Apple Watch Series 12 Rumors

The Apple Watch is due for an upgrade, and if the company continues its tradition of September launches, we should be getting two new watches in the coming weeks. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing both an Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 for this fall, with faster chips and new health and fitness features, but no major design overhaul. Other wild-card rumors point to the return of a few throwback features, including a ceramic case, while leaked Apple code has fueled speculation that a fingerprint sensor (Touch ID) could finally make its way to 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 for. 

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 typically unveils its newest flagship iPhones and Apple Watch models.

Apple typically holds this event on the second Tuesday of September (usually the week after Labor Day). By that logic, Sept. 15 seems like the most likely candidate for Apple’s 2026 fall event. Because it lands a bit later in the month than in previous years, there’s also a chance Apple moves it up to Wednesday Sept. 9 (Labor Day week), as it has before.

As in previous years, preorders would typically open on the Friday after the event, with availability following a week or so later (assuming no production delays).

Pricing and availability

There are no solid rumors yet suggesting Apple will raise the price of its flagship Apple Watch, but the familiar $400 starting price (for the 42mm Wi-Fi model) isn’t guaranteed. Apple has raised prices across its hardware lineup this year, and Gurman expects some of this fall’s iPhones to get pricier too. Google and Samsung already raised prices on their 2026 flagship smartwatches, so a more expensive Apple Watch might not be out of the question.

How many Apple Watch models will we get?  

A Series 12 is all but guaranteed — we’ve had a new Apple Watch model arrive every year since its launch. What’s less certain is whether Apple will refresh the entire lineup again this year. The Apple Watch SE and Ultra models don’t follow the same annual update cycle, and because both the SE 3 and Ultra 3 were refreshed in 2025, it’s unlikely Apple will update both again this year.

But since Apple isn’t one to gatekeep new features, and the Ultra 3 is still rocking a two-year-old chip at this point, it’s looking increasingly likely that it’ll get the same processor bump rumored for the Series 12, while keeping last year’s design. According to Gurman, Apple is preparing an Apple Watch Ultra 4 alongside the Series 12 for this fall, with both watches in late-stage testing.

Familiar design on the Apple Watch Series 12

Don’t hold your breath for a circular Apple Watch, or a major makeover (at least not for this year). Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said during a live Q&A on March 26 that no major design changes are expected for this year’s Apple Watch lineup, according to MacRumors. That aligns with how sparse the redesign chatter has been overall, so expect the same silhouette with similar colors and materials for both Apple Watch models.

What could change: screen technology. A more energy-efficient display — potentially an improved LTPO panel with better brightness, as seen on the Series 10 — could help claw back some battery life without adding bulk.

Battery life and processor

The Series 11 and Ultra 3 got a significant battery bump over their predecessors: at least 6 hours more by Apple’s numbers and roughly an extra half day (or more) in my real-world testing. And the Ultra 3 also got charging speed worthy of its name, like its newer siblings. But there’s still plenty of room for improvement on both battery life and charging speed.

This year, Apple may be going even bigger — literally. A Weibo leaker with a track record for Apple rumors says the company is prioritizing battery life on the Series 12, including a physically larger battery along with efficiency improvements elsewhere in the watch. If true, that could push battery life beyond the incremental gains we’ve seen in recent generations.

A new processor could help on the efficiency front too, and the Apple Watch is long overdue for one. All three 2025 Apple Watches are still running on the S10 chip, making an upgrade this year almost a given, especially with the new Siri AI arriving on the watch with WatchOS 27. Technically, the next processor in line would be the S11, but Apple usually matches the chip number to the flagship watch, which could mean skipping straight to the S12 this year.

New health features on the horizon

Apple has already dipped its toes into blood pressure monitoring with hypertension notifications on the Apple Watch (Series 10, Series 11 and Ultra 3). The feature alerts owners when it detects signs of abnormally high blood pressure, but it stops short of providing an on-the-spot read. This could be on the table for the fall of 2026.

Other wearable health companies like Omron and Med-Watch have proven that wrist-based blood pressure measurement is possible, though it’s not as reliable as a traditional cuff and may require new (bulkier) hardware to bring to the Apple Watch. 

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing the feature internally but has encountered accuracy issues. And even if Apple pulls it off for this year, it might measure only baseline trends similar to Samsung’s blood pressure feature on the Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra (not supported in the US). 

Glucose monitoring is another long-running rumor that’s on the table, but according to Gurman, it’s even further from a finished product than blood pressure and realistically wouldn’t appear before 2027.

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 potentially for Face ID or AI-based image recognition. 

Apple Intelligence on the iPhone introduced a visual search tool that uses the camera to identify objects and places in real time, and it might be a matter of time before this feature eventually makes its way to the wrist. Meanwhile, wearable-focused processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips already support cameras and even livestreaming. Apple is known for using its proprietary chips, so it’s unlikely this would affect its timeline, but it shows the technology is there, and we may see it on the Apple Watch down the line. Just not this year, according to Bloomberg.

A more feasible near-term option could be Touch ID. Macworld recently spotted lines of internal code suggesting Apple has been experimenting with biometric authentication for either the 2026 or 2027 Apple Watch lineup. According to the report, the code references “AppleMesa,” which is Apple’s internal code name for a watch-based Touch ID. It’s still unclear whether the sensor would be integrated under the display, like we see on Android phones, or built into the side button or the Digital Crown. 

A supercharged Watch OS 27  

We already know the next batch of Apple Watches will ship with WatchOS 27, and I’ve already been testing it out in beta. The biggest upgrade by far is Siri AI, which can answer more complex questions directly on your wrist instead of defaulting to the dreaded “Here’s what I found on the web.”

In my testing, Siri AI successfully answered questions about ferry schedules, recipes and World Cup matches that old Siri either couldn’t answer completely or kicked over to web results. It’s the first time I’ve intentionally wanted to use Siri on my Apple Watch, and it could be an even bigger reason to upgrade than any of the rumored hardware changes, especially because it’s not that snappy on my Series 11 (could still be the beta) and could benefit from that extra processing power.

WatchOS 27 also brings a smarter app grid and Smart Stack, expanded one-handed gesture controls, improved workout accuracy and new perimenopause insights. While Apple’s pseudo AI coach, Workout Buddy will be available in Spanish and can finally work without an iPhone nearby, though it’s still more motivational hype companion than full-fledged AI coach.

The catch is that WatchOS 27 leaves a lot of older watches behind: You’ll need a Series 9 or newer, Ultra 2 or newer or the SE 3 to get the update. That makes this year’s software upgrade particularly relevant if you’re hanging onto an older Apple Watch.

Health app updates beyond WatchOS 27

Though not coming with the initial WatchOS 27 update, Apple has also been rumored to be prepping a major overhaul of its Health app. According to a report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple has been working on a top-secret initiative code-named Project Mulberry, aimed at revamping the Health app with an AI-powered health concierge that could unify your health, fitness, and medical data in one place.

However, the project has recently run into some obstacles. Bloomberg’s latest report suggests Apple has put the effort on hold (at least for this year). That still leaves room for improvement on the Health app front with a potential redesign to the main dashboard that would make spotting trends easier. 

Of course, even the most credible rumors are still just rumors, and we won’t know anything for certain until Apple’s official launch event. We’ll be covering all the announcements as they happen, so check back for the latest updates.