Wearables · SmartwatchesApple Watch Series 12 42mm GPSApple Watch Series 12 42mm GPS
The short answerApple's smartwatch with heart-rate variability, sleep apnea notifications and wrist temperature sensing. Apple lists up to 24 hours of battery and 50-meter water resistance. At $449 in the US (46mm) vs ¥2,999 in China — about ¥2,549 with the national subsidy — China is the cheaper option.
US & China prices
| Price | Store | Amount | Converted | Checked | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US, before tax | Best Buy | $449 | ≈ ¥2,996 | Checked 11-05 21:072026-11-05 21:07 Beijing time · checked against the store page | Buy |
| US official price (MSRP)Announced by the brand — not a current store price | Introducing Apple Watch Series 12, with the all-new Health Sensing System（42mm $399） | $399 | ≈ ¥2,662 | 2026-09-09 | |
| US, with sales tax (est.)California base rate 7.25%, local tax extra$449 × (1 + 7.25%) = $481.55 | $481.55 | ≈ ¥3,213 | |||
| China list price | Apple China | ¥2,999 | ≈ $449 | Checked 11-05 07:362026-11-05 07:36 Beijing time · checked against the store page | Buy |
| China, after trade-in subsidyEstimated from subsidy rules: ¥450 offChina list price ¥2,999 (Apple China) − subsidy ¥450 = ¥2,549 | ¥2,549 | ≈ $382 |
Store pages have the final say on price · Conversions use the ECB reference rate on the day each price was checked (no rate on weekends / holidays → the latest earlier day): 11-04 1 USD = 6.6723 CNY · US, before tax = pre-tax
What differs between versions
Watch this
Price history
Prices we recorded ourselves, shown in USD
Who it’s for / pitfalls
Good for
- People who track health, workouts and sleep
- iPhone users
Not for
- People who need multi-day battery life
- Android users (the watch needs an iPhone)
Known pitfalls
- Battery is listed up to 24 hours in normal use
- Some health features need a paired iPhone, per the official page
Key specs
- Battery
- Up to 24 hours in normal use
- Water and dust
- 50 m water resistance, IP6X
- Chip
- S11
- Health
- Heart-rate variability, high-frequency heart rate, sleep apnea notifications, wrist temperature
- Display cover
- Ceramic Shield 2 (aluminum models)
- Size
- 42mm and 46mm cases
- Display
- Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED display, 2000 nits peak; 374x446 pixels (42mm), 416x496 pixels (46mm)
- Battery life
- Up to 24 hours normal use, up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode
- Cellular
- GPS + Cellular models support 5G RedCap and LTE (models A3582/A3587); GPS-only models also available
- Health features
- Health Sensing System: high-frequency heart rate and HRV, readiness score, ECG, sleep apnea notifications, blood oxygen, wrist temperature
- Water resistance
- Water resistant to 50m under ISO 22810:2010, IP6X dust resistance
- Phone compatibility
- iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27 or later
- Payments
- Apple Pay
True cost calculator
Also consider
Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm Wi-FiGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mm Wi-Fi
Size 41mm · Display Actua 360 domed display, 3000 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass · Battery life Up to 30 hours; 15 hours in 15 minutes with Quick Charge Dock
Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Ultra 4 49mm
Apple's outdoor sport watch with a titanium case, 100-meter water resistance and up to 50 hours of normal-use battery life. At $799 in the US vs ¥6,499 in China (about $175 less), the US is the cheaper option.
Huawei WATCH GT 6 ProHuawei WATCH GT 6 Pro
Huawei's outdoor-sports flagship watch with a titanium case and sapphire glass. It covers cycling, trail running and golf, and lasts up to 21 days on light use.
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