Apple may be preparing one of the biggest changes to its smartwatch lineup in years, as next year’s Apple Watch is expected to come with a significant redesign. The company is already set to launch new variants of its Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra next month alongside the watchOS 26 release. Even though the company redesigned the Apple Watch recently, it was still not that big of a change, as the wearable was only thinner than the previous version. However, Apple Watch Series 12 could feature a radical change compared to the current iterations.
Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch Series 11 launches soon, but a 2026 redesign could mark a bigger leap forward
According to a paywalled report from Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes, Apple is planning a “significant redesign” for a future high-end Apple Watch. The most striking detail is a new underside layout, which will feature eight sensors arranged in a ring pattern beneath the cover glass. This design closely resembles prototype images of the Apple Watch Series 10 that surfaced earlier this year, which showcased eight distinct markings forming a circular ring.
If the news has any heft to it, the redesign could mark a big shift in how Apple approaches sensor technology. The report further suggests that the new hardware would double the number of sensors, potentially boosting measurement accuracy by relying less on software interpretation. On the contrary, software processing could further enhance the accuracy of the results, putting the Apple Watch at the center of health-centric wearables. Apart from this, it could also mean improved efficiency, which has been a key focus for Apple when it comes to balancing health monitoring and all-day battery life.
While next year’s models will be more than a welcome addition, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 will offer a range of new health-related features as well, which may include blood pressure tracking. However, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring remains a few years away at this point due to technical and regulatory hurdles, though Apple is still heavily invested in the category.
Currently, the report only shares details on the sensors of next year’s Apple Watch, which means the rest of the design is open for questions about whether the company would consider changing the overall outlook of the device. We have not heard such details so far, so it is open to speculation. Do take the news with a grain of salt, as the final word rests with Apple.
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