Apple is considering a fundamental rethink of the Apple Watch, including models with circular displays and fitness accessories with no screen at all. Nothing has been finalized, and any radical new form factor is still years away from shipping.
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reported today that Apple is exploring all sorts of shapes and sizes for future wearables, with the company going back to the drawing board as the Watch faces stiffer competition from devices like the Oura Ring and other screenless smart fitness trackers. The Bloomberg report describes this as a potential major breakpoint in Apple Watch history, given that every model released so far has revolved around the same basic rectangular design concept.
What Apple Is Actually Considering
The range of possibilities under exploration includes watches with round displays, screenless fitness accessories aimed at the lower end of the market, and more premium options on the high end. Apple is reportedly weighing both affordable and premium directions simultaneously. That breadth suggests the company has not yet settled on a concrete path forward, and Gurman’s reporting makes clear that nothing is close to shipping.
The hardware rethinking would also intersect with a software shift. Apple is said to be looking at pushing the Health app in a more AI-centric direction, which would be relevant regardless of what form the hardware eventually takes. A screenless or minimal-display device would need software that can surface insights without a traditional watch interface.
This Fall Is Still Iterative
None of the longer-term exploration affects what is arriving in September. Apple is in late-stage testing of three models: Wi-Fi-only and cellular versions of the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Both are focused on internal improvements rather than any external redesign, with new CPUs, some new color options, and improved fitness features expected across the lineup.
Apple Watch processing performance has not meaningfully improved since the S9 chip launched in 2023, making Series 12 the first real speed upgrade in three years. The new chip is internally identified as the T8320 and is expected to carry the S11 name. Battery life is also a stated priority, with Apple reportedly working on physically increasing battery size alongside efficiency gains elsewhere in the hardware. The Ultra 4 is separately reported to double its sensor component count compared to the current model, according to Digitimes.
Both watches are expected to debut at Apple’s September event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and what could be the first foldable iPhone, potentially branded as iPhone Ultra.
Why the Longer-Term Rethink Is Happening Now
The Apple Watch has maintained the same fundamental design language across every generation. Competing devices, particularly screenless ring-style trackers, have gained traction by offering continuous health monitoring with longer battery life and a smaller physical footprint. Apple appears to be taking that competition seriously enough to reconsider what an Apple health wearable needs to look like at all.
Prior redesign attempts have stalled before. Apple was widely expected to overhaul the Watch for its 10th anniversary with the Series 10 including a new magnetic band system, a thinner case, and a microLED display. None of it arrived. A leaker identified as Instant Digital has since claimed that the Series 13 in 2027 will introduce a new band attachment mechanism. Apple is also reportedly considering LG Display’s high-mobility oxide thin-film transistor technology for Apple Watch OLED panels in 2027, a next-generation approach to LTPO that reduces power consumption.
