Apple Watch Series 12: All the rumors at a glance

The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected in September 2026 – alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Ultra. After a rather understated Series 11, this year's model is also likely to be a minor update: new watch faces, performance improvements, and little else. Touch ID has been canceled for 2026; Apple Intelligence will not be running directly on the wrist for the time being. Apple is apparently postponing the major generational leap until the planned glass redesign – at the earliest in 2028.

Since 2015, Apple has released a new Apple Watch every September. The Series 11 in fall 2025 was a moderate update with 5G connectivity, longer battery life, and high blood pressure warnings—but little to cause a stir. In our Apple Watch buying guide: Ultra 3 vs. Series 11 vs. SE 3, we've already thoroughly compared the current lineup.

Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman significantly dampened expectations for the Series 12 in mid-May 2026: The Series 12 is likely to be largely identical to the Series 11 – with a new watch face, performance improvements via a new S-series chip, and minor fixes via watchOS 27. Major sensor expansions or a new case design are not expected, Touch ID has been scrapped for 2026, and Apple Intelligence will not run directly on the watch for the time being. This article summarizes all known rumors.

Apple Watch Series 12: The most important points at a glance

Detail	Expectation
Release	September 2026, along with iPhone 18 Pro
Chip	New S11 or S12 chip (successor to the S10)
Design	No major changes, redesign not until 2028
Watch face	At least one new watch face with watchOS 27
Sensors	Potentially a new 8-sensor array – Bloomberg dampens expectations
Touch ID	According to Instant Digital, it has been scrapped for 2026.
Apple Intelligence	Not directly on the Watch (RAM hurdle)
Starting price	Expected to start at €449 (like Series 11)

Design: Familiar form, redesign coming later

According to Mark Gurman, the Apple Watch Series 12 will largely resemble the Series 11 externally. This means: same case shape, same rounded square design, buttons on the right, speaker on the left. A major redesign – possibly with a thinner case, new band mechanisms, or a glass case – is not expected until 2027 or 2028 at the earliest.

Leaker Instant Digital also confirmed on Weibo that the 2026 Apple Watch will not receive any radical design changes. However, new watch bands and possibly new colors are likely.

As we reported in our article Apple Watch 2026: No major redesign planned, Apple is taking a conservative approach to the casing – the real innovation takes place under the surface.

Chip: S12 with AI focus

As every year, a new chip is expected – likely the S11 or S12. The Series 11 uses the S10 chip with a 64-bit dual-core processor and a quad-core Neural Engine. Details about its successor are not yet known, but the general trend with Apple Silicon suggests improvements in three areas: higher energy efficiency for longer battery life, faster processing of health data, and better performance for local AI tasks.

It's unclear whether the S12 chip will also enable Apple's intelligence features directly on the Watch. The Neural Engine in the Watch chips has so far been significantly more limited than in the iPhone or iPad. However, Apple is working on making Siri on the Watch considerably more intelligent – which could arrive with watchOS 27 this fall.

Sensors: New 8-sensor array

One of the most exciting rumors comes from DigiTimes: The Apple Watch Series 12 is said to feature a new sensor array with eight sensors arranged in a ring on the underside. What exactly these sensors measure is unconfirmed.

Possible areas of application:

Improved heart rate measurement during exercise and sports
More precise SpO2 values (blood oxygen)
Improved temperature measurement for cycle tracking
More reliable sleep monitoring
Basis for future blood pressure or blood sugar measurements

The principle is similar to Oura's approach with the Ring 4: More sensors with a better arrangement deliver more reliable data – even if the watch isn't perfectly fitted. However, this sensor rumor should also be taken with a grain of salt. In his latest Power-On newsletter, Mark Gurman doesn't expect any major hardware leaps with the Series 12 and only mentions minor, unspecified hardware adjustments. Whether DigiTimes' prominent 8-sensor array will actually arrive in 2026 or whether Apple will postpone it to a later generation remains to be seen.

Blood pressure and blood sugar: Not quite there yet

Blood pressure

The Series 11 already introduced high blood pressure warnings based on the analysis of heart rate data over 30 days. According to Mark Gurman, Apple is working on true wrist-based blood pressure measurement – but there are significant doubts as to whether the technology will be mature enough by 2026.

Blood sugar

Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring has been rumored for years. Apple is demonstrably researching it, but the accuracy is not yet sufficient for a consumer product. This feature is not expected for the Series 12.

Touch ID: Comeback on the wrist?

Touch ID has long been considered a hot feature for the next Apple Watch generation. Several sources – including Mark Gurman – reported that Apple was testing an integration, most likely in the side button, similar to the iPad Air. This would have allowed the Watch to be unlocked without an iPhone, Apple Pay to be authorized, and sensitive apps to be protected.

In May 2026, however, the Chinese leaker Instant Digital reported that Apple had abandoned the project for 2026. Two specific reasons were said to be decisive: First, an additional biometric sensor would strain the already tight energy efficiency of the Apple Watch. Second, a fingerprint sensor would increase the cost of the components without significantly expanding its usefulness from Apple's perspective. Apple is reportedly continuing its strategy of unlocking the smartwatch via iPhone pairing.

Important to understand: Code hints like "AppleMesa" - Apple's internal code name for Touch ID - don't automatically mean a final product decision. Apple regularly tests features in its software that don't make it into final devices. Touch ID on the wrist isn't completely off the table, however. Should Apple find a technical solution in the coming years that doesn't significantly impact battery life or unit costs, the topic could quickly resurface - but currently, attention is focused on two other areas: larger batteries and more sophisticated health sensors.

Apple Intelligence: Not directly on the Watch

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Series 12 concerns Apple's AI platform. With iOS 27 and the revamped Gemini-powered Siri, Apple Intelligence is moving to the center of its software lineup – but according to Bloomberg, little of this will be noticeable on the wrist initially. The reason is purely technical: The Apple Watch currently has between one and 1.5 gigabytes of RAM. For models that run Apple Intelligence directly, Apple has previously required at least eight gigabytes. This gap cannot be quickly closed in such a small form factor with such a tight power budget.

A connection via the iPhone remains technically conceivable: The watch could display results generated by the paired iPhone via Apple Intelligence – notification summaries or responses from the new Siri – relayed to the wrist. However, the current report provides no clear indication that watchOS 27 will actually deliver this integration. By WWDC 2026 on June 8th, it should become clear how far Apple plans to extend this integration.

Only a significantly larger battery or a much more efficient chip could close the hardware gap. Neither seems likely for 2026 – direct AI processing on the wrist thus remains a topic for a later generation.

Release and price

The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to be unveiled in mid-September 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. Pre-orders are likely to begin a few days after the keynote, with sales starting in the following weeks.

An Apple Watch Ultra 4 will likely be released alongside the new model. An update to the Apple Watch SE in 2026 is rather unlikely – the SE 3 was only released in September 2025.

No major price change is expected. The Series 11 starts at €449 (GPS) in Germany. Should Apple actually include the new sensor array, a slight price increase of €20–50 would be conceivable – however, without the Touch ID sensor, one of the previously mentioned reasons for a price increase no longer applies.

Apple Watch Series 12: Who should wait?

Those wearing an Apple Watch Series 10 or 11 will likely find little reason to upgrade to the Series 12. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman describes the model as a minor update with a new watch face and performance improvements – little to justify a generational change.

However, those still using a Series 8 or older will get several generations of improvements with the Series 12: larger display, thinner casing, 5G, high blood pressure warnings, sleep apnea detection and the new S-chip.

Our recommendation depends primarily on how much time you have: If you're planning to buy in the fall anyway, the Series 12 is a solid but unremarkable model. Those who wait could finally see a genuine generational leap with the glass redesign expected in 2028 – assuming the deadline holds.

The best products for you: Our Amazon storefront offers a wide selection of accessories, including those for HomeKit. (Image: Shutterstock / Wongsakorn 2468)