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We're hours away from Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event, and according to rumors, we'll be seeing two new Apple Watches drop tomorrow — the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 — there's a lot to cover. So, let's focus on the flagship.
As is often the case this time of year, leaks and "insider" reports are plentiful, ranging from believable to, well, not. With that in mind, here's everything we think we know about Apple's next flagship wearable, the Apple Watch Series 12, including whether or not it has a chance of making our Best Smartwatch list.
Apple Watch 12: Rumors in brief
- Price and launch: Expected to be revealed on September 9's "Surprise and shine" event; preorders will likely open on Saturday, with units shipping the following week; a price increase is possible
- Health and fitness: Support for wrist-based blood pressure readings is rumored but remains unlikely, but there are rumors Apple will update heart rate monitoring in the app; there are strong hints at an updated Health app focused on a Readiness score; Apple may also (finally) improve the strength training feature.
- Design and display: A more efficient LTPO display is possible; a fingerprint scanner for Touch ID is rumored but less likely; an upgraded ceramic case option is possible
- AI features: The Series 12 is expected to support Apple's new Siri AI voice assistant; a personalized wellness concierge is also rumored
- Battery life: A larger capacity battery is possible; the S12 processor could bring efficiency improvements, too
Apple Watch 12: Price and launch predictions
We'll likely get our first look at the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and iPhone 18 at the "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, 9 September/
How much will the Apple Watch 12 cost? With both Samsung and Google increasing pricing across their respective smartwatch lineups — the Pixel Watch 5 now starts at $399, and the Galaxy Watch 9 starts at $379 — a price bump for the Apple Watch 12 is possible. Put another way: a $399 starting price for the flagship smartwatch is far from guaranteed.
There are also rumors of a ceramic Apple Watch Series 12. The last time Apple offered that upgrade was with the 2019 Apple Watch Series 5. That model started at $399 for the standard version, but jumped to $1,299 for the ceramic model. So, yeah, if a ceramic Series 12 does exist, it will surely cost a pretty penny.
In terms of availability, Apple usually opens preorders on the Friday after a Tuesday product announcement, with units hitting store shelves in the weeks that follow; I suspect this will be the case for the Series 12, too.
Apple Watch 12: Health and fitness rumors
New sensors
Design-wise, it’s thought that Apple will keep things pretty similar to the Apple Watch 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, but one big change that could affect the health and fitness tracking on the watch is a new continuous heart rate sensor.
According to MacRumors, Apple has been testing a continuous heart rate sensor that would allow the Apple Watch to track your health and recovery 24/7 via your heart rate, similar to the way the Oura Ring 5 or Whoop 5.0 works.
We could also see an expansion of Apple’s groundbreaking Hypertension Alerts feature. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, one of the more trusted Apple insiders, Cupertino is hard at work on a wrist-based blood pressure monitor that provides readings similar to a traditional cuff. The question is, when will it be ready? I'm not convinced 2026 is the year.
On-wrist blood glucose monitoring is another focus for the Apple Watch team, but according to Gurman, that tech is even further out than blood pressure monitoring.
New Health and Fitness features
According to MacRumors, three new health and fitness features just leaked in the code for the watchOS 27 beta. watchOS 27 will be the new operating system for the rumored Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. It’ll also roll out to older Apple Watches, so it’s likely that if these features do materialize, you’ll be able to use them on your Apple Watch 11 or Apple Watch Ultra 3.
At last, Apple Watch will hopefully be getting some sort of recovery score or metric to help users see, at a glance, how well their body is coping with their training load. Referred to in the code as “Readiness”, it looks like this app will be separate from Apple’s “Vitals” app. Instead, in the code, it looks set to be part of the default Home Screen layout directly after Workout.
Its name and placement, plus earlier rumors around continuous heart rate monitoring, suggest that Apple is working on placing recovery alongside the workout app, similar to how Garmin uses workout data to feed its Body Battery and Training Readiness scores.
Another rumored upgrade is to the strength training features on the app. Up until now, the “Functional Strength Training” workout mode on the Apple Watch hasn’t done much, but this could be set to change. According to the code, we might be getting the ability to store individual sets, repetition counts, weights, equipment and duration in this workout mode.
Apple Watch 12: Design and display rumors
The Apple Watch Series 12 is rumored to sport an updated processor (likely dubbed S12), which could make it both faster and less power-hungry than the S10 chip in the Series 11. Less likely but still possible: the Series 12 arrives with an LTPO display, which would be more power-efficient than the OLED panel in the Series 11.
I’d also like to see Apple increase the screen brightness on the Series 12 to 3,000 nits or more (from 2,000 nits) to keep up with the latest Google Pixel Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 9.
Changes to the case dimensions and button layout seem unlikely. The Series 10 ushered in an updated case in 2024, and Apple only tends to switch up the design every four-ish launch cycles. Moreover, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also thinks a major design shift is unlikely.
One design-related rumor I'm hoping doesn't come true is the introduction of a new strap attachment system. Such a change would render all previously acquired Apple Watch straps useless, a move that would no doubt annoy longtime customers far and wide.
Some insiders think the Series 12 will sport a front-facing camera hidden beneath the display, not for taking pictures, but for unlocking the screen with Face ID or for AI-backed visual scene and object recognition. The best iPhone models already have a similar Visual Search tool that uses the camera. Perhaps Cupertino is bringing the tech to the Apple Watch next. Either way, this rumor doesn't seem all that likely.
On the other hand, the addition of a long-retired iPhone feature, Touch ID, seems a tad more plausible. According to a report from Macworld, Apple has at the very least explored adding this much-asked-for feature, which would eliminate the need to punch in a passcode every time you want to unlock the watch.
Apple Watch 12: AI features
Apple has already confirmed that the next-gen watchOS 27 operating system will support the company's AI-powered Siri voice assistant. While some older models will also get this feature via a free firmware upgrade, the Apple Watch 12 will likely ship with watchOS 27 pre-installed.
The real question is, will the new Siri AI be ready to roll right from the start when the Series 12 arrives? I'm optimistic it will. Other new AI tools could come in the form of a more personalized wellness concierge that helps you set and maintain goals, sort of like an expansion of Workout Buddy for your overall health.
Apple Watch 12: Battery life predictions
The Apple Watch Series 11 received a nice battery life increase over the models before it, from 18 hours per charge to 24 hours. Might the Apple Watch 12 last even longer? It's certainly possible! But the stars will have to align.
While a more efficient processor and display technology could meaningfully reduce power consumption, a larger-capacity battery — which a handful of insiders have suggested — could mean that the Series 12 lasts substantially longer than the Series 11. But don't get too excited; most of the bigger-battery reports have come from less-than-reliable leakers, so this upgrade is far from guaranteed.
Apple Watch 12: Outlook
Last year’s Apple Watch Series 11 represented a fairly minor upgrade over the Series 10, with the primary benefit being better battery performance. This makes me hopeful that the Series 12 will be an even bigger jump in performance and features.
For example, a next-gen sensor array that unlocks new wellness trend data would be a welcome advancement, while support for on-wrist blood pressure readings would be the ultimate holistic upgrade (and a major flex on the competition), even if it's less likely.
Toss in a fingerprint scanner for unlocking the Series 12, a more power-efficient display, and a larger-capacity battery (why not?), and Apple's new flagship smartwatch starts to look like a legit upgrade over last year's model, rather than an iterative one.
What do you think? Is the Apple Watch Series 12 something you're excited for, and if so, what features are you hoping for the most? Let me know below.
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