The Apple Watch Series 12 could offer general performance improvements and bug fixes, courtesy of watchOS 27.
Apple introduced Exactograph watch face with Apple Watch Series 11
Apple is expected to refresh its hardware lineup as part of the annual cycle in September. While the focus of the rumour mill has been on the purported iPhone 18 series and the highly anticipated iPhone Fold, a recent report suggests that the next-generation Apple Watch, the Watch Series 12, could miss out on significant design overhauls or AI-focused additions. Instead, the purported wearable will reportedly emphasise gradual refinements, software improvements, and new watch faces.
In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he does not expect “much in the way of major Apple Watch upgrades” in 2026. According to the journalist, this is because both hardware and software updates for the Apple Watch lineup have slowed down in recent years.
Gurman noted that, despite the slower pace of upgrades, the Apple Watch still leads the premium smartwatch segment in areas such as display quality, health tracking features, and overall functionality. Consequently, the Cupertino-based tech giant is largely competing against its own previous products instead of rivals.
The report suggests that watchOS 27 will still introduce some refinements. Gurman previously revealed that Apple is working on a new modular-style watch face inspired by the Apple Watch Ultra. The watch face is expected to bring more information density and customisation options to standard Apple Watch models. While the Watch Ultra's modular watch face presents a large amount of information, it may feel dense on the standard Apple Watch's smaller screen. Thus, Apple is said to have removed several elements in the in-development version, with the main omission being the central large complication.
The Apple Watch Series 12 could offer general performance improvements and bug fixes, courtesy of watchOS 27. While a handful of previous reports suggested that Apple could bring AI features to its smartwatch, with watchOS 27, there is currently no indication that the Apple Watch will directly receive Apple Intelligence features.
This is reportedly due to hardware limitations. Current Apple Watch models are believed to ship with between 1GB and 1.5GB of RAM, which may not be sufficient for running on-device AI models. However, it may ultimately end up serving as a companion device, displaying results generated through other Apple hardware on the smartwatch.
In comparison, the Apple Watch Series 11 (review) brought a slew of quality-of-life upgrades. These include wrist gestures and hypertension notifications, enhanced usability, and a big bump in battery life. Meanwhile, the watchOS 27 features are expected to be previewed at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026 in June.
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