Screen size
Watch Series 12Winner: 2.0"+16%
Watch Series 31.7"
Quick verdict
Watch Series 12 leads the measured specs 9-2.
Measured wins
Watch Series 12
9
spec wins
Overall winner
Ties
3
equal specs
Watch Series 3
2
spec wins
Screen size
Technology
Watch Series 12
GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Watch Series 3
GSM / HSPA / LTE
2G bands
Watch Series 12
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Watch Series 3
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands
Watch Series 12
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
Watch Series 3
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 / 800 - Europe, Australia (A1891), HSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 800 - USA, LATAM, Canada (A1861), HSDPA 2100 - China (A1892)
4G bands
Watch Series 12
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
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
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
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71 SA/NSA
Watch Series 3
-
Speed
Watch Series 12
HSPA, LTE, 5G
Watch Series 3
HSPA, LTE
Announced
Watch Series 12
2026, September 09
Watch Series 3
2017, September. Released 2017, September
Status
Watch Series 12
Available. Released 2026, September 18
Watch Series 3
Discontinued
Dimensions
Watch Series 12
46 x 40 x 9.7 mm - titanium47 x 41 x 9.9 mm - ceramic
Watch Series 3
42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4 mm (1.67 x 1.43 x 0.45 in)
Weight
Watch Series 12
36.5/41.7/42.8/44.9/51.3/52.9 g (1.31 oz)
Watch Series 3
52.8 g (1.87 oz)
Build
Watch Series 12
Sapphire crystal front, zirconia back, titanium case (grade 5) or ceramic case
Watch Series 3
Glass front (Sapphire crystal), ceramic/sapphire crystal back, stainless steel frame
SIM
Watch Series 12
eSIM
Watch Series 3
eSIM
Other
Watch Series 12
IP6X certified 50m water resistant ECG certified (region dependent SW application; HW available on all models) Depth gauge to 6m
Watch Series 3
50m water resistant
Type
Watch Series 12
Retina LTPO3 OLED, 2000 nits (peak)
Watch Series 3
Retina OLED, 1000 nits (peak)
Size
Watch Series 12
1.96 inches
Watch Series 3
1.65 inches
Resolution
Watch Series 12
496 x 416 pixels (~326 ppi density)
Watch Series 3
390 x 312 pixels (~303 ppi density)
Protection
Watch Series 12
Sapphire crystal
Watch Series 3
Sapphire crystal glass
Other
Watch Series 12
Wide-angle OLED
Watch Series 3
3D Touch display
OS
Watch Series 12
watchOS 27
Watch Series 3
watchOS 4.0, upgradable to watchOS 8.7
Chipset
Watch Series 12
Apple S11
Watch Series 3
Apple S3
CPU
Watch Series 12
Dual-core
Watch Series 3
Dual-core
GPU
Watch Series 12
PowerVR
Watch Series 3
PowerVR
Card slot
Watch Series 12
No
Watch Series 3
No
Internal
Watch Series 12
64GB
Watch Series 3
16GB 768MB RAM
Other
Watch Series 12
No
Watch Series 3
No
Loudspeaker
Watch Series 12
Yes
Watch Series 3
Yes
3.5mm jack
Watch Series 12
No
Watch Series 3
No
WLAN
Watch Series 12
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
Watch Series 3
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth
Watch Series 12
5.3, A2DP, LE
Watch Series 3
4.2, A2DP, LE
Positioning
Watch Series 12
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
Watch Series 3
GPS, GLONASS
NFC
Watch Series 12
Yes
Watch Series 3
Yes
Radio
Watch Series 12
No
Watch Series 3
No
USB
Watch Series 12
No
Watch Series 3
No
Sensors
Watch Series 12
Accelerometer, gyro, always-on heart rate, barometer, always-on altimeter, compass, SpO2, VO2max, temperature (body), temperature (water)
Watch Series 3
Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, barometer
Other
Watch Series 12
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
Natural language commands and dictation (talking mode)
Type
Watch Series 12
Li-Ion
Watch Series 3
Li-Ion 341 mAh (1.34 Wh), non-removable
Charging
Watch Series 12
Wireless, 0-80% in 30 min
Watch Series 3
Wireless
Colors
Watch Series 12
Radiant Gold Titanium, Natural Titanium, Silver Titanium (Hermès only), Pearl White Ceramic, Night Blue Ceramic
Watch Series 3
Space Black, Silver
Models
Watch Series 12
A3582, A3587
Watch Series 3
A1860, A1861, A1889, A1891, A1890, A1892
Price
Watch Series 12
€ 439.00
Watch Series 3
About 700 EUR
SAR
Watch Series 12
-
Watch Series 3
0.35 W/kg (head) 0.18 W/kg (body)