Apple Watch Series 12 models with a ceramic case are physically larger than the same model in aluminum or titanium, according to Apple's own tech specs.


At 46mm, Apple's tech specs page lists the aluminum and titanium case at 46mm by 40mm by 9.7mm, while the ceramic case sold under the same 46mm name measures 47mm by 41mm by 9.85mm, a millimeter taller, a millimeter wider, and 0.15mm thicker. The 42mm size follows the same pattern: 42mm by 37mm by 9.7mm for aluminum and titanium, versus 43mm by 37mm by 9.85mm for ceramic, a millimeter taller and 0.15mm thicker, with the width unchanged.

The display is unaffected. Apple lists the same 1,196 sq mm display area at 46mm and 970 sq mm at 42mm across all three materials, meaning the extra size is entirely case, not screen.

The ceramic models are also heavier. At 46mm, the Pearl White ceramic case weighs 51.3 grams and Night Blue weighs 52.9 grams, against 39.5 grams for the equivalent aluminum model and 44.9 grams for titanium, up to 34% heavier than aluminum and 18% heavier than titanium. The 42mm ceramic models weigh 41.7 grams in Pearl White and 42.8 grams in Night Blue, against 32.2 grams for aluminum and 36.5 grams for titanium, up to 33% heavier than aluminum and 17% heavier than titanium.

This appears to be the first time Apple has sold different physical case dimensions under the same nominal watch size. The increased size is presumably a design compromise owing to the entirely different material, although the earlier ceramic Apple Watch Edition models used identical case dimensions across materials at a given size, with only the weight changing between them.

Ceramic returns to the Apple Watch lineup with the Series 12 after a six-year absence, having last been offered on Series 5 in 2019 before Apple dropped it for Series 6 in 2020.

Apple Watch Series 12 in ceramic starts at $899, compared with $399 for aluminum and $699 for titanium, in Pearl White or Night Blue finishes. It launches on September 18.
This article, "Ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 Is Bigger and Heavier Than Other Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Apple Watch Series 12 pairs a smaller display with a wider case than Series 10 and Series 11, even though the pixel resolution hasn't changed, according to Apple's own tech specs.


For the 46mm Series 12, Apple's tech specs page lists the display area at 1,196 sq mm, down 2% from 1,220 sq mm on Series 10 and Series 11. The 42mm size shows a similar 1.9% drop, from 989 sq mm to 970 sq mm. Pixel counts are identical across all three generations: 416 by 496 at 46mm, and 374 by 446 at 42mm.

The case grows as the screen shrinks. Apple's Series 12 tech specs list the 46mm case at 46mm by 40mm by 9.7mm, a millimeter wider than the 46mm by 39mm by 9.7mm case on Series 10 and Series 11, a roughly 2.6% increase in case footprint. The 42mm case grew from 42mm by 36mm to 42mm by 37mm over the same span, about 2.8%, with depth unchanged at 9.7mm for both sizes.

A smaller display combined with a bigger casing means bigger borders around the display, and it looks like Apple has also tweaked the design of the Series 12 to recede the casing and expand the front glass, which makes the borders look even larger.

There's recent precedent for a change like this translating into a visibly thicker bezel. Series 10 went through a similar shift when it replaced Series 9 in 2024, growing the case around the display. The Series 10's visible aluminum edge had actually shrunk by around 33% versus Series 9, while the total bezel, including the black glass border, had grown by about 17%, even though the case and display figures looked like an improvement on paper.

It looks like the Series 12 repeats that pattern, although to a less extreme extent. Unlike the Series 9 to Series 10 change, which was a full case redesign, Series 10, Series 11, and Series 12 all share the same approximate case design. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and launches on September 18.
This article, "Apple Watch Series 12 Has Smaller Screens and Bigger Cases" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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