Only the differences are shown. 6 specs stay the same.
+0you gain
−0you give up
Apple Watch Series 12 came out in September 2026. Galaxy Watch Ultra2 came out in August 2026.
Note on Apple Watch Series 12: Apple: hypertension notifications may not yet be available on Series 12 in some regions while additional regulatory clearances are in process. 15-minute charge adds up to 12 hours. Apple states a depth gauge and snorkeling to 6 m but no dive depth. Apple's Series 12 pages do not state on-device Siri.
Note on Galaxy Watch Ultra2: Withstands -20C to 55C while worn (Samsung lab tests). Trail Run is exclusive to this model. 5,000 nits is a localized peak; Samsung says full-screen brightness may differ. 12% thinner than the previous Ultra.
Phone & updates
S11 → Qualcomm SDW6100 (Penta-Core, 3nm) - Snapdragon Wear Elite Platform
Display
2000 nits → 5000 nits peak brightness
Design & durability
42 mm, 46 mm → 47 mm
Titanium
Price check
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 launched at $699.99
All 15 differences
Phone & updates5 changes
Works with your phone
iPhone only: iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27›Android only (with Google Mobile Services): Android 13.0 or higher and with more than 1.5GB of memoryDifferent
Apple Watch works only with an iPhone. Galaxy Watch4 and later work only with an Android phone that has Google Mobile Services, not with an iPhone.
What does this mean?
The phone the watch needs. Apple Watch works only with an iPhone. Galaxy Watch4 and later work only with an Android phone that has Google Mobile Services.
You cannot set up an Apple Watch with an Android phone or a Galaxy Watch with an iPhone, so this row decides the choice before any other.
Matters most if: You are deciding between an Apple Watch and a Galaxy Watch: check which phone you have first.
Software updates
Last security update: watchOS 27.0.1 on September 28, 2026›Quarterly security updates (on Samsung's list)
Apple publishes the last security update for each watch; Samsung lists the watches it still updates. They are shown as they are, without a gain or a loss. Samsung's security updates page
What does this mean?
Apple publishes each security update and which watches it is for. Samsung lists the watches it still gives security updates to, quarterly at most.
On the Apple Watch side you see the latest update Apple has released for the newest watchOS that watch can run; on the Galaxy Watch side, whether Samsung still lists the watch. They are different kinds of information, so neither is marked as a gain or a loss.
Matters most if: You plan to keep the watch for years, or you are buying one used.
Update promise
Not published by Apple›Up to four years of One UI Watch and Wear OS updates (Samsung, February 2022, for Galaxy Watch4 'and upcoming Galaxy Watch series devices').
Samsung told the press: five major OS upgrades and five years of security patches (not on a Samsung page as of October 16, 2026).
What does this mean?
A promise of how long the watch will get software updates, in the maker's words.
Samsung announced up to four years of One UI Watch and Wear OS updates for Galaxy Watch4 and later models. Apple makes no such promise for Apple Watch, so its side says "Not published by Apple".
Chip
S11›Qualcomm SDW6100 (Penta-Core, 3nm) - Snapdragon Wear Elite PlatformDifferent
What does this mean?
The main processor, by each maker's name: Apple's S chips, and Samsung's Exynos or Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips in Galaxy Watch.
The names come from different makers, so the row shows both without picking a faster one.
Memory (RAM)
Not published by Apple›2 GB
Apple does not publish this for Apple Watch.
What does this mean?
RAM is the watch's working memory for the apps running right now, in GB (gigabytes).
Samsung lists RAM for each Galaxy Watch. Apple does not publish it for Apple Watch, so the Apple Watch side says "Not published by Apple" and the site does not estimate it.
Storage
64 GB (same on both)
What does this mean?
Space for apps, music and other things saved on the watch, in GB (gigabytes).
Both makers give storage in GB, so more storage counts as a gain.
Price1 change
Price check
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 — launched at $699.99
What your Apple Watch Series 12 sells for
- Apple Trade In estimate
- Sold listings on eBay
eBay may ask you to sign in to see sold prices.
Links open in a new tab. Prices are set by each seller and change daily.
Starting price
$399›$699.99
Not directly comparable: Galaxy Watch Ultra2's price was announced without its terms.
What does this mean?
Each maker's lowest US price when the watch came out, before sales tax.
Apple's figure is its list price; Samsung's is usually the "starts at" price from its announcement. When the two are different kinds of price, the page says so and does not show the difference.
Display2 changes
Display type (each maker's name)
LTPO3 wide-angle OLED›Super AMOLEDDifferent
What does this mean?
Each maker's own name for the screen: Apple's LTPO OLED screens and Samsung's Super AMOLED screens.
A name alone does not tell you which screen is better, so the row is marked "Different" without a winner.
Peak brightness
2000 nits›5000 nits
Samsung says Galaxy Watch Ultra2's 5,000 nits is a localized peak and full-screen brightness may differ, so the two figures are not counted as a gain or a loss.
What does this mean?
How bright the screen can get at most, in nits (a unit of brightness), as each maker states it.
A brighter screen is easier to read in direct sunlight. Where Samsung says a figure is only a peak in part of the screen, the two are not counted as a gain or a loss.
Always-on display
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
The watch face stays visible while your wrist is down: Apple calls it Always-On, Samsung Always On Display.
You can glance at the time without raising your wrist. It uses more battery than a screen that turns off.
Health1 change
Blood pressure
Hypertension notifications›Blood Pressure (calibrated with a cuff every four weeks)Different
Samsung's Blood Pressure (readings, calibrated with a cuff) and Apple's Hypertension Notifications are different kinds of features, so neither is counted as a gain or a loss. Availability varies by country. Apple's feature availability page · Samsung's Health Monitor page
What does this mean?
Apple's Hypertension Notifications look for signs of high blood pressure over time and tell you if they find them. Samsung's Blood Pressure takes readings, after you calibrate the watch with a cuff every four weeks.
They are different kinds of features, so the row shows both without a gain or a loss. Samsung says its feature cannot diagnose hypertension. Availability varies by country.
Matters most if: You want to keep an eye on your blood pressure.
ECG
Yes (same on both)
Each maker's own feature. Availability varies by country, and some Galaxy Watch features need a Galaxy phone. Apple's feature availability page · Samsung's Health Monitor page
What does this mean?
An ECG (electrocardiogram) records the electrical signals of your heartbeat, here from your wrist and a fingertip.
Both makers' ECG apps check the recording for atrial fibrillation (AFib). Samsung's needs the Samsung Health Monitor app, which needs a Galaxy phone. Availability varies by country.
Sleep apnea detection
Yes (same on both)
Each maker's own feature. Availability varies by country, and some Galaxy Watch features need a Galaxy phone. Apple's feature availability page · Samsung's Health Monitor page
What does this mean?
A feature that looks for signs of sleep apnea, where breathing keeps stopping during sleep, over several nights of wear.
Apple calls it sleep apnea notifications; Samsung calls it the Sleep Apnea feature (Galaxy Watch Ultra, Watch7 and later), which needs a Galaxy phone. Neither diagnoses sleep apnea, and availability varies by country.
Battery & charging1 change · 1 unconfirmed
Battery life (each maker's figure)
Up to 24 hours›Not stated by Samsung
Each maker's own figure from its own tests, so the hours are not counted as a gain or a loss.
What does this mean?
Each maker's own battery figure. Apple gives hours of typical use; Samsung gives a figure for only some models.
The tests are different, so the hours can't be compared directly and the site shows both without picking a winner.
Matters most if: You want to wear the watch overnight or on long trips.
Battery capacity
Not published by Apple›800 mAh
Apple does not publish this for Apple Watch.
What does this mean?
mAh (milliamp-hours) measures how much charge a battery holds, like the size of a fuel tank.
Samsung gives a capacity for each case size. Apple does not publish one for Apple Watch, so its side says "Not published by Apple".
Fast charging
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
Whether the maker says the watch supports fast charging with its charger.
Each maker states its own charging times; this row only says whether the watch has fast charging.
Design & durability4 changes
Case sizes
42 mm, 46 mm›47 mmDifferent
What does this mean?
The sizes the watch comes in, measured across the case in millimeters.
Within one model, the bigger case has the bigger screen and feels larger on the wrist. Try both sizes on if you can.
Case materials
Aluminum, titanium, ceramic›TitaniumDifferent
What does this mean?
What the case is made of, such as aluminum, stainless steel or titanium, as each maker names it.
Titanium and stainless steel models usually cost more than aluminum ones.
Weight
31.5–52.9 g›61.5 gDifferent
Apple gives the weight of the case, from the lightest to the heaviest version. Samsung weighs its watches without the band.
What does this mean?
How heavy the watch is, as each maker gives it.
Apple gives the weight of the case for each version, and Samsung weighs its watches without the band, so the watch on your wrist weighs more than either figure.
Water and dust resistance
Water resistant 50 m (WR50), IP6X dust resistant›10ATM, IP69K, EN13319, ISO22810 (100 m)Different
Each maker's ratings as it writes them. The two use different tests, so they are not ranked.
What does this mean?
How well the watch resists water and dust, in each maker's own ratings. Apple: water resistance in meters (WR50, WR100) and IP6X dust resistance. Samsung: 5ATM or 10ATM and IP68, and on Galaxy Watch Ultra2 IP69K.
The two makers use different tests, so the ratings are shown side by side and not ranked. Both say water resistance is not permanent and can get weaker over time.
Matters most if: You swim or dive with your watch.
What's new
RSS feedAdded Apple Watch vs Galaxy Watch
Compare any Apple Watch with any Galaxy Watch with Wear OS, in Apple's and Samsung's own words. The first row says which phone each watch works with. Only rows where both makers measure the same thing count as a gain or a loss; water ratings, blood pressure features and battery capacity, which Apple does not publish, are shown side by side. You can pick a Galaxy Watch on the Apple Watch tab and an Apple Watch on the Galaxy Watch tab. Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic now show their US launch prices from Samsung.
Added Samsung Galaxy Watch
Galaxy Watch models with Wear OS, from Galaxy Watch4 (2021) to Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (2026), checked against Samsung's own pages only, with a page for each model, comparisons with each other, launch prices from Samsung and model numbers in Find my model. Galaxy Watch3, the other Tizen watches and Gear are on the timeline by year as Legacy. The glossary explains the BioActive Sensor, 5ATM, IP69K and the Dynamic Lug System.
Added Samsung Galaxy Note
Galaxy Note10 and Note20 phones (Note10, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note10 Lite, Note20, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra and Note20 Ultra 5G), checked against Samsung's own pages only, with a page for each model and comparisons with any Galaxy S, iPhone or Pixel. Older Galaxy Note phones, from the first Galaxy Note (2011) to the Galaxy Note9, are on the timeline by year. Galaxy Note and Galaxy S Ultra pages now have an S Pen row.