Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shared fresh Apple Watch plans in his latest Power On newsletter. According to the column, Apple will launch the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and the Apple Watch Series 12 together at this year’s fall event. So Apple is not slowing its smartwatch cadence. This year’s lineup also brings rumors of a major design change and a new Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Breaking the Every-Other-Year Rhythm
Gurman sketched out Apple’s roadmap for the second half of the year. The list features the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The standard iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 may slip to next spring. Apple’s rumored first foldable, the iPhone Fold, also appears. Alongside them, the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 will arrive.
The Ultra series has not received a real update every year. The first Apple Watch Ultra debuted in 2022. The Ultra 2 followed in 2023. In 2024, Apple only added a new black color and left the specs untouched. Then the Ultra 3 finally arrived in 2025.
If the Ultra 4 lands this fall as expected, Apple will shift the Ultra to a yearly cycle. That move could pull in a wider group of buyers.
A Rumored Full Redesign and Sensor Upgrade
Reports point to big hardware changes for the Ultra 4. The flagship watch could receive a full exterior redesign. On top of that, its sensing features may see a major upgrade.
The exact nature of the redesign remains unclear. It could mean a slimmer body or a larger screen-to-body ratio, for example. Either way, the rumor has raised expectations sharply. As for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, the news is more measured. Apple reportedly still struggles with the miniaturization hurdle. So that technology likely sits a few years away from commercial release.
Touch ID on the Wrist and watchOS 27
On the interaction and security front, recent leaked code is telling. It suggests Apple is testing Touch ID for the 2026 Apple Watch lineup. The watch already offers wrist detection and linked unlocking, which authorize Apple Pay and similar actions. However, Touch ID would go further. Whether under the display or in the side button, it could cut how often users type a numeric passcode.
As the September event nears, the new hardware should ship with watchOS 27. The software will also bring new watch faces to the devices. Among them is a fresh variant of the Modular Ultra face.
A Look Ahead to 2027
Apple’s display plans stretch further out, too. For 2027, the company reportedly weighs LG Display’s HMO, or High-Mobility Oxide, thin-film transistor technology. This would power a new generation of Apple Watch OLED screens. Compared with today’s LTPO panels, HMO offers higher electron mobility. As a result, it could deliver better low-power performance.
The Next Challenge for the Ultra Line
The Ultra series now faces the same “micro-innovation ceiling” as high-end phones. Battery life, brightness, and processor power have all reached a plateau. So Apple must offer changes that users can actually feel.
Touch ID may be its trump card for everyday friction. Wrist devices already unlock smoothly in most cases. Yet in certain moments, a physical fingerprint check still feels more direct. That includes the seconds right after you put the watch on, or when an app demands a higher level of security.
A full redesign could help as well. If it eases the Ultra’s slightly heavy feel on the wrist, it would widen the watch’s appeal. That shift could draw in mainstream buyers beyond the extreme-sports crowd.
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