Apple Watch Series 12 release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades
Apple Watch Series 11 for illustrative purposes. | Image by Apple
What's expected to change vs the Apple Watch Series 11:
- Touch ID for authentication may finally arrive, possibly built into the side button
- A design similar to last year's model, with no major changes expected
- New S12 chip for enhanced performance
- New watch faces
- Improved heart-rate tracking is expected, though details on how are still unclear
- Stability and performance improvements
- watchOS 27 with dedicated Siri AI app and upgraded Apple Intelligence features
- A new Dynamic App Grid for quicker access to your most-used apps
Expected release timeline:
- The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Pro and (potentially) the first foldable iPhone in fall 2026.
Expected price:
- So far, the price of the Series 12 has not leaked.
- Price hikes are possible.
- Its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 11, started at $399.
Jump to:
Apple Watch Series 12 release date
Apple is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 12 at its fall 2026 event, alongside the iPhone 18 models and the company's first foldable iPhone. An exact date hasn't been announced yet.
| 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
Apple may be changing its iPhone releases this year, with Pro models arriving in fall and non-Pro models following in spring 2027. The Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are both expected to launch alongside the Pro iPhones.
A pre-order window will likely open shortly after the announcement, with the watches hitting shelves shortly after.
Apple Watch Series 12 price
No pricing leaks have surfaced for the Series 12 yet, but a higher starting price is almost certainly coming. Tim Cook recently made it clear that price increases are coming to Apple's product lineup, meaning the Series 12 likely won't be able to keep the $399 starting price of its predecessor.
| 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 or more* | $429 or more* | $499 or more* | $529 or more* |
*- anticipated price
Apple Watch Series 12 design
The Apple Watch has kept a consistent look for several years now, and the Series 12 is expected to follow that same pattern – incremental refinements rather than anything dramatic. Some reports suggest a major visual redesign may be held off until 2027 or even 2028.
Instead, this year's focus may be on internal performance and efficiency rather than appearance.
The Series 12 will likely carry over the familiar square case, with the button layout on the right and speakers on the left. New watch faces and under-the-hood improvements are expected, but a significant exterior change seems unlikely.
Here's what we expect about the Series 12 design:
- Case sizes: likely returning in 42mm and 46mm
- Aluminum finishes: expected in Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray, and Jet Black
- Titanium finishes: premium options in Gold, Natural, and neutral tones
- Security: there's a lot of buzz around Touch ID finally arriving, possibly built into the side button. Some recent leaks suggest Apple may prioritize battery life over adding this biometric sensor – though a fingerprint scanner on the watch would be a meaningful addition for secure payments and keeping your health data locked down.
- Personalization: as always, expect a fresh lineup of bands and exclusive watch faces alongside the Series 12.
Apple Watch Series 12 display
Display changes on the Series 12 are expected to be modest – think slightly higher brightness or better viewing angles rather than a size increase. Screen size will likely stay the same as its predecessor's (1.77 inches for the 42 mm model and 1.96 inches for the 46 mm model)
The Series 11 already sets a high bar here, with an Always-On Retina display, up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, a 1-nit minimum for nighttime readability, and a 326 ppi resolution – putting it among the best smartwatch displays available.
Apple Watch Series 12 battery
Battery life has never been the Apple Watch's strong suit. Apple does manage to squeeze a lot out of a small battery, but several competing brands still offer noticeably longer battery life, including Garmin's Forerunner or Instinct models offering anywhere from one week to over a month of battery life, or the OnePlus Watch or Huawei's GT series stretching to 5 to 14 days on a single charge.
The Series 12 isn't expected to change that picture.
The Series 11 brought some improvements and was marketed as offering 24-hour battery life – though in practice, the gains weren't as significant as the advertising implied. In our own Apple Watch Series 11 review, we found battery life fell short of ideal.
Apple Watch Series 12 features and software
The Apple Watch Series 12 is set to ship with watchOS 27, which brings one of the more significant Siri upgrades in years. The assistant, now rebranded as Siri AI, gains personal context awareness and gets its own dedicated app where you can revisit past conversations or start new ones from any Apple device – including the Apple Watch.
Apple Intelligence features at a glance. | Image by Apple
Siri AI is designed to work more like a full-featured AI assistant – closer in capability to ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude – rather than the more limited voice command tool Siri has traditionally been.
watchOS 27 also debuts a Dynamic App Grid on the Apple Watch, which automatically surfaces the five apps you reach for most often.
In the center, we see the Siri AI app. | Image by Apple
The Liquid Glass visual style introduced with watchOS 26 is carrying forward into watchOS 27, with refinements to readability and contrast. Performance and efficiency optimizations are also part of the update.
One feature that appears to have been pushed back: the AI coaching tool that was expected to tap into Apple Health data for personalized, proactive health insights. That feature has reportedly been delayed and won't make it into the Series 12.
Blood pressure monitoring
The Series 11 stopped short of full blood pressure monitoring, shipping high blood pressure notifications instead – a more limited feature compared to Samsung's blood pressure monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 4 and later models.
There's some hope the complete feature will be ready for the Series 12, but recent reports suggest Apple is still working through accuracy challenges. It may end up pushed to a future model.
Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring
Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring has been one of the most persistent Apple Watch rumors for years, and it remains just that – a rumor.
The underlying engineering challenge is significant: a sensor that can track blood sugar accurately enough for people who depend on it, without requiring any kind of skin puncture, is genuinely difficult to build to the safety standard a consumer product requires.
Mark Gurman has noted that Apple is still actively working on the feature, but doesn't expect it to be ready for the Series 12.
Other features
Beyond those rumored additions, the Series 12 should carry forward the full health and safety toolkit from its predecessor: workout tracking, ECG, blood oxygen, irregular heart rhythm notifications, sleep monitoring, wrist temperature, and more. Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Fall Detection.
Apple Watch Series 12 hardware and specs
The Series 12 is expected to run on Apple's new S12 chip. Details on the specific improvements remain scarce, but the generational jump should bring better performance and meaningful efficiency gains over the S11.
Apple Watch Series 12's expected specs:
- CPU: S12
- Battery: Up to 24 hours, similar performance to the Series 11
- Sizes: 42 and 46 mm
- Materials: Aluminum and Titanium
- Connectivity: GPS-only or GPS + Cellular
- Storage: 64 GB
Should I wait for the Apple Watch Series 12?
- You should wait for the Apple Watch Series 12 if you are looking for a significant boost in processing power and battery efficiency. Apple reportedly skipped a major chip upgrade last year, so the new S12 chip is expected to be a massive leap forward. This new silicon will finally allow for complex Apple Intelligence features. You should also hold out if you are interested in new security features like Touch ID, which may finally be integrated into the side button.
- You should not wait for the Apple Watch Series 12 if you are hoping for a radical visual redesign or a different case shape. Reputable leaks suggest Apple will stick with the same thin, rounded rectangular design used for the Series 11. Furthermore, you should not wait if you are an athlete who needs multi-day battery life and a rugged build. The current Apple Watch Ultra 3 already offers those specific features today.
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