Skip the Apple Watch 11 — next year's Apple Watch 12 tipped for huge sensor upgrade

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New sensors could be coming to the Apple Watch in 2026

The Apple Watch Series 10 on display at the device's launch in September 2024
(Image credit: Future)

The Apple Watch 11 is expected to arrive sometime in September 2025, assuming Apple sticks to its usual yearly launch schedule, but rumors are already beginning to surface about the Apple Watch 12, claiming it will be a much bigger update than this year’s model.

A paywalled report in DigiTimes (via Wccftech) indicates there will be a significant redesign to the Apple Watch in 2026, with additional sensors on the underside of the watch. Whether these sensors will track new metrics, or simply increase the accuracy of what the Apple Watch already tracks, isn’t clear.

Apple Watch Series 10 46mm
Apple Watch Series 10 46mm: was $429 now $329 at Amazon

If you don’t want to wait for the Apple Watch 11, let alone the Apple Watch 12, you can save $100 on several models of the Apple Watch 10 on Amazon right now, including the 46mm GPS model of the watch. With rumors indicating only minor updates to the Series 11, now might be the time to grab a bargain on the current Apple Watch, which is already one of the best smartwatches available.

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New sensors in 2026?

The report suggests the Apple Watch will have eight sensors in a ring pattern underneath a glass cover on its underside. Apple adding more sensors to future watches is a reasonable upgrade to expect, and it links up with other long-term rumors suggesting that features like blood pressure or even blood glucose monitoring could come to the watch in the future.

With the Apple Watch 12 being over a year away, it’s definitely worth taking these reports with a pinch of salt. A bigger redesign of the watch in 2026 than this year would make sense, though, given that the Apple Watch Series 10 was a major update on the Series 9, it’s likely the Series 11 sticks to the same design.

For the Series 10, Apple redesigned the back of the watch to combine its antennas into the metal housing for a sleeker construction. We also got faster charging last year, because Apple was able to fit a larger charging coil into the case.

If the Series 12 does include a full redesign, hopefully that will bring with it a better battery life as despite all the advancements with the Series 10, we still only get 18 hours away from the mains.

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Nick Harris-Fry
Nick Harris-Fry
Senior Writer

Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.


Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.


Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.

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