With less than two weeks to go for Apple’s ‘Surprise and shine’ event, rumours about the tech giant’s next-generation hardware are now surfacing rapidly. While most of the focus seems to be on the iPhone 18 series, particularly the iPhone Ultra, a new report suggests that Apple could also be preparing a significant health-focused update for its next-generation smartwatch. Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 are said to introduce two new features to provide users with more continuous health data.
Apple Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4 Upgrades
In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple is testing new changes for its upcoming smartwatches that are centred around health tracking. The Cupertino-based tech giant may reportedly bring always-on heart rate monitoring to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4.
As the name usggests, the rumoured feature would potentially record the data from the heart-rate sensor throughout the day. At present, the Apple Watch tracks heart rate during workouts and takes measurements at periodic intervals during normal use.
Meanwhile, the company is also reported to be working on a redesigned health and fitness experience. As per Gurman, Apple wants to make it easier to understand wellness metrics in a way that is similar to what users get from dedicated fitness platforms such as Whoop and Oura.
Instead of limiting insights to individual workouts or occasional readings, Apple may provide users with a clearer picture of how their body responds throughout the day.
Alongside the new health and fitness features, the purported Apple Watch Series 12 could get a fresh coat of paint, too. Gurman says Apple is testing a ceramic version of the Watch Series 12 and it could be offered in white and dark grey colour options. The company is also believed to be preparing new band colours and configurations for the upcoming watches.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 are expected to debut at the company’s Sepember event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra. The hardware showcase is scheduled for September 9.
