It follows last year’s triple header Apple Watches (Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3), 2026 looks very crowded. Early rumors point to the Apple Watch Series 12 carrying a stand-alone system this fall, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be boring.
We’re not expecting a new surprising look (based on rumors and the history of the Apple Watch), but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be excited about. Rumors point to at least one major underground shakeup, including hints that have long since been removed The iPhone the feature finally reaches the wrist.
As always, nothing is confirmed until Apple says so, but here’s everything we know, think we know and are crossing our fingers about.
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Apple Watch Series 12 launch date
If there’s one thing Apple tends to keep consistent, it’s the timing of its Fall Hardware event, where it usually unveils its new iPhones and Apple Watch models.
Apple usually holds this event on the second Tuesday of September (usually the week after Labor Day). In that sense, September 15 seems like the best candidate for Apple’s 2026 fall event. Because it sits later in the month than in previous years, there is a slight chance that Apple will move it up to September 9 (Labor Day Week), as it has done in the past.
As in previous years, pre-orders may open on the Friday after the event, with availability a week or so later (assuming there are no production delays).
Price and availability
Expect prices for the new watches to stay in line with the current Series 11 lineup, starting around $400 (42mm Wi-Fi model). While rate hikes aren’t completely off the table, there are waits tax increase and the potential for supply chain problems.
Apple Watch Ultra 3, SE 3 and Series 11 on launch day.
How many Apple Watch models will we get?
The Series 12 has been confirmed — we’ve had it the new Apple Watch The model comes every year since its launch. What is less certain is whether Apple will renew the program again this year. The Apple Watch SE and Ultra models do not follow the same annual update cycle, and because both models SE 3 again Ultra 3 were renewed in 2025, it is unlikely that Apple will update both again this year.
If Apple were to add another model alongside the Series 12, the Ultra would be a plausible candidate. Apple is not one to hold on to new features for its high-end models when necessary. Or if it follows the pattern set with the Ultra 2, the company might just release a new color model for the Ultra 3.
Standard design on Apple Watch Series 12
Don’t hold your breath for a round Apple Watch, or a major makeover (at least not this year). Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said during a live Q&A on March 26 that no major design changes are expected in this year’s Apple Watch lineup, according to MacRumors. That’s in keeping with how minimal the redesign talks have been overall, so expect the same shadow with the same colors and materials.
What could change: screen technology. A more energy-efficient display — likely an improved LTPO panel with better brightness, as seen on the Series 10 — could help restore battery life without adding bulk.
Better battery life tops the Apple Watch wish list year after year.
Battery and processor life
The Series 11 and Ultra 3 got a big battery bump over their predecessors: at least 6 hours more by Apple’s numbers and about an extra half day (or more) in my real-world testing. And the Ultra 3 has also got a charging speed worthy of its name, just like its newer siblings. But there is still a lot of room for improvement in both battery life and charging speed.
With no major indicators showing bigger batteries yet, I’d bet we see more (if any) benefits in the Series 12. Improvements could come from better screen technology, software optimizations, and more efficient processors.
In theory, the name of the processor often matches the number of the clock, which suggests the S12 chip this year. But since the Series 11 and Ultra 3 still run on last year’s S10 chip, the next upgrade may be the S11, making this year’s lineup difficult.
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New health features on the horizon
Apple has already dipped its toes into blood pressure testing with hypertension notices on Apple Watch (Series 10, Series 11 and Ultra 3). The feature notifies owners when it detects signs of abnormally high blood pressure, but stops providing readings in that area. This could be on the table in the fall of 2026.
Other wearable health companies such as Omron and Med-Watch have proven that wrist-based blood pressure measurement is possible, although it is not as reliable as a traditional cuff and may require new (bulkier) hardware to bring it to the Apple Watch.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing this feature internally but has run into accuracy issues. And even if Apple releases it this year, it can only measure basic trends like Samsung’s blood pressure feature on the Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra (not supported in the US).
Glucose monitoring is another long-standing rumor on the table, but according to Gurman, it’s far from a finished product than blood pressure and realistically wouldn’t appear before 2027.
The next Apple Watch Series 12 may bring back TouchID.
Biometric authentication: Touch ID or Face ID?
Rumors of a camera on the Apple Watch have been around for a few years — not for selfies, but possibly Face ID or AI-based image recognition.
Apple Intelligence on the iPhone has introduced a virtual search tool that uses the camera to identify objects and places in real time, and it may be a while before this feature finally arrives on the wrist. Meanwhile, wearable-focused processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips already support cameras and live streaming. Apple is known to use its own proprietary chips, so it’s unlikely that this will affect Apple’s timeline, but it does show that the technology is there, and we can see it below on the Apple Watch. Not just this year, according to Bloomberg.
A possible near-term option would be Touch ID. Macworld recently spotted lines of internal code that suggest Apple was trying to add biometric authentication to the 2026 Apple Watch series. According to the report, the code refers to “AppleMesa,” which is Apple’s internal codename for Touch ID based on the watch. It is not yet clear whether the sensor will be integrated under the display, as we see on Android phones, or built into the side button or the Digital Crown.
View the OS 27 wishlist
Now that Apple has calibrated its operating system names to match next year, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the next big update for the Apple Watch will be WatchOS 27.
With a major redesign already on the books (5 new Apple Watch features coming with WatchOS 26), we’re not expecting a dramatic visual change this time around, but there’s a lot on the wish list, including better battery management tools and customizable touch controls. Apple may also expand Workout Buddy from metric-driven motivation to a portable training platform. This may bring it closer to what Samsung is trying with its AI-powered Running Trainer.
Finally, I would welcome a more robust symptom tracker tied to the Vitals app like Oura Ring’s Symptom Radar that can flag early signs of illness.
A future Apple Watch could bring advanced health sensors for blood pressure readings to the area.
More Health app updates
The next version of WatchOS 27 may also bring changes to the Health app. According to a report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple has been working on a secret program code-named Project Mulberry, which aims to revamp the Health system with AI-powered healthcare that can integrate your health, fitness, and medical data in one place.
However, recently this project has encountered some obstacles. A recent report by Bloomberg suggests that Apple has stopped the effort (at least for this year). That still leaves room for improvements on the Health app front with a potential redesign of the main dashboard that would make seeing trends easier.
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