Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Are Here: What's New (And Will Your Bands Fit?)
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event has been and gone, and it was a big one. A foldable iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro, new AirPods, and two new Apple Watches: the Series 12 and the Ultra 4. If you're weighing up an upgrade, or you've already hit pre-order, here's what actually changed, what it costs in Australia, and the answer to the question we get asked most every September: will my bands still fit?
Short answer: yes. Keep reading for the long one.
The short version
- Apple Watch Series 12 starts at A$649 in aluminium, A$1,249 in titanium and A$1,599 in ceramic. Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at A$1,349. Both are on pre-order now and land in stores on Friday 18 September.
- Same sizes as last year. The Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm, the Ultra 4 stays at 49mm. Every band that fitted your Series 10 or 11 fits the Series 12.
- Ceramic is back. For the first time since 2019 you can buy a ceramic Apple Watch, in Pearl White or Night Blue.
- New finishes everywhere. Dark Bronze and Light Gold aluminium, polished Radiant Gold titanium, and a Black or Natural titanium Ultra.
- The health sensors got a real upgrade. Heart rate is now measured every five seconds all day, and there's a new daily Readiness score.
- Ultra 4 finally does two days. Up to 50 hours on a charge, 84 in Low Power Mode.
- The SE 3 stays in the range at A$399 and didn't get an update this year.
Apple Watch Series 12: what's new
A new health sensing system
This is the headline. Apple rebuilt the sensor array on the back of the watch with bigger, more efficient green LEDs, a ring of photodiodes to catch more light, and a larger electrode for ECG readings. The practical result is that the Series 12 takes a background heart rate reading every five seconds, which Apple says is 60 times more often than the Series 11, and measures heart rate variability every five minutes instead of a handful of times a night. Apple is calling it the most accurate heart rate tracking of any wearable.
All that extra data feeds a new Readiness score, a simple 0 to 10 number each morning that weighs up your recent activity, training load, vitals and sleep, and tells you whether today is a push day or a rest day. There's also a new Health Age feature in the redesigned iPhone Health app that compares your metrics to your actual age.
It listens now, too
The new S11 chip brings what Apple calls Audio Intelligence:
- Sound Recognition taps you on the wrist when it hears an alarm, a doorbell, a siren or a crying baby.
- Live Rewind shows you a transcript of the last 15 seconds of conversation. Double-click the Digital Crown and it appears. Handy for that moment you zoned out.
- Siri Recap (in beta) can summarise a meeting or a conversation for you.
Battery life is unchanged at up to 24 hours, but charging is faster: 15 minutes on the puck now gives you up to 12 hours.
Finishes and materials
- Aluminium: Space Grey, Black, Light Gold and a new Dark Bronze. The front glass is now Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple rates as 60 per cent tougher.
- Titanium: polished Natural and Radiant Gold.
- Ceramic: Pearl White and Night Blue, with a matching Sport Band that has a ceramic pin. It's the heaviest of the three at around 51 grams for the 46mm, against 39.5 grams for aluminium, and it's about a millimetre taller and a fraction thicker. It still takes the same bands.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: what's new
The Ultra 4 keeps the same 49mm titanium case as the Ultra 3, now in Black Titanium or Natural Titanium, and gets the same S11 chip, the same new health sensors and the same audio features as the Series 12.
The upgrade that matters is the battery. The Ultra 4 runs up to 50 hours in normal use, 84 hours in Low Power Mode, 18 hours of outdoor workout with full GPS and heart rate on, and 45 hours in the maximum extended workout mode. That's a genuine two-day watch, which is the thing Ultra owners have been asking for since the first one.
The 3,000-nit display, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre recreational dive rating carry over. Apple has also made a Titanium Milanese Loop a stock band choice, in Black or Natural, alongside the usual Alpine, Trail and Ocean bands.
What it costs in Australia
| Model | 42mm | 46mm |
|---|---|---|
| Series 12 aluminium, GPS | A$649 | A$739 |
| Series 12 aluminium, GPS + Cellular | A$799 | A$889 |
| Series 12 titanium (cellular included) | A$1,249 | A$1,339 |
| Series 12 ceramic (cellular included) | A$1,599 | A$1,689 |
| Ultra 4, 49mm (cellular included) | A$1,349 | |
| SE 3, 40mm / 44mm | A$399 | A$449 |
Apple's own bands start at A$79 for a Sport Band or Sport Loop, A$169 for a Milanese Loop, Alpine Loop, Trail Loop or Ocean Band, A$319 for the Ultra's Titanium Milanese Loop or a Modern Buckle, and A$549 for the Link Bracelet. Keep those numbers in mind for the next section.
Will your Apple Watch bands fit the Series 12 and Ultra 4?
Yes. Apple hasn't changed the band connector since the very first Apple Watch in 2015, and the Series 12 uses the same two band sizes as the Series 10 and 11. Apple's own sizing lists the same wrist-fit range for the Series 12 as the Series 11 (130 to 200mm for the 42mm, 140 to 245mm for the 46mm), and the ceramic model uses the same bands as the aluminium and titanium ones.
The Series 12 case is a millimetre wider through the body than the Series 11, but the band slots haven't moved. A band that clicked into your Series 11 clicks into your Series 12.
| Your new watch | Case size | Bands that fit | Pick this size at Modbands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 12 (aluminium, titanium or ceramic) | 42mm | 38mm, 40mm, 41mm and new 42mm bands | 38/40/41/42mm |
| Series 12 (aluminium, titanium or ceramic) | 46mm | Old 42mm (Series 1 to 3), 44mm, 45mm, 46mm and 49mm bands | 42/44/45/46/49mm |
| Ultra 4 | 49mm | 44mm, 45mm, 46mm and 49mm bands | 42/44/45/46/49mm |
| SE 3 | 40mm | 38mm, 40mm, 41mm and new 42mm bands | 38/40/41/42mm |
| SE 3 | 44mm | Old 42mm, 44mm, 45mm, 46mm and 49mm bands | 42/44/45/46/49mm |
The 42mm thing, one more time
There have been two different 42mm Apple Watches. The original Series 1, 2 and 3 in 42mm was the larger watch and takes large-family bands. The Series 10, 11 and now 12 in 42mm is the smaller watch and takes small-family bands. If you're digging an old band out of a drawer, go by which watch it came with, not the number on the packet. We covered this in detail in Do Older Apple Watch Bands Fit the New 42mm and 46mm?
Not sure which case you own? Our Apple Watch size guide walks you through it in about a minute.
Apple's new band colours, and how to get the look for less
This year's Apple bands lean muted: Burgundy, Olive, Wildflower Blue, Pale Succulent and Chambray Blue across the Sport Band and Sport Loop, plaid Sport Loops, a woven Modern Buckle with gold hardware, and Milanese Loops in Dark Bronze and Radiant Gold to match the new cases. They look great. They also start at A$79 for a rubber strap, and the metal ones run A$169 to A$549.
A few ways to match the new finishes without the Apple price tag:
- Dark Bronze or Light Gold aluminium, or Radiant Gold titanium: our Milanese Loop ($49.95, against A$169 for Apple's) in Gold or Blush Gold, or the Marseille link bracelet ($69.95, against A$549 for Apple's Link Bracelet) in Gold or Pink Gold.
- Night Blue ceramic: the Milanese Loop in Blue, or the Magnetic Nylon Loop ($49.95) in Atlantic Blue.
- Black Titanium Ultra 4: the Alpine Loop ($49.95) or Trail Loop ($44.95) in Black, or the New Milanese Loop ($69.95) in Black or Titanium, which gives you the look of Apple's A$319 Titanium Milanese for about a fifth of the price.
- Every day, any colour: the Silicone Sport ($29.95, against A$79 for Apple's Sport Band) and Ocean ($39.95, against A$169) bands cover the gym, the beach and the school run.
Browse the full Apple Watch band range or start with our best sellers. Everything ships from our Australian warehouse, so your band can be waiting when the watch arrives on the 18th.
Screen protectors and cases: one thing to know
Bands are the easy part. Cases and screen protectors are not, and this is the one place the Series 12 catches people out.
The Series 12 case is a millimetre wider than the Series 10 and 11, and a millimetre is all it takes to throw a curved screen protector or a snap-on bumper out of alignment. Our current 42mm and 46mm screen protectors and bumper cases are made for the Series 10 and 11 and do not fit the Series 12. Please don't order them for the new watch, even though the size on the box matches. We'd rather you wait a couple of weeks than peel off a protector that sits proud at the edges.
Series 12 versions are on the way. We're adding Series 12 sizes across our screen protection and bumper case ranges in the coming weeks, and we'll update this post the day they land. Ceramic Shield 2 is tougher than last year's glass, but tougher isn't scratch-proof, so it's worth the short wait.
Ultra 4 owners are sorted now. The Ultra 4 is the same 49mm case as the Ultra 3, so our Titanium Bezel Ceramic Glass protector ($29.95) fits it straight out of the box. Use code CERAMIC5 for $5 off until 23 September.
Still on a Series 10 or 11? The new 3D Ceramic Glass Screen Protector ($29.95 with the alignment tray) fits your 42mm or 46mm perfectly, and the same code applies.
The rest of the event in 60 seconds
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: new A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture main camera, and a Burgundy colour. Pre-order Saturday 12 September, in stores 18 September.
- iPhone Duo: Apple's first foldable. A 5.4-inch outer screen that opens to 7.6 inches. Pre-orders open 16 October.
- AirPods 5: two models, both with noise cancelling, in stores 18 September.
- watchOS 27 and iOS 27 arrive Monday 14 September. Siri's new AI features launch in beta, English first.
Frequently asked questions
Will my Series 11 bands fit the Series 12?
Yes. The Series 12 uses the same 42mm and 46mm sizes and the same band connector as the Series 10 and 11. Every band that fitted your Series 11 fits your Series 12.
Does the ceramic Series 12 take different bands?
No. Apple sells the ceramic model with the same 42mm and 46mm band sizes as the aluminium and titanium models. Choose 38/40/41/42mm for the 42mm or 42/44/45/46/49mm for the 46mm.
Do Ultra 3 bands fit the Ultra 4?
Yes. The Ultra 4 is the same 49mm case as the Ultra 3, so every Ultra band, and every 44mm, 45mm and 46mm band, fits.
How much is the Apple Watch Series 12 in Australia?
From A$649 for the 42mm aluminium GPS model, A$739 for the 46mm, and A$799 with cellular. Titanium starts at A$1,249 and ceramic at A$1,599. The Ultra 4 is A$1,349. Everything goes on sale Friday 18 September 2026.
Is the Apple Watch SE getting an update?
Not this year. The SE 3 from 2025 stays in the range at A$399 in 40mm and 44mm, and takes the same two band families as everything else.
Do your Series 10 and 11 screen protectors and cases fit the Series 12?
No. The Series 12 is a millimetre wider than the Series 10 and 11, so the current 42mm and 46mm protectors and bumper cases don't line up on it. Series 12 sizes are coming in the next few weeks. The Ultra 4 is unchanged at 49mm, so the Ultra protector fits it now.
Which size do I choose at checkout for a Series 12 42mm?
Choose 38/40/41/42mm. For a Series 12 46mm or an Ultra 4, choose 42/44/45/46/49mm.
