Apple Watch Series 12 May Bring Throwback Design, But No Redesign

Apple just wrapped up one of its busiest launch times in March with seven new products: the iPhone 17Eupdated MacBook Pros and colorful MacBook Neo. And we’re already looking ahead to the next batch of hardware. After the crowded 2025 brought three new ones Apple Watchesthis year’s lineup is expected to be smaller with the Series 12 likely to fly solo.

We’re not expecting an amazing new look (based on rumors and Apple Watch history), but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be excited about. Rumors point to at least one major shakeup under the surface, including details of a long-overdue iPhone the feature finally makes its way to the handset.

As always, nothing is confirmed until Apple says so, but here’s everything we know, think we know, and keep our fingers crossed for.

Apple Watch Series 12 launch date

If there’s one thing Apple tends to keep consistent, it’s the timing of its fall event, where it usually unveils its new iPhones and Apple Watch models.

Apple typically holds this event on the second Tuesday of September (usually a week after Labor Day). As a result, Sept. 15 appears to be a likely candidate for Apple’s 2026 fall event. Because it arrives a little later in the month than in previous years, there is also a small chance that Apple will move it to Sept. 9 (Labor Day Week), as it did before.

As in previous years, preorders will likely open on the Friday after the event, with availability a week or so later (assuming there are no production delays).

Price and availability

Expect pricing for the new watches to remain in line with the current Series 11 lineup, which starts at $400 (42mm Wi-Fi model). Although price increases are not completely off the table, for a long time fee increase and the possibility of supply problems.

How many Apple Watch models will we get?

Series 12 is all confirmed — we’ve had The new Apple Watch the model arrives every year since its inception. What we’re not quite sure about is whether Apple will refresh the entire lineup again this year. The Apple Watch SE and Ultra models do not follow the same annual update cycle, and because they both do SE 3 and A maximum of 3 are updated in 2025, it is unlikely that Apple will update both again this year.

If Apple adds another model alongside the Series 12, the Ultra would be a more obvious candidate. Apple isn’t one to hold back on new features for its flagship models when needed. Or if it follows the example set with the Ultra 2, the company may introduce a new color scheme for the Ultra 3.

Standard design on Apple Watch Series 12

Don’t hold your breath for a round Apple Watch, or a big change (at least not for this year). Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said during a live Q&A on March 26 that no major changes are expected for this year’s Apple Watch lineup, according to MacRumors. That’s in line with how little update talk has been in general, so expect a similar look with the same colors and materials.

What could change: screen technology. A more efficient display — which could be an upgraded LTPO panel with better brightness, as seen on the Series 10 — could help restore battery life without adding bulk.

Battery and processor life

The 11-series and Ultra 3 had more battery drain than their predecessors: at least 6 hours more by Apple’s numbers and about half a day (or more) in my real-world testing. And the Ultra 3 also has a charging speed that lives up to its name, just like its younger siblings. But there is still a lot of room for improvement in battery life and charging speed.

With no major specs showing bigger batteries, I’d bet we’ll see more (if any) gains in the Series 12. Improvements could come from improved screen technology, software, and more efficient processors.

In theory, the name of the processor usually corresponds to the clock number, suggesting the S12 chip this year. But since the Series 11 and Ultra 3 are still running on last year’s S10 chip, the next update could be the S11, making this year’s name difficult.

New aspects of health are at hand

Apple is already dipping its toes into blood pressure testing blood pressure alerts on Apple Watch (Series 10, Series 11 and Ultra 3). The feature alerts owners when it detects signs of abnormally high blood pressure, but stops supplying the monitor immediately. This could be on the table for 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 (many) devices to bring to the Apple Watch.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is testing the feature internally but has met with positive news. And even if Apple pulls it off for this year, it will likely only measure the same basic functions as Samsung’s blood pressure function on the Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra (not supported in the US).

Sugar monitoring is another long-term issue on the table, but according to Gurman, it is far more of a finished product than blood pressure and certainly would not appear before 2027.

Biometric authentication: Touch ID or face ID?

Camera lenses on the Apple Watch have been around for a few years – not for selfies, but perhaps for face ID or AI-based image recognition.

Apple Intelligence on the iPhone has introduced a search tool that uses the camera to identify objects and places in real time, and it may only be a matter of time before this feature finally comes to hand. Meanwhile, flagship processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips already support cameras and even live streaming. Apple is known for using its own chips, so it is unlikely that this will affect Apple’s timeline, but it shows the technology that is there, and we can see it down the Apple Watch. Not this year, according to Bloomberg.

The most recent option would be Touch ID. Macworld recently spotted lines of internal code that show Apple is testing biometric authentication for the 2026 Apple Watch lineup. According to the report, the code references “AppleMesa,” which is Apple’s internal code name for watch-based ID. It is still unclear whether the sensor would be integrated under the display, as we see it on Android phones, or built into the remote button or Digital Crown.

View the OS 27 wish list

Now that Apple has fixed its operating system names for next year, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the next big update to the Apple Watch will be WatchOS 27.

With a major overhaul already on the books (5 new Apple Watch features coming with WatchOS 26) Apple could also expand Workout Buddy from metric-driven motivation to a more rigorous training environment. This could bring it closer to what Samsung is trying with its AI-powered Running Coach.

Finally, I would welcome a more powerful symptom tracker tied to the Vitals app similar to the Oura Ring Symptom Radar that can flag early signs of illness.

More updates to the Health app

The next version of WatchOS 27 may bring changes to the Health app. According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a top-secret project called Project Mulberry, which aims to update the Health app with an AI-powered health center that can integrate your health, exercise and medical data in one place.

However, the project recently ran into some obstacles. A recent report by Bloomberg suggests that Apple has stopped the effort (at least for this year). That still leaves room for improvement on the Health app front with a possible overhaul to the main dashboard that will make things easier to see.