Hands-On: The Apple Watch Series 12 And Ultra 4

The useful part

TanTan Wang September 17, 2026 Another year, another generation of the Apple Watch. Like last year's Series 11 and Ultra 3, things have largely stayed the same. Across the board, the main improvements come in a new, more powerful chip and a vastly improved health sensor equipped on the back of each watch.

How it works

• Titanium is cool and all, especially since all the latest titanium cases since last year have been 3D-printed, but there's something a little nerdier about an Apple Watch in ceramic.
• Apple introduced ceramic on the Apple Watch as early as the Series 3 in 2017.
• I was a happy owner of a 2019 Series 5 Apple Watch Edition in white ceramic, so my interest has naturally gravitated towards the similar model in the new lineup.
• My favorite here is for sure the Pearl White shade, which generally shows fewer fingerprints and less grime than the deep blue ceramic and polished titanium models.
• The Apple Watch, of course, is rendered in a fully polished ceramic case with no faceting, brushing, or the like.

What to take from it

I suppose the color is exactly what it says on the box—like a well-aged bronze-cased watch, with none of the uneven patina and zero risk of turning your wrist green. There will always be those who avidly find every chance to upgrade to the next year's latest and greatest—Apple's got you covered with some fun additions, too. A Return To Ceramic 46mm Night Blue (left) and 42mm Pearl White (right) ceramics.

Example or evidence

• Apples (with a capital A) and oranges, I know, but I'll admit that in the way the Apple Watch integrates into my lifestyle, it's nice to scratch the itch of having something in ceramic.
• This time, Apple has added a few steps to the ceramic manufacturing process, including new heat-soak stages that increase hardness after initial compression molding and sintering.
• The most welcome change compared to past ceramic editions is the removal of the red accents on the crown of the watch.
• If you might recall, the red on the crown used to signify an Apple Watch with cellular capability.

Details worth keeping

While we tend to be concerned about the brittleness of ceramic on conventional watches, Apple seems to be confident in subjecting the ceramic cases to the same durability and drop tests used across the rest of the line, so it should be less of a concern in everyday active use. On the Series 3, the red took up the entire top of the crown, while the Series 5 went a bit more subtle with just a thin ring—I liked neither. This time around, the lack of red on the polished silver top of the crown works significantly better with both ceramics for a cleaner look.

Related coverage

• Theverge: After Apple wrapped up its "Surprise and shine" event today, we were able to get a look at the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4.
• 9to5mac: Ultra 4 are all about what's happening underneath.
• Mobilesyrup: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 at its Sept.
• Mashable: Get a first look at the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, including new sensors, health tracking, AI features and battery updates.