Where to preorder the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

Where to preorder the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

Longer battery life and a more capable chipset (that enables a host of new features) are the main reasons to upgrade.

Longer battery life and a more capable chipset (that enables a host of new features) are the main reasons to upgrade.

by

Cameron Faulkner

Sep 10, 2026, 3:00 PM UTC

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Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Cameron Faulkner

is an editor covering deals and gaming hardware. He joined in 2018, and after a two-year stint at Polygon, he rejoined

in May 2025.

TheiPhone Duowas the unequivocal star ofApple’s “Surprise and shine” event, but not for people who were mostly paying attention for news on wearables. Thankfully, Apple had a lot to share about its newApple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. There’s no update to the SE model for 2026, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing (the SE 3 rules). Also, no price changes either, which can’t be said for theentire iPhone lineup.

While both new watches look similar to their predecessors, there are a number of updates under the hood that might intrigue some people enough to warrant a preorder. My colleague Victoria Songgot hands-on with both smartwatchesand runs down the biggest changes, from the Audio Intelligence features made possible by the S11 chip (included in the Series 12 and Ultra 4) to the possible impact of its improved sensors and tracking capabilities.

If you don’t want to wait for reviews to hit before you make the purchase, the Series 12 starts at $399 atAmazon,Best Buy, andWalmartfor the 42mm size ($50 more for the 46mm). High rollers canconfigure one with a ceramic case(the first time ceramic has been on the menu since the Series 5) starting at $899. Like usual, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799 fromAmazonandBest Buyand comes in one size, which features GPS and 5G support. Both models launch on September 18th, the same day as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Apple Watch Series 12

$

399

$

399

Apple Watch Ultra 4

$

799

$

799

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• Cameron Faulkner

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