on 18 September 2026.

Does the Apple Watch Series 12 have blood pressure monitoring?

No. Despite months of rumours, neither a blood pressure sensor nor glucose monitoring shipped on Series 12 or Ultra 4. The hypertension notifications from Series 11 carry over but are temporarily unavailable in 33 countries pending re-certification; they work in the US, UK and EU.

Is the Apple Watch Ultra 4 worth upgrading from Ultra 3?

For most Ultra 3 owners, no. The design is identical and the changes are internal: the S11 chip, 4GB RAM, the new health sensors and battery life up from 42 to 50 hours. Unless 8 extra hours solves a real problem for you, 9to5Mac and owner feedback both suggest waiting.

Which Apple Watch models were discontinued in September 2026?

Apple discontinued the Series 11, replaced by Series 12 at the same $399, along with the Series 10, second-generation SE and Ultra 2 according to reporting. Apple Watch SE 3 remains on sale at $249 and $279. No new SE was announced; Mark Gurman expects one in 2027.

Is the Apple Watch Series 12 screen smaller?

Yes. MacRumors measured the 46mm Series 12 at 1,196mm² of screen area against 1,220mm² on the Series 10 and 11, while the case grew about 2.7%. The bezels are slightly thicker. The difference is small but it is a step backwards rather than forwards.

Can I buy an Apple Watch Series 11 with Bitcoin?

Yes. AppleCryptos sells sealed Apple Watch Series 11 models for $359, $40 under the Series 12, and the Ultra 3 for $759, payable in Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, Monero and more than fifty other coins. Both run watchOS 27 and receive Siri AI. Series 12 and Ultra 4 will be listed after 18 September.

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September 12, 2026

Apple Watch Series 12 vs Ultra 4 (2026): Prices, What's New and Which to Buy

Q: What is new in the Apple Watch Series 12?

A new S11 chip derived from the A20 Pro, 4GB of RAM up from 2GB, a redesigned Health Sensing System with heart rate every five seconds and HRV up to 24 times more often, new Recovery and Readiness scores, a second-generation ECG electrode, 60% stronger glass and a ceramic finish option.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs Ultra 4 (2026): Prices, What's New and Which to Buy

By Alex Carter, Apple & Crypto Analyst at AppleCryptos · Last updated September 12, 2026

The Apple Watch Series 12 costs $399 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs $799, exactly what their predecessors launched at. Both were announced on 9 September 2026, pre-orders opened the same day, and they ship on 18 September. The upgrades are internal: a new S11 chip, double the RAM, a redesigned health-sensing system and, on the Ultra, 50 hours of battery.

Put simply: if you own a Series 11 or Ultra 3, the 2026 models are not a compelling upgrade; 9to5Mac says there is no general-purpose reason to. If you own a Series 8 or older, or you want continuous heart-rate and readiness scores, Series 12 at $399 is the sweet spot. Ultra 4 is for people who run out of battery, not people who want a nicer watch.

This guide covers every price tier, what changed and what quietly got worse, the blood-pressure sensor that did not appear, which models Apple discontinued, and how last year's Series 11 and Ultra 3 compare when you pay with crypto.

How much do the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 cost?

Model	Case	Price	vs 2025 model
Series 12	Aluminium, 42 or 46mm, GPS	$399	Same as Series 11
Series 12	Titanium	$699	—
Series 12	Ceramic (new)	$899	First ceramic since Series 5 Edition
Ultra 4	49mm titanium, natural or black, GPS + Cellular	$799	Same as Ultra 3
Watch SE 3	40 / 44mm aluminium	$249 / $279	Unchanged, still on sale

Holding the price is notable in a year when the Mac mini rose $300 and the iPhone Pro rose $100. The ceramic Series 12 is the one genuinely new tier, and at $899 it costs more than the Ultra. Apple also confirmed a Klarna-backed "Apple Upgrade" lease from $24.99 a month on the Ultra 4.

What is new in the Apple Watch Series 12?

Component	Series 12	Series 11
Chip	S11, derived from A20 Pro	S10 (two years old)
RAM	4GB	2GB
Heart rate sampling	Every 5 seconds (60× more often)	Periodic
HRV sampling	Up to 24× more often	Periodic
New metrics	Recovery and Readiness scores	—
ECG	Second-generation electrode	First generation
Cover glass	60% stronger	—
Screen (46mm)	1,196mm²	1,220mm²
Finishes	Aluminium, titanium, ceramic	Aluminium, titanium
Software	watchOS 27 with Siri AI beta	watchOS 27 (Siri AI included)

The Health Sensing System is the actual upgrade

Apple rebuilt the back of the watch. The photodiodes are now arranged in a ring, the ECG electrode is new, and the result is heart-rate readings every five seconds and HRV sampled up to 24 times more often. That is the data behind two new scores, Recovery and Readiness, which are exclusive to Series 12 and Ultra 4. DC Rainmaker's hands-on describes this as Apple finally matching what Garmin has offered for years, and then asks why it is not open to third-party apps. That is a fair question and Apple has not answered it.

The screen got smaller

MacRumors measured it: the 46mm Series 12 has 1,196mm² of screen against 1,220mm² on Series 10 and 11, while the case grew about 2.7%. Thicker bezels on a bigger watch is not the direction anyone asked for, and it is the kind of thing you only notice once someone points it out.

No blood pressure, no glucose

Both were rumoured for months. Neither shipped. The hypertension notifications introduced on Series 11 carry over, but MacRumors reports they are temporarily unavailable on the new models in 33 countries pending re-certification. They work in the US, UK and EU.

What is new in the Apple Watch Ultra 4?

Externally, nothing. Same 49mm titanium case, same natural and black finishes, same action button. Internally it gets everything Series 12 gets plus the battery gains that are the real reason to buy it:

Battery mode	Ultra 4	Ultra 3
Everyday use	50 hours	42 hours
Low power	84 hours	72 hours
Extended workout (full GPS + HR)	25 hours	—
Max extended workout	45 hours	—

Satellite connectivity carries over unchanged, and there is no 5G change. New bands include Trail Loop in dark umber, sand and burgundy, Alpine Loop in desert, dark olive and burgundy, and translucent Ocean Bands. On MacRumors' forums the Ultra 3 owners' verdict is mostly "nothing that is a wow factor," which is about right unless 50 hours specifically solves a problem you have.

Which older Apple Watches did Apple discontinue?

Series 11 is discontinued and replaced by Series 12 at the same $399. Reporting also lists Series 10, the second-generation SE and Ultra 2 as gone. Apple Watch SE 3 stays on sale at $249 and $279, and there is no new SE this year; Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the next one in 2027. Series 11 and Ultra 3 are therefore now last-generation models that Apple no longer sells new, which is exactly when sealed stock from other sellers becomes the value buy.

Series 12 vs Series 11: is the upgrade worth it?

You have	Verdict	Why
Series 11	No	Siri AI comes to Series 11 in watchOS 27. You would pay $399 for readiness scores and a slightly smaller screen.
Series 9 or 10	Optional	New chip and 4GB RAM matter for longevity; health data is meaningfully richer.
Series 8 or older	Yes	Three or more years of gains; the S11 chip is the first new one in two years.
Ultra 3	No	Identical outside. 8 extra hours is the only tangible change.
Ultra 2 or older	Consider Ultra 3 sealed	Same design as Ultra 4, 42-hour battery, $40 less than Apple's Ultra 4 price with us.

The honest downsides

The Series 12's screen is smaller than the watch it replaces, on a case that is larger. The ceramic model is bigger and heavier than the other finishes. Two headline sensors that dominated the rumour cycle, blood pressure and glucose, did not ship. Hypertension alerts are in regulatory limbo across 33 countries. And the Ultra 4 is the third year of the same design, which reviewers were polite about and owners on the forums were not. None of these are reasons to avoid the watches. They are reasons not to pay full price to replace a watch that already works.

Apple Watch prices when you pay with crypto

Because Apple discontinued the Series 11 and Ultra 3, sealed stock is where the value sits this month. We accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, Monero and more than fifty other coins, and payment confirms on-chain.

Model	Apple	AppleCryptos (sealed)	Note
Series 12, aluminium	$399	—	Listing after 18 Sept
Series 11, aluminium	Discontinued	$359	$40 under Series 12; gets Siri AI in watchOS 27
Ultra 4	$799	—	Listing after 18 Sept
Ultra 3	Discontinued	$759	Same design as Ultra 4, 42-hour battery
Watch SE 3	$249	$224	Cheapest way into the ecosystem
Series 10	Discontinued	$299	Same screen area as Series 12

The Series 11 at $359 is the strongest buy on this list for most people. It runs watchOS 27, gets Siri AI, has the hypertension alerts and a marginally larger screen than the Series 12, and the only things it lacks are the every-five-seconds heart rate and the readiness score. If those matter to you, the Series 12 is a fair $399. Our guide to buying an Apple Watch with crypto covers checkout step by step, and the Apple Watch collection lists every model in stock. Pair it with AirPods Pro 3 at $199 if you are building out the set.