The MacRumors Show: Where Does the Apple Watch Go Next?
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.
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If you haven't already listened to the
previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about what's next for the
iPhone Air.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on
MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as
Kayci Lacob,
Kevin Nether,
John Gruber,
Mark Gurman,
Jon Prosser,
Luke Miani,
Matthew Cassinelli,
Brian Tong,
Quinn Nelson,
Jared Nelson,
Eli Hodapp,
Mike Bell,
Sara Dietschy,
iJustine,
Jon Rettinger,
Andru Edwards,
Arnold Kim,
Ben Sullins,
Marcus Kane,
Christopher Lawley,
Frank McShan,
David Lewis,
Tyler Stalman,
Sam Kohl,
Federico Viticci,
Thomas Frank,
Jonathan Morrison,
Ross Young,
Ian Zelbo, and
Rene Ritchie.
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