Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

Looking to buy the best Apple Watch? There are plenty of different models to choose from. While the newest (the Apple Watch 7) may have topped our list, it won't be the best for everyone. 

Many people will be happy with the Apple Watch SE or older Apple Watch 3. Despite them offering fewer features, both are much more affordable and still offer plenty to love. 

We're also waiting to hear more about the Apple Watch 8 and Apple Watch SE 2 which are likely to be announced at some point, potentially shaking the rankings up significantly. 

While the Apple Watch 7, SE, and 3 are the only ones sold directly by Apple now, you can still get older models elsewhere. Some of them are well worth considering too. To make things trickier, there are also all sorts of different straps, sizes, and colors to choose from as well. 

We've ranked all the best Apple Watches, including pros, cons, an overview plus a specs list. From there, it's easy to quickly see which ones are the right fit for your wrist. If you need to know more, you can click through to our full reviews too. We've also provided details on colors, sizes, bands, straps, and even the apps and watch faces you can choose from too. 

If after all that, you're not sure if an Apple Watch is for you, check out our look at the best smartwatch list for the best of everything else. 

Best Apple Watch: which is for you?

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple Watch 7 is bigger and better than the Apple Watch 6 – though only slightly. As well as an almost 20% larger screen with slim bezels it also chargers faster than the old model, which goes some way to making up for the mediocre battery life found throughout the Apple Watch range.

Elsewhere, it’s not so different, but it’s building on an already great wearable. With a stylish design, an ECG, exercise tracking, access to Apple Fitness Plus (through a separate subscription), Apple Pay and all the other good stuff Apple Watch offers, coupled with plenty of power – even if that aspect hasn’t really had an upgrade either.

So if you’re buying this, you’re probably mostly buying it for the screen, but that extra size does make a real difference, leaving the wearable feeling less cramped to interact with, and it does so without adding much to the size or weight.

Read the full Apple Watch 7 review

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

(Image credit: Apple)

You might be surprised that this ranks higher than the Apple Watch 6. After all, it’s lower end, but the Apple Watch SE has all the best bits of the Apple Watch 6 and costs less money, making it a better buy overall.

It has GPS, water resistance to depths of 50 meters, sleep tracking, a heart rate monitor, great fitness tracking abilities, a decent display, and a design that makes it look a lot more premium than its price tag suggests.

The Apple Watch SE also has a speedy Apple S5 chipset. It’s not quite as powerful as the Apple Watch 6 and can't compete with the Apple Watch 7, plus it lacks both wearables' always-on display, but again, it’s cheaper, and we reckon that for most people it strikes just about the best possible balance between price and tech.

Read the full Apple Watch SE review

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple Watch 6 is still a strong watch despite the release of the Apple Watch 7, so of course it places high on our list.

New additions in this model include blood oxygen monitoring, plus the still respectable Apple S6 chipset. That extra efficiency helps improve the battery life, though the Apple Watch 6 still doesn’t last as long as we’d like – especially now that you can track your sleep, a feature that debuted on this model but is available as a software update for others too.

The screen has also been improved a little, and you can get the Apple Watch 6 in some new colors, including a flashy red shade.

But for the most part this is much the same as the Apple Watch 5 – just a slightly better and more expensive alternative to it.

Read the full Apple Watch 6 review

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple Watch 5 isn't Apple's latest wearable but it's almost as good as the Apple Watch 6, and like that wearable it comes with a handy always-on display. 

That will allow you to see all of your key stats without having to turn on your watch's screen. You've got the choice of either a 40mm or 44mm case for this watch, and it comes with a wide variety of fitness features.

It also has ECG monitor, GPS tracking, impressive heart rate monitoring, and lots more. 

Read the full Apple Watch 5 review

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

(Image credit: Apple)

Don't need that always-on display we've mentioned above? The Apple Watch 4 doesn't come with that, and it's far cheaper than the Apple Watch 5. So you may prefer to get this version instead and save a bit of money.

It also comes in both 40mm and 44mm variants, plus a lot of the features are similar such as the excellent heart rate tracking and the larger display than you'll find on older Apple Watches.

The most exciting tech here is the fact that there's an ECG feature within the heart rate tracker. It can test your heart to see if you're at a high risk of atrial fibrillation, which will allow you to seek help earlier if your health is in danger. This is found on the Apple Watch 5 and up too, but not older models.

Read the full Apple Watch 4 review

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

(Image credit: Apple )

The Apple Watch 3 (or Apple Watch Series 3, if you're picky) was once the very best smartwatch, but it has since been bumped down by the Apple Watch 4, 5, 6, and 7,  as well as the SE. That said, it's still a great device, especially as it's now cheaper than ever.

It comes with a smaller display than the Apple Watch 4, and you won't get features like the ECG monitor on the devices above, but it's still a strong wearable for those wanting fitness smarts.

There's also an LTE version of the watch available, for if you're in need of a watch that can receive messages or phone calls even when you're away from your iPhone. If you need a cheaper smartwatch but you want to buy an Apple Watch, this is our top choice.

Read the full Apple Watch 3 review

Apple Watch FAQs

If you have an iPhone, Apple Watches are great additions that help you make the most of your handset with extra features and tools, and great connectivity between the two.

However if you're an Android user it's not worth buying an Apple Watch, as Apple doesn't let its wearables connect to smartphones it doesn't make.

Apple Watches offer loads of features including workout-tracking, health monitoring, calling and texting, handling notifications from your phone, setting alarms, stream music to headphones, check maps, monitor your sleep, contact the Siri AI assistant and more.

Plus, thanks to the watchOS App Store, you can download third-party apps to get extra features and tools.

Each newer generation of Apple Watch comes with newer features too, so definitely check out the review of the handset you're interested in to make sure it does what you need it to.

Are there other Apple Watches?

You'll probably notice that the original Apple Watch, the Series 1 and Series 2 device are all missing from this list. That's because it's hard to buy those devices new anymore, so we've focused on the more easily available models.

You can still source the original Apple Watch and a variety of older devices from some places, but we'd recommend opting for one of the devices above as they will be supported with software updates for longer and are generally more refined wearables.

  • Need to buy now? These are the best Apple Watch deals

Apple Watch price comparison

Largely the pricing for the Apple Watch works by how old the product is. If you want the Apple Watch 3, you'll be able to find that for a lot less money than the Apple Watch 6.

Below we've got a live widget that will show you the latest deals for all the versions of the Apple Watch if you want to see the exact price right now. Bear in mind you can also get the Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch 7, 6, 5, 4 or 3 on a contract because of the LTE features, and you can't do that for the older devices - though some are more widely available than others.

What iPhone do you need to use an Apple Watch?

Unlike Google's Wear OS devices, the Apple Watch only works with one type of phone. You'll need to have at least an iPhone 5 running iOS 10 or later to be able to use an Apple Watch or Apple Watch 2 but we'd strongly recommend you upgrade both your iPhone and Apple Watch choice, otherwise it's going to feel very slow and you won’t really reap the benefits.

If you want an Apple Watch 3, you'll need to have at least an iPhone 5S running iOS 11 software for the non-LTE version or an iPhone 6 to be able to use the LTE variant.

But if you're buying an Apple Watch 5, you'll need an iPhone 6S or later, which is the cutoff for watchOS 6, which is what that smartwatch ships with. The Apple Watch 6, Apple Watch 7, and Apple Watch SE also require an iPhone 6S or later.

  • We answer the big question: can the Apple Watch work without an iPhone?

Apple Watch colors and sizes

Every new generation of the Apple Watch brings with it new colors and case finishes – and the Apple Watch 6 sees the arrival of a first-time blue coloring for the aluminum case, with a bright red style available too.

Both models are available in 40mm and 44mm sizes – which have been the sizing options since the Apple Watch 4, and which replaced the 38mm and 42mm sizes of its predecessor.

Some color options are limited to certain size watches, but our simple advice here is go for the larger version if you want a watch with a bigger screen and you don't mind spending a touch more.

It's difficult to get the difference in size across here, but if you're uncertain on size it's worth trying each on in the shop to be sure. Below we've got three examples showing off the four different sizes, as well as a comparison of the screen sizes.

Image 1 of 4

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

40mm Apple Watch 4 on the left and the 44mm model on the right (Image Credit: Apple)

Image 2 of 4

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

38mm Apple Watch 3 on the left, 42mm on the right (Image Credit: Apple)

Image 3 of 4

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

38mm Apple Watch 3 on the left, 42mm on the right (Image Credit: Apple)

Image 4 of 4

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

Apple Watch 4 on the left and Apple Watch 3 on the right (Image Credit: Apple)

You've then also got to choose the color of your watch as well as what material you want it to be made of.

For the Apple Watch 6, you can pick between blue, gold, space grey, silver, graphite or red cases - many but not all of which come in both aluminum and stainless steel versions.

If you opt for an Apple Watch SE then you have the choice of gold, silver, or space grey, all made from aluminum. The Apple Watch 3 is currently just available in a silver or space grey finish and aluminum for the material.

The Apple Watch 5 meanwhile while no longer available from Apple, can be found elsewhere, and comes in gold, space black or silver if you want it to be made of aluminum, and the same colors come in stainless steel too.

White is also a color option if you choose the ceramic version, but this is quite a bit more expensive.

There's also the Apple Watch Nike, which is the same device as the Apple Watch 6 or Apple Watch SE, but with the Nike Run Club app, exclusive watch faces, and Nike Twilight Mode, which fills the screen with solid color to help make you more visible

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

The Apple Watch Nike (Image credit: Apple)

That's not all though. If you like the idea of a handcrafted leather strap, you may like the look of the Apple Watch Hermès. Again, it's the same old Apple Watch, but here you get exclusive watch faces as well as high-end leather straps for your wrist.

Apple Watch bands and straps

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

Apple Watch Hermès with the Double Tour strap (Image Credit: Apple)

There are dozens of straps sold by Apple that offer a huge variety of styles for your wrist. When you first buy your Apple Watch you'll have a strap included, but you can buy and easily switch out different straps that you buy separately.

There are material and color options available including leather link, solo loop, Milanese loop, braided solo loop, and much more. Any Apple Watch strap works with any Apple Watch, as long as you've got the right smaller or larger size watch.

Plus there are lots of third-party bands available too, but make sure you get the right size as it won't support all watch straps.

Apple Watch apps and watch faces

Welche Apple Watch ist kompatibel mit iPhone 12 Pro Max?

Image Credit: TechRadar

Since the original Apple Watch, we've seen the company grow its titles that you can use on the watch as well as the amount of watch faces you can switch around to give the screen a different look.

For a full guide to our favorite bits of software on the wearable, check out our best Apple Watch apps guide as well as best Apple Watch games and best Apple Watch faces.

Got your Apple Watch? Learn how to use it

Below are a selection of the how-to guides we have at TechRadar to help you understand some of the complicated parts of setting up, customizing and using your new smartwatch.