Apple Watch Series 12 release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades
Apple Watch Series 11 for illustrative purposes. | Image by Apple
Apple Watch Series 12: what to expect
What's expected to change vs the Apple Watch Series 11:
- Touch ID may be coming
- Some rumors claim a big design overhaul, others that the big design changes are reserved for 2027's model
- Blood pressure monitoring may be in the works
- New S12 chip
- New watch faces
- Non-invasive glucose monitoring unlikely
- The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to accompany the iPhone 18 Pro and (potentially) the first foldable iPhone in fall 2026.
Expected price:
- So far, the price of the Series 12 has not leaked.
- Expect a similar price to the Series 11: starting at $399.
Jump to:
Apple Watch Series 12 release date
The Apple Watch Series 12 will likely be announced alongside the iPhone 18 models and the first foldable iPhone in September 2026.
| Device family | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 8 | September 7, 2022 | September 16, 2022 |
| Apple Watch Series 9 | September 12, 2023 | September 22, 2023 |
| Apple Watch Series 10 | September 9, 2024 | September 20, 2024 |
| Apple Watch Series 11 | September 9, 2025* | September, 2025* |
| Apple Watch Series 12 | September 2026 | September 2026 |
* - probable dates
Potentially, an SE-branded Apple Watch may also be announced at the same time.
There will be a pre-order period following the announcement, and 10 days or so later, the Apple Watch Series 12 would be hitting the shelves officially.
Apple Watch Series 12 price
No leaks have indicated the Apple Watch Series 12 price just yet. If Apple manages to keep the pricing steady, the timepiece may start at $399 for the smaller size with GPS-only connectivity.
| Apple Watch model | 41mm (or 42mm) GPS only | 45mm (or 46mm) GPS only | 41mm (or 42mm)GPS + Cellular | 45mm (or 46mm) GPS + Cellular |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 8 | $399 | $429 | $499 | $529 |
| Apple Watch Series 9 | $399 | $429 | $499 | $529 |
| Apple Watch Series 10 | $399 | $429 | $499 | $529 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 | $399* | $429* | $499* | $529* |
*- anticipated price
Apple Watch Series 12 design
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 12 is likely to stick to its signature square look. Expect the usual layout: buttons on the right, speakers on the left. A radical overhaul isn't happening just yet, and most sources point to 2027 for a true design shift.
Of course, a fresh batch of bands and watch faces for the timepiece is almost a given.
There's also a chance that Touch ID is finally going to make its debut on the Series 12. Biometric security on the timepiece would be a huge win in my book. The same is rumored for the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
There's also a chance that Touch ID is finally going to make its debut on the Series 12. Biometric security on the timepiece would be a huge win in my book. The same is rumored for the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Details on sizing, on the other hand, are still under wraps. For context, the Series 11 is currently available in 42 mm and 46 mm options. You've got the standard aluminum in four finishes (Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray, Jet Black) or the premium titanium in three (Gold, Natural, Slate).
Apple Watch Series 12 display
As for the Apple Watch Series 12 display, expect the usual improvements like better viewing angles or a brighter display.
The display may remain the same size, though, if there's no major redesign coming for the timepiece. For reference, the Apple Watch Series 11 comes with an Always-on Retina display and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. It has 1 nit minimum brightness and a resolution of 326 pixels per inch. All in all, it's a great smartwatch display.
We expect similar specs for the Series 12 display.
Apple Watch Series 12 battery
Apple Watches are not known as battery champions. Yep, Apple manages to squeeze a lot of juice from a tiny battery, but still, there are other competing brands on the market offering significantly longer battery life than Apple's Watches.
The Series 12 is not rumored to be getting an upgrade in this department, unfortunately.
With the Apple Watch Series 11, the Cupertino tech giant introduced some changes and advertised a 24-hour battery life, but the upgrade in itself is not as big as Apple makes it sound. We also have found that the battery life is not ideal in our Apple Watch Series 11 review.
Apple Watch Series 12 features and software
The Apple Watch Series 12 is likely going to sport watchOS 27. The new OS is unlikely to bring huge changes, rather refinements of the Liquid Glass look, potentially. WatchOS 27 is said to focus on stability and improving battery life. It's also said to bring AI-powered refinements, including Workout Buddy tools with Apple Intelligence.
A recent leak is now giving us a glimpse of what we may expect from watchOS 27. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman now suggests that Apple will be introducing numerous new AI features with the new OS. Gurman didn't reveal what these AI features are, but it seems like there may be a heavy focus on them, as is the case in the industry overall.
The new software is also said to be bringing fixes and improvements in terms of performance. Potentially, it would become more efficient and this could improve the battery life of the Series 12.
Blood pressure monitoring
Maybe the tech would be fully ready for this year's Apple Watch, but recent rumors claim that Apple may have run into some accuracy issues, so the tech may be delayed for the next Apple Watch.
Apple's main competitor, Samsung, offers blood pressure monitoring on its smartwatches, so the Cupertino tech giant is a bit late to the party here.
It's been a few years since we've been consistently hearing that Apple is working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring for an Apple Watch. But all these rumors are still to come to fruition. Likely, it's not coming this year either.
The tech is tricky. People who rely on blood glucose monitoring need absolutely accurate information to manage their health. Now, a smartwatch is not a medical device (and may never be), so I wonder how accurate and reliable Apple can make blood glucose monitoring on a smartwatch be.
Apple's main competitor, Samsung, offers blood pressure monitoring on its smartwatches, so the Cupertino tech giant is a bit late to the party here.
Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring
It's been a few years since we've been consistently hearing that Apple is working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring for an Apple Watch. But all these rumors are still to come to fruition. Likely, it's not coming this year either.
Recently, Mark Gurman said that Apple has not abandoned the idea just yet, and it is reportedly working on adding glucose monitoring to Apple Watch. However, the analyst believes (just as we do) that it's not coming with the Series 12.
Other features
Apart from that, the Series 12 may bring a wide variety of workouts, ECG, blood oxygen, irregular heart rhythm notifications, sleep monitoring, wrist temperature, and other health metrics. Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Fall Detection are also likely to be there.
Apple Watch Series 12 hardware and specs
We expect a new chip to power the Series 12, as usual. Every year, Apple brings an upgraded chip to power its latest smartwatches, and possibly, it will be the same situation in 2026.
Apple Watch Series 12's expected specs:
- CPU: S12
- Battery: Up to 24 hours
- Sizes: 42 and 46 mm
- Materials: Aluminum and Titanium
- Connectivity: GPS-only or GPS + Cellular
- Storage: 64GB
Not much is known currently about the S12 chip. Likely, as is the trend in the mobile tech world nowadays, it may be designed with AI-related tasks in mind.
Should I wait for the Apple Watch Series 12?
- You should wait for the Apple Watch Series 12 if you're currently sporting the Series 10 or an older smartwatch and you'll be due for an upgrade this year.
- You should not wait for the Apple Watch Series 12 if you have the Apple Watch Series 11. Currently, it appears that there won't be anything huge with the Series 12 that would make it stand out from its predecessor.
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