Among the many new products Apple has coming this fall is the Apple Watch Series 12. Here are four rumored new features coming to this year’s Apple Watch update.
#1: A new chip (actually)
The Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and 11 are all powered by essentially the same chip. With this year’s Apple Watch Series 12, however, rumors suggest an actual chip upgrade is on the way.
Macworld reported on this change:
The 2026 models are identified as “Watch8,” which hints at a big hardware leap. For example, Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Series 11 are all part of the “Watch7” family due to their similarities.
The “Watch8″ family, on the other hand, consists of the N237, N238, and N240 models (Apple Watch Series 12 with GPS and Cellular, and Ultra 4) that will be powered by a new CPU identified as T8320.
The last time Apple introduced an actually-new processor for the Apple Watch was with the Apple Watch Series 9 in 2023. That upgrade brought faster CPU and GPU performance.
With Apple bringing Siri AI to the Apple Watch with watchOS 27, upgrading performance is key for future AI features.
#2: Battery life
Better battery life is said to be a big focus of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 12. Apple is reportedly focused on increasing the physical size of the device’s battery, as well as efficiency gains in other areas.
As Apple continues to push features like sleep tracking for the Apple Watch, extending battery life is a big priority for the company.
#3: New health features
According to a Digitimes report, Apple has submitted a new high blood pressure notification feature to the FDA for review.
watchOS 26 first added hypertension notifications to the Apple Watch. It’s unknown how this rumored new high blood pressure feature will differ from Apple Watch’s current implementation.
The current hypertension Apple Watch feature doesn’t actually provide blood pressure readings. Instead, it uses data collected by the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor and notifies you if it detects a “pattern of hypertension” over 30-day evaluation periods.
Whether the Apple Watch Series 12 has any other health upgrades remains to be seen. Apple is still working on noninvasive glucose monitoring for the Apple Watch, but that feature is years away from being ready.
#4: New watch face
Bloomberg has reported that Apple is working on a new Apple Watch face that is a “simplified take on the Modular Ultra design.”
It has the same large clock as the Ultra face but removes the option for a big complication in the center, the row of three smaller complications above the time and information placed around the bezel. The result is a large clock that fills the top two-thirds of the display, with a row of three smaller complications beneath it
It’s essentially a version of the Apple Watch Ultra’s popular Modular Ultra face, toned down for the standard “Series” watches.
This new modular watch face will likely roll out to other Apple Watch models, but we expect it to be announced at the Apple Watch Series 12 event.
Bonus: What not to expect
While there were rumors the Apple Watch Series 12 might add support for Touch ID, it no longer looks like that will happen.
Instead, more recent rumors say Apple scrapped the feature after determining that new health features and bigger batteries were more important to the Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Series 12 new features: Wrap up
The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to be announced in September alongside the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
What new Apple Watch features are you most excited about? Let us know down in the comments.
If you don’t feel like waiting for the Apple Watch Series 12, the Apple Watch Series 11 is currently $100 off at Amazon.
My favorite Apple Watch links:
Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
