Screen size
Watch Series 12 AluminumWinner: 2.0"+16%
Watch Series 3 Aluminum1.7"
Quick verdict
Watch Series 12 Aluminum leads the measured specs 9-2.
Measured wins
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
9
spec wins
Overall winner
Ties
3
equal specs
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
2
spec wins
Screen size
Technology
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
GSM / HSPA / LTE
2G bands
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 / 800 - Europe, Australia (A1891), HSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 800 - USA, LATAM, Canada (A1861), HSDPA 2100 - China (A1892)
4G bands
Resolution
Refresh rate
Peak brightness
Pixel density
CPU speed
RAM
Storage
Main camera
Front camera
Battery
Wired charging
Weight
Thickness
IP rating
Wi‑Fi
Bluetooth
USB
5G support
NFC
equal specs3.5mm jack
equal specsSD card
equal specsStereo speakers
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, 71
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 26 - Europe, Australia (A1891), 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26, 41 - USA, LATAM, Canada (A1861), 1, 3, 39, 40, 41 - China (A1892)
5G bands
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71 SA/NSA
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
-
Speed
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
HSPA, LTE, 5G
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
HSPA, LTE
Announced
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
2026, September 09
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
2017, September. Released 2017, September
Status
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Available. Released 2026, September 18
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Discontinued
Dimensions
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
46 x 40 x 9.7 mm (1.81 x 1.57 x 0.38 in)
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4 mm (1.67 x 1.43 x 0.45 in)
Weight
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
31.5/32.2/38.6/39.5 g (1.13 oz)
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
34.9 g (1.23 oz)
Build
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), zirconia back, aluminum case
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Glass front, ceramic back, aluminum frame
SIM
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
eSIM
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
eSIM
Other
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
IP6X certified 50m water resistant ECG certified (region dependent SW application; HW available on all models) Depth gauge to 6m
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
50m water resistant
Type
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Retina LTPO3 OLED, 2000 nits (peak)
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Retina OLED, 1000 nits (peak)
Size
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
1.96 inches
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
1.65 inches
Resolution
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
496 x 416 pixels (~326 ppi density)
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
390 x 312 pixels (~303 ppi density)
Protection
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Ceramic Shield 2
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Ion-X strengthened glass
Other
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Wide-angle OLED
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
3D Touch display
OS
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
watchOS 27
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
watchOS 4.0, upgradable to watchOS 8.7
Chipset
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Apple S11
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Apple S3
CPU
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Dual-core
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Dual-core
GPU
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
PowerVR
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
PowerVR
Card slot
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
No
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
No
Internal
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
64GB
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
8GB 768MB RAM, 16GB 768MB RAM
Other
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
No
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
No
Loudspeaker
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Yes
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Yes
3.5mm jack
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
No
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
No
WLAN
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
5.3, A2DP, LE
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
4.2, A2DP, LE
Positioning
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
GPS, GLONASS
NFC
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Yes
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Yes
Radio
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
No
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
No
USB
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
No
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
No
Sensors
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Accelerometer, gyro, always-on heart rate, barometer, always-on altimeter, compass, SpO2, VO2max, temperature (body), temperature (water)
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, barometer
Other
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Health Sensing System: third‑generation electrical heart sensor, always‑on optical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, temperature sensor Temperature sensing (0.01˚ accuracy) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Media playback
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Natural language commands and dictation (talking mode)
Type
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Li-Ion
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Li-Ion 341 mAh (1.34 Wh), non-removable
Charging
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Wireless, 0-80% in 30 min
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Wireless
Colors
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
Silver, Gold, Space Gray
Models
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
A3582, A3587
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
A1860, A1861, A1889, A1891, A1890, A1892, A1858, A1859
Price
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
€ 439.00
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
About 480 EUR
SAR
Watch Series 12 Aluminum
-
Watch Series 3 Aluminum
0.52 W/kg (head) 0.34 W/kg (body)