Apple Watch Series 12 vs Garmin fēnix 9 Pro AMOLED
Choose the Series 12 for the stronger smartwatch experience, tighter iPhone integration and easier day-to-day use. The fēnix 9 Pro is the better fit for serious training, navigation, battery life and outdoor sports.
Full comparison
The full record
77 specifications across 6 areas, with 30 genuine differences.
1. Design & display Mixed
Fact
Apple Watch Series 12
Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Release date
2026-09-18
August 2026
Physical size
Aluminum/titanium: 46 x 40 x 9.7 mm or 42 x 37 x 9.7 mm; ceramic: 47 x 41 x 9.85 mm or 43 x 37 x 9.85 mm
47 x 47 x 13.8 mm
Weight
46 mm: 39.5 g (aluminum GPS), 38.6 g (aluminum GPS + Cellular), 44.9 g (titanium), 51.3 g (Pearl White ceramic), 52.9 g (Night Blue ceramic); 42 mm: 32.2 g, 31.5 g, 36.5 g, 41.7 g and 42.8 g respectively
78 g (case only: 56 g)
Material
Aluminum, titanium or ceramic case, 60% tougher than Series 11
Titanium case and bezel; sapphire crystal; silicone strap
Water resistance
5 ATM; IP6X; depth gauge to 6 m
10 ATM
Color options
Aluminum: Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray; Titanium: Radiant Gold, Natural; Ceramic: Pearl White, Night Blue
Carbon Gray DLC Titanium Black/Pebble
Display type
Always-On Retina LTPO3 wide-angle OLED
AMOLED touchscreen
Display size
42 mm or 46 mm case (ceramic cases are 43 mm or 47 mm tall)
1.4 inch diameter
Display resolution
42 mm: 374 x 446 pixels; 46 mm: 416 x 496 pixels
454 x 454 pixels
Display brightness
Up to 2,000 nits
Up to 3,000 nits
Display protection
Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminum cases; sapphire front crystal on titanium and ceramic cases
Sapphire crystal
2. Battery & charging Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Fact
Apple Watch Series 12
Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery life
Up to 24 hours; up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode
Smartwatch: up to 18 days; Low Power Watch Mode: up to 24 days; Activity Mode (Normal): up to 32 hours; Activity Mode + Music (Normal): up to 13 hours; Activity Mode (Max Battery): up to 87 hours; Activity Mode (Extended Battery): up to 37 hours; Activity Mode (Max Accuracy): up to 26 hours; Expedition Mode: up to 18 days
Charging
USB-C magnetic fast charging; up to 80% in about 30 minutes; 15 minute charge for 2 hours of use
Garmin proprietary charging cable
3. Sensors & positioning Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Fact
Apple Watch Series 12
Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
GNSS type
Built-in GNSS
Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
GPS
Yes
Yes
GALILEO
Yes
Yes
GLONASS
Yes
Yes
QZSS
Yes
Yes
Beidou
Yes
Yes
Accelerometer
Yes
Yes
Gyroscope
Yes
Yes
Barometric altimeter
Yes
Yes
Compass
Yes
Yes
Ambient light sensor
Yes
Yes
Optical heart rate
Yes (always-on optical heart sensor; high-frequency background tracking)
Yes
Electrical heart rate
Yes
Yes
SpO2
Yes
Yes
Temperature
Yes
Yes
Galvanic skin response
No
No
Microphone
Yes
Yes
Speakers
Yes
Yes
Vibration motor
Yes
Yes
4. Health & activity Mixed
Fact
Apple Watch Series 12
Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Steps
Yes
Yes
Distance
Yes
Yes
Calories burned
Yes
Yes
Floors
Yes
Yes
Sports tracking
Yes
Yes
Sleep
Yes
Yes
Heart rate
Yes
Yes
HRV
Yes (Up to 24x more frequent than Series 11)
Yes
Stress
No
Yes
Blood oxygen
Yes
Yes
Respiration rate
Yes
Yes
Skin temperature
Yes
Yes
ECG
Yes
Yes
Blood pressure
Hypertension notifications (no direct blood-pressure measurement)
No
Body composition
No
No
Glucose
No
No
Hydration level
No
No
UV exposure
No
No
Calorie intake
No
No
Hyperglycemia risk assessment
No
No
Arterial stiffness detection
No
No
Pulse wave arrhythmia analysis
Yes
No
5. Smart features No clear edge
Fact
Apple Watch Series 12
Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Smartphone compatibility
iPhone 11 or later or iPhone SE (2nd generation or later) with iOS 27 or later
Android and iOS
Operating system at launch
watchOS 27
Garmin proprietary
Processor
Apple S11, 64-bit dual-core processor; 4-core Neural Engine; Audio Intelligence
NXP i.MX RT700
Storage
64 GB
64 GB
Bluetooth
Yes (5.3)
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes (Wi-Fi 4 / 802.11n, 2.4/5 GHz)
Yes
NFC / connected pay
Yes (Apple Pay)
Yes
UWB
Yes (2nd-generation UWB)
No
Cellular
Optional (5G RedCap and LTE on supported regional models)
No
Smartphone notifications
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth calling
Yes (standalone on cellular models; via paired iPhone otherwise)
Yes (paired smartphone)
Smartphone music control
Yes
Yes
On-board music storage
Yes
Yes
Voice assistant
Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence
Yes (paired smartphone)
6. Navigation & safety Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Fact
Apple Watch Series 12
Garmin fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm AMOLED
Maps
Yes
Yes
Offline maps
Yes
Yes
Navigation
Yes
Yes
Emergency SOS
Yes
Yes (paired smartphone)
Satellite SOS
No
No
Fall detection
Yes
Yes
LED flashlight
No
Yes (built-in LED flashlight; green light mode)
Diving
No
Yes (scuba and apnea to 40 m)