Apple Watch to get ‘major overhaul’ next year, says leaker

This fall’s Apple Watch Ultra 4 is rumored to have major design changes, but per a new leak, the Apple Watch ‘Series’ line could get its own big upgrades next year.

Next year’s Apple Watch might break band compatibility due to new design, per leaker

Despite an abundance of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra-related leaks, rumors about Apple Watch models are far more scarce.

For example, Digitimes reporting says this fall’s Apple Watch Ultra 4 will have a “major redesign” and big sensor changes. But very little is known about the flagship Apple Watch Series 12.

Per a new leak, however, Series 12 might be a minor update ahead of a bigger change next year.

Weibo leaker Instant Digital, in a series of posts, says the 2027 Apple Watch will boast a “major overhaul.”

He ties the claim back to years-old rumors about an ‘Apple Watch X’ model that was said to bring a new design and, notably, break compatibility with the existing watch band system.

In a follow-up to his claim about the “overhaul” coming next year, the leaker recommends anyone planning to buy a new watch next year should stop investing in additional watch bands ahead of then.

His post includes a link to a 2023 post about the then-rumored ‘Apple Watch X’ redesign changing the way watch bands connect to the case. Perhaps the long-rumored redesign is finally set to resurface years later.