While it is still unlikely that 2026 will give way to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or SE 3, it is certain that the Apple Watch Series 12 is starting. Apple has added a new model to the lineup every year since the first Apple Watch launched.
With plenty of leaks and rumors to go, we already have a general idea of what Series 12 could bring, from improvements in health and fitness technology to design tweaks and display improvements. Read on for everything we know about the Apple Watch Series 12 so far.
Apple Watch 12: Price specifications and release date
Apple usually holds its annual event in the second week of September, and this year it’s likely to be the same. The Apple Watch Series 12 will likely launch alongside the new iPhone 18 model, with a starting price of $399, the same starting price as the Series 11.
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Apple usually opens preorders on the Friday after the Tuesday product announcement, and the units hit store shelves in the following weeks. Again, I doubt that will be the case for Series 12.
Apple Watch 12: Health and fitness technology news
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Cupertino is working hard on wrist-based blood pressure monitoring.
One of the most exciting Apple Watch 12 rumors suggests a new sensor technology at the bottom of the device. According to DigiTimes (via Wccftech), the Series 12 may have a new type of eight sensors arranged in a ring (similar to the Series 11). This could mean that new health metrics are coming to Series 12, or, at the very least, improved accuracy for existing metrics.
We may see an expansion of Apple’s Hypertension Alerts functionality. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, an Apple insider with extensive information on future product rumblings, Cupertino is working hard on wrist-based blood pressure monitoring. However, there seems to be considerable doubt that the technology will be ready to launch early this year.
Wrist-based blood glucose monitoring is another focus of the Apple Watch band, but according to Gurman, that technology has advanced beyond blood pressure monitoring.
Apple is also working on a major overhaul of the Health app, according to Bloomberg’s Gurman, with an AI-powered health center. The concept is apparently named Project Mulberry, and in theory, it could bring all of a user’s health, fitness, and medical information under the roof of a single device.
That said, like blood pressure and blood sugar testing, we have no guarantee that the updated Health app will be ready in September.
Apple Watch 12: Design and display rumors
The Apple Watch 12 is somewhat more efficient than the original due to the improved S12 chip. It can also indicate a weak power hungry LTPO. I’d personally like to see Apple increase the screen brightness on the Series 12 to 3,000 nits (up from 2,000 nits) to give the game a fair bit of competition from Samsung and Google.
Although some rumors suggest a major design update for the case, that seems unlikely, as 2024’s Series 10 has introduced an updated design and Apple tends to change things every four times. Additionally, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says a major design change is unlikely for the Series 12.
One of the interesting rumors that has been around for a while is the addition of a front-facing camera to the Apple Watch Series 12. This may not be for taking pictures, but rather for unlocking the screen with Face ID or for vision supported by AI and object recognition. The best iPhone models already have a similar Visual Search tool that uses the camera. Perhaps Cupertino is bringing the technology to the Apple Watch next.
Finally, according to a report from Macworld, the Apple Watch Series 12 may introduce an iPhone feature that has long been abandoned on the Apple Watch: Touch ID. Of course, it doesn’t make sense for the device to offer both Touch ID and Face ID to unlock the watch, so maybe only one of these rumors is true.
Apple Watch 12: Outlook
Last year’s Apple Watch Series 11 represents a slight improvement over Series 10, the main advantage being better battery performance. This gives me hope that the Series 12 will be even bigger in performance and features.
The redesigned sensor will be a big deal, especially if it unlocks new health information. The same can be said for checking blood pressure. I also like the idea of the onboard camera as a real world view search tool.
What do you think? Is the Apple Watch Series 12 something you’re excited about, and if so, what features are you most confident about? Let me know in the comments below.
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