Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 expected to retain design, add ceramic case and performance boost
Analyst Mark Gurman says the upcoming Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will likely keep the current designs, introduce a ceramic case option for the Series 12, and feature a faster processor and enhanced health tracking.
Apple is set to unveil its next-generation Apple Watch models, the Series 12 and Ultra 4, on September 9, according to Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman. He noted that the devices are not expected to feature major design changes from the existing Series 11 and Ultra 3 models.
Gurman said a ceramic case option is likely to return for the Series 12, with Apple testing both white and dark-gray variants similar to those offered on the high-end Series 3 in 2017.
The analyst dismissed earlier speculation about Touch ID and a band with an embedded health sensor, indicating that such features are not confirmed for the upcoming releases. Instead, he anticipates incremental upgrades, including a new S11 processor that should improve performance after several years of using the S10 chip.
Gurman also reported that Apple is testing continuous heart-rate monitoring throughout the day and is redesigning its Health and Fitness apps to display additional wellness metrics, drawing comparisons to popular platforms like Whoop and Oura.
He added that an Apple Watch SE 4 is not planned for this year, and a major redesign of the watch is unlikely to appear for another one to two years. Looking further ahead, Apple continues work on a blood-sugar detection feature with a target release around 2030.