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The MacRumors Show: Where Does the Apple Watch Go Next?

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss how the Apple Watch is seemingly heading into one of its least eventful new generations, yet the rumors stacking up behind it describe the most radical rethink in the product's history coming later.


The most eye-catching change potentially coming this year is not a new feature at all, but a case material Apple abandoned six years ago. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the white ceramic casing is set to return either this year or in 2027, reviving a finish that has become one of the more sought after options among collectors on the resale market.

Ceramic arrived with the Apple Watch Series 2 in September 2016, replacing the gold "Edition" model and bringing the top of the line down from thousands of dollars to $1,249. Apple marketed the finish as four times as hard as stainless steel. A gray option followed alongside the Series 3, before the Edition line vanished entirely with the Series 4 in 2018. White ceramic came back for the Series 5 in 2019 alongside titanium, then Apple discontinued it for good when the Series 6 launched in 2020.

Everything else expected of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 is considerably more restrained. Gurman believes the pair will continue the trend of "modest upgrades," featuring a meaningful performance increase. The Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3 all reused the S10 chip, which was itself barely changed from the S9 introduced in 2023.

Gurman also expects new color and band options and a number of health and fitness upgrades, but no design changes, meaning a third year for the case introduced with the Apple Watch Series 10 in 2024. He does not expect an Apple Watch SE 4 this year at all.

Separately, a known Weibo leaker claims Apple is focused on longer battery life with the Series 12. Apple rates the Series 11 at up to 24 hours on a charge, or up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode. Both new models are expected next month alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's first foldable iPhone.

Looking to the future, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" claims a major overhaul is due in 2027 or 2028, built around a new band attachment system that would free up internal space for a larger battery and break compatibility with the existing bands. The leaker went as far as advising anyone planning a 2027 purchase to hold off on buying extra bands in the meantime.

If accurate, it would resurrect the "Apple Watch X" plan Gurman reported on in 2023, which promised a magnetic band system, a thinner case, and a microLED display for the device's 10th anniversary. None of that ultimately arrived.

The timing also fits Apple's roughly three year design cadence, running from the original model through to the Series 3, the Series 4 through to the Series 6, and the Series 7 to through the Series 9. Apple has separately been evaluating next-generation OLED backplane technology for the 2027 model, while DigiTimes claimed at least one high-end model is due a significant redesign including eight sensors arranged in a ring on the underside.

Beyond that, Apple appears to be reevaluating the Apple Watch lineup as a whole. Gurman says the industrial design team has been exploring a broader rethink of its smartwatches, taking the resurgence of screenless fitness bands and smart rings seriously enough to consider Apple Watch style devices with no display, alongside new screen types and case sizes. A round display has been contemplated, though Gurman cautioned that such a device is unlikely to ship. Apple has also weighed premium variants sitting above the Ultra and Hermès models, and cheaper options below the SE.

No direction has yet been settled on, but the company is said to be "determined to reinvent the lineup in response to growing competition," with plans to make its wearables more AI-focused and an ambitious long-term revamp of the Health app. Apple also apparently continues to develop non-invasive blood sugar detection, with a goal of shipping it by 2030. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



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Article Link: The MacRumors Show: Where Does the Apple Watch Go Next?
 
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https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/14/the-macrumors-show-where-does-the-apple-watch-go-next/
I used to want one of these really badly, but now it seems crazy to pay extra for a material when these watches are fundamentally disposable products with a limited lifespan.
 
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Physically, they have maxed out battery capacity. It's difficult to squeeze more for even an hour of more battery. Apple have even been sneaky in how they measrue battery life with the newer watches.

So in order to get a week or 2 long battery life like competitors, which is what I want, it needs a different screen, which consumes most of the battery life.
 
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I always thought a pocket watch version of the apple watch could be cool. Of course that eliminates probably 99% of the health features since it's not on your wrist all the time. And a square apple watch wouldn't work, so they'll have to develop a round version. Lots of down sides and work for a very niche apple watch. 🙁
 
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There will be a lot of Ultra 1 users upgrading to the Ultra 4 this year to run the latest watchOS. I for one was really hoping for a full redesign, in addition to the new S chip.
 
This is all unnecessary speculation. The only thing you need to know is this: you can be certain that the best-in-class Apple Watch will go to a whole new level with game-changing features, that Apple can’t wait to see what customers are able to do with the ALL NEW Apple Watch, that Apple thinks you’re gonna love it, and stay tuned!
 
TwoBytes said:
screen, which consumes most of the battery life.
Click to expand...
I don't think this is true. If it's like a phone, the screen usually consumes less than half the total battery life. The screen only consumes the most out of any single hardware component, which is not at all the same thing. But for watches which relatively don't have much screen on time, I'd guess the screen consumption is probably much less than half of typical total battery consumption. An e ink screen would improve battery life to some degree no doubt, but for x times longer battery life, I'd think the Watch would need to change a lot more.
 
TwoBytes said:
Physically, they have maxed out battery capacity. It's difficult to squeeze more for even an hour of more battery. Apple have even been sneaky in how they measrue battery life with the newer watches.

So in order to get a week or 2 long battery life like competitors, which is what I want, it needs a different screen, which consumes most of the battery life.
Click to expand...
Agreed, some GPS watches have battery life measured in days even when constantly using the GPS (Coros, Garmin), so there is plenty of room for battery performance improvements even if, as you say, the battery capacity is maxed.

Anyway, I would not be a fan of magnetic attachment, which would a panacea for thieves. And frankly, being an old cantankerous guy, I would be extremely annoyed about any needless change to the watch-band system. That would seem like crass planned obsolescence.

What I want are upgrades to health function: blood pressure and glucose monitoring. Also, if Apple are upgrading bands, then do so usefully instead of vindictively. Make the watch bands potentially active components, e.g., incorporating additional batteries, health sensors, or both.
 
A watch with no display? So a personal data acquisition device?

How about an old-school LCD display that just shows the time? Those use a lot less power. It could have a backlight with the push of a button like my Timex.

All the other stuff you might want to look at would be on the phone.
 
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