Apple appears to be taking its time with the next big Apple Watch redesign. While this fall’s Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are shaping up to be relatively modest updates, Apple is reportedly working toward a much more significant overhaul that could arrive as soon as next year – although it may slip to 2028.
The latest details come from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who says Apple is continuing to develop a redesigned Apple Watch while preparing smaller upgrades for this year. That means anyone expecting a dramatically different watch in the next generation may be disappointed, but there are still some interesting changes coming.
The Series 12 is expected to bring back ceramic cases, which Apple internally refers to as “iceman.” Gurman says Apple has tested both white and dark gray versions of the ceramic models, as well as a range of new band colors and configurations.
The more interesting changes could happen beneath the surface. One feature currently being tested would allow the Apple Watch’s heart-rate sensor to continuously collect data throughout the day, rather than activating only during workouts, periods of intense activity, or at other intervals.
The idea is fairly straightforward: instead of the watch deciding when heart-rate information is worth collecting, it would essentially keep the workout-style monitoring approach running continuously. That could give Apple a much richer picture of a user’s cardiovascular activity throughout the day.
Apple is also reportedly reworking its fitness and health software. The redesigned experience would surface more wellness-related metrics, bringing Apple’s approach closer to products and services from Whoop and Oura, which have increasingly focused on turning large amounts of health data into easily understood daily insights.
That software shift could ultimately be more meaningful than another case redesign. Apple already collects a considerable amount of health information from the Watch; making that information easier to understand could help turn the device into a more useful wellness companion.
While the Series 12 and Ultra 4 are expected to remain relatively minor upgrades, Gurman says Apple is pushing to have its major redesign ready by next year. However, development could slip by another year if the company isn’t satisfied with the result.
That gives Apple more time to rethink the watch rather than simply changing its appearance. The company has reportedly explored different materials, case designs and other ways to make the wearable feel substantially different from today’s models.
For consumers, that creates an awkward choice. If your current Apple Watch is getting old, this year’s models could still offer meaningful improvements, particularly around health and fitness. But if you’re specifically waiting for the next major design change, it may be worth holding on a little longer.
Apple’s strategy increasingly appears to be about making the Watch more than something that displays notifications and tracks workouts. The next major Apple Watch may be defined less by how it looks and more by how continuously it understands you.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.