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Apple Watch Series 12 release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades

By Iskra Petrova

Updated: Nov 19, 2025, 7:48 AM

Apple Watch Series 12 release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades

The Apple Watch Series 10. | Image Credit - Apple

What we know so far

The Apple Watch Series 11 is Apple's current premium smartwatch. The timepiece was unveiled recently, in September, alongside the new iPhone 17 phones. It's successor, the Series 12, is expected next year. But in the tech world, it's never too early for rumors to show up online about an unreleased device.

Obviously, we don't have a complete spec sheet leaked just yet, but talks in the industry are starting to appear. And they are contradictory at this point: earlier, we heard Apple is prepping a big redesign for the timepiece, now, newer rumors claim the redesign is going to be reserved for the 2027 model.

Meanwhile, rumors indicate the Cupertino tech giant may add eight sensors to the Apple Watch Series 12. On top of that, potentially, we might see an upgrade in what the smartwatch can do in terms of health management. The Series 11 brought hypertension notifications, but it's possible that real blood pressure monitoring may come with the Series 12.

In the meantime, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring has been in the rumor mill for Apple Watches for quite some time now. Maybe 2026 is the year we finally get to see these rumors come to fruition. But don't get your hopes too high just yet.

Also, the usual will be there as well: a new chip, new watch faces, and potentially new health features.

Apple Watch Series 12 release date

The Apple Watch Series 12 will likely be announced alongside the iPhone 18 models in September 2026. The exact date is not known at the moment, but the events are usually on a Tuesday, sometimes in the middle of the month.

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 Watch Series 12 price

Rumors are silent at the moment about what the Series 12's price may be. It's also early to know if there will be a price hike. If Apple doesn't raise prices, the timepiece may start at $399 for the smaller size with GPS-only connectivity.

Potential Apple Watch Series 12 prices:

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

So far, Apple Watch design has stayed pretty consistent over the years. The recently unveiled Apple Watch Series 11 also comes with a recognizable design. However, Apple may shake things up with the Apple Watch Series 12.

Rumor has it that there may be eight sensors on the Apple Watch Series 12. Earlier, an unreleased Apple Watch Series 10 prototype with a strange arrangement of the sensors leaked. It is now believed this arrangement may be planned for the Series 12.

The device has a ring with eight white lines in it. It is not exactly clear what these sensors may be responsible for, but it makes sense that Apple is looking into adding new health sensors to the future Apple Watch.

Apart from that, Apple may keep the recognizable square design of the timepiece, with buttons on the right side of the display and speakers on the left side. Per tradition, there may be new Apple Watch bands. A major redesign is not expected, most rumors at the moment claim that Apple may introduce a new design with the 2027 Apple Watch model.

One rumor claims that we may get Touch ID authentication with the Series 12, though, and that would be a very welcome upgrade in my book. Improved security is always a "yes" in my mind, so hopefully, this rumor turns out accurate.

As for sizes, nothing is said just yet. For referecne, the Apple Watch Series 11 is available in two new sizes: 42 and 46mm. You can choose between an aluminum and a titanium case. The aluminum case offers for options for colors (Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray, Jet Black), while the titanium one, three (Gold, Natural, Slate).

Apple Watch Series 12 display

As for the Apple Watch Series 12 display, expect the usual improvements. It's likely going to get better viewing angles and improvements in brightness, which is always a welcome upgrade. If there's no major redesign of the watch, as most rumors currently indicate, we're going to get the usual rectangular display.

Apple Watch Series 12 battery

Apple Watches are not the smartwatches with the biggest battery life out there. Yep, Apple manages to squeeze a lot of juice from a tiny battery, but still, there are other competing brands on the market offering more battery life than the Apple Watch.

Battery life has been consistent for Apple Watches since ever – Apple promising 18 hours of battery life, and these timepieces last around a day or some more. The Cupertino tech giant made some changes to this with the Series 11 and advertised a 24 hour battery life, but the upgrade in itself is not that big as Apple makes it sound like.

Hopefully, there will be some real improvements in that depatment with the Series 12.

Apple Watch Series 12 features and software

With watchOS 26, Apple Watch fans are getting a new experience and a redesigned look. The new Liquid Glass design is consistent with iOS and macOS as well, unifying Apple devices with the same look of the software.

Now, the Apple Watch Series 12, coming next year, may sport watchOS 27. Given that Apple redesigned watchOS this year, I'm more inclined to believe that the next iteration of watchOS will bring new features but potentially not a huge redesign. It may be more of a quality-of-life update.

However, the rumor about the eight new sensors on a future Apple Watch is interesting. It's not known what these sensors will do, but most likely they will be connected to health features.

Blood pressure monitoring

Blood pressure monitoring was rumored for the Series 11, but the latest rumors indicate that it may not come with the 2025 Apple Watch. Of course, there is the possibility that Apple will not abandon the tech completely, and it may be ready in time for the Series 12 in 2026.

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

This one is tricky. 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, and they may not happen with the Series 11. There's a possibility it might happen with the Series 12, but I'm not entirely convinced just yet.

The tech is tricky, though. 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 not ever be), so I wonder how accurate and reliable Apple can make blood glucose monitoring on a smartwatch be.

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 (expected)
Battery: Up to 24 hours (expected)
Sizes: 42 and 46mm (expected)
Materials: Aluminum and Titanium (expected)
Connectivity: GPS-only, or GPS + Cellular
Storage: 64GB (expected)

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 another new smartwatch, and you're not necessarily due for an upgrade just yet.

You should not wait for the Apple Watch Series 12 if you need an upgrade now. After all, the Apple Watch Series 11 is a very good model, and if you like what it offers, you should go for it. Right now, it seems that there won't be anything huge with the Series 12 to warrant you to wait for a full year before getting a new timepiece.

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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.

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