Apple Watch Series 12 / Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic (46 mm, Bluetooth)

Apple Watch Series 12: 42 / 46 mm · Case material options

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic (46 mm, Bluetooth): SM-L500 · 46 mm Bluetooth; the LTE version SM-L505 is a separate model; black or white

SpecificationApple Watch Series 12Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic (46 mm, Bluetooth)
Release year20262025
ProcessorS11; 64-bit dual-core; 4-core Neural Engine AppleExynos W1000; 5 cores, 3 nm Samsung
Storage64 GB Apple—
DisplayAlways-On Retina LTPO3 OLED; 326 ppi; 2000 nits peak, 1 nit minimum; 46 mm: 416 × 496; 42 mm: 374 × 446

LTPO3 drops to 1 Hz in Always-On mode to save power.

Apple		1.34-inch Super AMOLED, 438 × 438, full-colour Always-On; sapphire crystal

Sapphire crystal is a cover material that resists scratches better than ordinary glass.

Samsung
Cover glassAluminium: Ceramic Shield 2; titanium/ceramic: sapphire Apple—
Case and material42 / 46 mm; aluminium, titanium or ceramic

Ceramic cases are slightly larger and thicker (9.85 mm); aluminium and titanium are 9.7 mm.

Apple		—
Rated battery lifeUp to 24 hours normal use; up to 38 hours Low Power Mode; up to 10 hours workout tracking

Apple's test profile; actual use varies.

Apple		—
Rated charging timeAbout 80% in 30 minutes; 15 minutes gives up to 12 hours of normal use

Apple measured these with a 20 W adapter that is not included; a USB-C fast-charging cable is in the box.

Apple		—
SensorsSecond-generation electrical and always-on optical heart sensors; blood oxygen; temperature; compass; always-on altimeter; high-g accelerometer; depth gauge to 6 m; water temperature AppleBioActive sensor (optical heart rate, electrical heart signal, bioelectrical impedance), temperature, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, light sensor, 3D Hall sensor

Health features are for general wellness and fitness, not medical diagnosis.

Samsung
Health featuresECG; irregular rhythm and high/low heart rate notifications; hypertension and sleep apnoea notifications; sleep score; Vitals; Readiness

Some health features are limited by country and age; blood oxygen and temperature are not for medical use.

Apple		—
Weight46 mm aluminium GPS 39.5 g; titanium 44.9 g; 42 mm aluminium GPS 32.2 g; titanium 36.5 g Apple63.5 g (without band) Samsung
Durability50 m water resistance (ISO 22810:2010); IP6X dust

For swimming and snorkelling to 6 m, not scuba diving. Resistance can diminish over time.

Apple		5ATM, IP68, MIL-STD-810H

5ATM suits surface water use such as swimming, not diving or high-speed water sports. Samsung says its MIL-STD-810H testing cycled the watch between –20 °C and 50 °C for 6 hours in total.

Samsung
ConnectivityWi-Fi 4 (2.4 and 5 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation UWB; multi-constellation GPS; RedCap 5G on cellular models AppleBluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, NFC; no LTE on this model Samsung
CompatibilitywatchOS 27; iPhone 11 or later (including iPhone SE 2nd generation or later) running iOS 27 Apple—
Case size—46 mm; 46.4 × 46 × 10.6 mm (excluding health sensors)

It is sold in one size only.

Samsung
Controls—Rotating bezel, Quick Button

The rotating bezel lets you scroll lists and apps without touching the screen; its position is read by a 3D Hall sensor found only on the Classic. Quick Button can be assigned to an app or function.

Samsung
Memory and storage—2 GB RAM, 64 GB storage Samsung
Battery—445 mAh (typical); fast charging, WPC-based wireless charging

Samsung says its charge times were measured with a separately sold 25 W adapter.

Samsung
Operating system—Wear OS Powered by Samsung (Wear OS 6), One UI 8 Watch

Setup and use need an Android 12 or later phone with more than 1.5 GB of memory and Google Mobile Services.

Samsung
Location—L1 + L5 dual-frequency GPS; GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo

The second frequency (L5) helps accuracy where signals bounce, such as among tall buildings or under trees.

Samsung
Colours—Black, white Samsung