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Best Apple Watch: Series 12, Ultra 4, and SE 3 (2026)

Best Apple Watch: Series 12, Ultra 4, and SE 3 (2026)

wired.com 28.09.2026 12:36 2 views
From the latest Ultra to last year’s SE, these are the Apple Watches worth considering.

There are now three models, each with its own set of features, and the differences between them can appear minor even when the prices aren’t. Fortunately, I’ve tested them all; Here’s how the current lineup stacks up. For more recommendations, check out our guides to the Best Apple Watch Bands, the Best Apple Watch Accessories, and the Best Smartwatches.

Add us as a preferred source on Google to see more of us. Best Apple Watch Overall The Series 12 is Apple’s flagship watch. Its biggest upgrade is the new Health Sensing System, which improves the breadth, accuracy, and frequency of its health tracking.

The ECG now uses 32 electrodes for better skin contact, up from two on the Series 11, while improved optical sensing and more efficient LEDs deliver more accurate heart-rate readings. The Series 12 also tracks your heart rate every five seconds throughout the day and HRV as often as every five minutes, compared with every five minutes for heart rate and roughly every two hours for HRV on the Series 11. The Series 12 also introduces Apple’s Readiness score, which gives you a snapshot of how prepared your body is for the day based on your recent health and activity data.

Audio Intelligence is another major addition, though two of its headline features (Live Rewind and Siri Recap) won’t arrive until later this year. Battery life remains rated for up to 24 hours, but charging is faster. Fifteen minutes delivers up to 12 hours of normal use, and five minutes get you up to 10 hours of sleep tracking.

Just about the only feature the Series 11 lacks is satellite connectivity, but if you don't go off the grid, then it has everything else you need. Specs Case(s) 42 mm or 46 mm Display Wide-angle OLED, Always-on Retina display, up to 2,000 nits Battery Life Up to 24 hours (up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode) GPS Precision L1 GPS Finishes Aluminum: Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray; Titanium: Radiant Gold, Natural; Ceramic: Pearl White, Night Blue Best Battery Life The Ultra 4’s biggest upgrades are its longer battery life, faster charging, and new health-tracking capabilities. It lasts up to 50 hours on a charge—up from 42 hours on the Ultra 3—and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode.

Fast charging gets a boost, with 15 minutes on the charger providing up to 18 hours of normal use and five minutes offering up to 10 hours of sleep tracking. A new Health Sensing System and faster S11 chip enable frequent background heart-rate and HRV tracking, the Readiness score, and Apple’s suite of Audio Intelligence features. Beyond those improvements, the Ultra 4 is essentially the same smartwatch as its predecessor.

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