While it remains unlikely that 2026 will deliver a replacement for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or SE 3, a flagship Apple Watch Series 12 debut is all but certain. Apple has added a new model to the lineup every year ever since the very first Apple Watch launched.
With plenty of leaks and rumors to go off of, we already have a general idea of what the Series 12 could deliver, from health and fitness tech upgrades to design tweaks and display improvements. Read on for everything we know about the Apple Watch Series 12 so far.
Apple Watch 12: Price and release date predictions
(Image credit: Future)
Apple tends to hold an annual launch event in the second week of September, and this year is likely no exception. The Apple Watch Series 12 will likely debut alongside the new iPhone 18 lineup, with a starting price of $399, the same starting cost as the Series 11.
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Apple usually opens up preorders on the Friday following a Tuesday product announcement, with units hitting store shelves in the weeks that follow. Again, I suspect this will be the case for the Series 12.
Apple Watch 12: Health and fitness tech rumors
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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Cupertino is hard at work on a wrist-based blood pressure monitor.
One of the juiciest Apple Watch 12 rumors hints at a new holistic sensor tech on the bottom of the device. According to DigiTimes (via Wccftech), the Series 12 could feature a brand-new eight-sensor array arranged in a ring pattern (similar to the Series 11). This might mean that new health metrics are coming to the Series 12, or, at the very least, improved accuracy for existing metrics.
We may additionally see an expansion of Apple’s groundbreaking Hypertension Alerts feature. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s most prolific insider for hints at murmurs about future products, Cupertino is hard at work on a wrist-based blood pressure monitor. However, there seems to be considerable doubt that the technology is ready for a primetime debut this 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.
Apple is additionally working on a massive overhaul of the Health app, according to Bloomberg’s Gurman, featuring an AI-powered, personalized wellness concierge. The concept is apparently code-named Project Mulberry, and in theory, could bring all of a user’s health, fitness, and medical data under the roof of a singular app.
That said, like blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring, we have no confirmation that an overhauled Health app will be launch-ready by September.
Apple Watch 12: Design and display rumors
(Image credit: Future)
The Apple Watch 12 will almost certainly be more power-efficient than its predecessor thanks to an upgraded S12 chip. It could also deliver a less power-hungry LTPO display. I’d personally like to see Apple increase the screen brightness on the Series 12 to 3,000 nits (from 2,000 nits) to better match competition from Samsung and Google.
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While some rumors hint at a massive design overhaul for the case, that seems somewhat unlikely, given that 2024’s Series 10 ushered in an updated design and Apple only tends to switch things up every four-ish launch cycles. Moreover, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says a major design shift is unlikely for the Series 12.
One of the more interesting rumors that has been around for a while is the addition of a front-facing camera to the Apple Watch Series 12. This likely wouldn’t be for taking pictures, but rather 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.
Finally, according to a report from Macworld, the Apple Watch Series 12 could introduce a long-retired iPhone feature to the Apple Watch: Touch ID. Of course, it makes little sense for the device to offer both Touch ID and Face ID to unlock the watch, so probably only one of these rumors is true.
Apple Watch 12: Outlook
(Image credit: Future)
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.
A redesigned holistic sensor array would definitely be a big deal, especially if it unlocks new wellness insights. The same can be said for blood pressure monitoring. I’m additionally intrigued by the concept of an onboard camera as a real-world visual search tool.
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 in the comments below.
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