What we’re expecting
Series 9, 10, and 11 all ran the same T8310 chip. Leaked internal code identifies Series 12 (codenames N237 Wi-Fi, N238 Cellular) with a new T8320 processor in the Watch8 family, likely 3nm. It promises faster CPU cores, a stronger Neural Engine, and better power efficiency.
Leaked Apple code points to a new S12 chip inside both the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, the first new processor Apple has put in its watches since the S10, which debuted in the Series 10 two years ago. That's a longer stretch than usual between chip updates, so an upgrade here is overdue. Whether it brings faster performance, better battery life, or new health features isn't clear yet from the leak.
What chip does Apple Watch Series 12 use vs others?
Apple Watch Series 12S12 / T8320, 3nm (expected)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9Exynos W1000 (contested)
Apple Watch Series 11S10
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8Exynos W1000
Apple Watch Ultra 3S10
Apple Watch Ultra 4S12 / T8320, 3nm (expected)
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2Snapdragon Wear Elite (3nm)
Galaxy Watch Ultra (current)Exynos W1000 (3nm)
Pixel Watch 4Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 + co-processor