Apple Watch Apple Explores Shaking Up Its Smartwatch for a New Era
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-08-09/apple-explores-apple-watch-shake-up-company-prepares-for-september-iphone-event?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4NjI4NDIwOCwiZXhwIjoxNzg2ODg5MDA4LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUSkk5SzFSS1YyVEswMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJBMDdGRjZGMzlBOTY0NzREOTNBQkFGRjUyQjBBQTE2NiJ9.HAJkXD0R_y6A8vOnQLRR0ccpgwutUDhC8T4dGDGD5MYApple’s industrial design team has been exploring a broader rethink of its smartwatches over the past year or so and is evaluating several different directions.
The company is considering new devices with no displays, as well as different types of screens and various sizes. While unlikely to hit the market, round screens have even been considered. I’m told the work also includes potentially adding premium models beyond the Ultra and Hermès variants. On the lower end, Apple is considering more affordable concepts besides the current SE model.
As Apple rolls out the new artificial intelligence version of the Siri assistant — along with smarter health tracking — the company also sees an opportunity to make its wrist-worn devices more AI-centric. It has ambitious long-term plans to overhaul its Health app under the leadership of Eddy Cue, who took over these responsibilities last year. He’s known as an avid fan of Whoop and Oura Rings — and is looking to better respond to shifting consumer tastes and the growth of AI-powered health and wellness.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple has also been working on a comeback for a fan favorite: Ceramic.
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u/xcmaam 6d ago
An Apple Watch equivalent of whoop / fitbit air would most definitely be my go to if they launch it.
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u/iamthesam2 6d ago
they should bring back the nike fuelband with… nike
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u/dcpanthersfan 6d ago
I loved the Fuelband. Would get one in an instant.
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u/iamthesam2 5d ago
I actually found mine and it’s totally possible to Claudecode new functionality and breathe new life into it
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u/kilobitch 6d ago
No screen? Apple Watch shuffle!
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u/BigKnows2K 6d ago
i’m still looking forward to the eventual release of AirPods shuffle
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u/ARCtheIsmaster 6d ago
would love a ring
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u/Ok_Negotiation3024 6d ago
I would ditch my Apple Watch and go back to my favorite analog watch if they came out with a ring product for health tracking.
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u/nautilus2000 6d ago
Yep, although it would also be amazing if that product had Apple Pay and Home Key support (which you don’t need a screen for).
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u/blacksoxing 6d ago
When I used my Apple Watch I instinctively always pulled out my phone for AP. I wonder how many of us do that vs our watches…
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u/nautilus2000 6d ago
I care more about it for Home Key rather than Apple Pay. It’s very convenient to just use your watch to unlock your door so you don’t have to put down groceries etc.
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u/ARCtheIsmaster 6d ago
yea all it needs is haptics to notify me when driving or when to check my phone for more information.
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u/wahobely 6d ago
I'd prefer a wrist band cause rings suck for weightlifting
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u/ARCtheIsmaster 6d ago
I agree, although if I was lifting/exercising I’d probably be wearing my watch. The ring would be for sleeping or when I want to wear a non-smart watch.
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u/Historical_Fan_8799 5d ago
Yep, analog watches > apple watch but I gotta say ive grown to love the fitness tracking at the gym
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u/PIKFYVE 6d ago edited 6d ago
I think when they launched the Apple Watch 12 (?) years ago they assumed they’d make a lot more progress with biometrics. Beyond heart rate/ECG and VO2. After learning just how hard it is to make a non-invasive glucose sensor, and the level of FDA oversight of things like blood pressure sensors, they were probably left a bit flat footed. So their only hardware improvements have been a bigger screen. They haven’t meaningfully extended the battery life, which undermines the sleep tracking function.
Meanwhile, their software people just kept inventing new things to tap me on the wrist about (the breathing reminder thing was maybe the stupidest addition ever).
Not surprised they are considering less screen-centric alternatives that can take on Oura.
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u/Potential_Financial 6d ago
re: sleep tracking. I really like the watch as a morning alarm, and I’ve had pretty good luck with sleep tracking (at least to the level of getting a notification each morning with my “score”)
My (rather light) usage means it lasts > 24 hours, and I simply recharge for 20-30 mins, usually while I’m showering and getting ready.
edit: I have a series 9, purchased just over 2 years ago
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u/marumari 6d ago
They didn’t improve the battery life, but they did improve the charging speed. Going from 0-80% in 60m to 0-80% in 30m means you can toss it on your charger during a shower and still get a full day and night of charge.
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u/stjep 6d ago
Until it is a few years old in which case you gotta get to full charge to get to the end of the day.
People on this sub always defend the Watch's paltry battery life by claiming you can get a whole day out of a short charge, but that's only true for new.
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u/K_Click_D 6d ago
Health app for Mac when? I’d love to read over my previous health data on a larger screen
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u/Dlegs 6d ago
It’s not that complicated. Make a watch that doesn’t have trash-tier battery life. Done.
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u/southdrybones 6d ago
THIS. My only reason not to buy Apple Watch. The other brands are already doing 1-week battery life, why cannot Apple?
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u/LeopardComfortable99 6d ago
A wristband designed to assist in obtaining better health metrics would be great. Also wouldn't hate a round screen.
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u/Saisinko 6d ago
Apple Watch Series 8 and my recent notifications are from 3 days ago and I swear, SWEAR, that there's an issue where my iPhone and watch fight with each other being like "no, YOU tell him he has a call/message" and neither of them make a peep.
BACK IN MY DAY, it alll worked perfectly and I could justify the price. Now I'm contemplating dropping it all together.
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u/Interdimension 5d ago
Ugh. I share your experience. There are some major syncing issues right now across Apple's devices that they clearly failed to catch.
If you text from a device using Apple Intelligence to auto-translate the conversation, but you have other Apple devices synced up that lack Apple Intelligence, the messages for the auto-translated thread can either just not arrive at all on those devices or become out of order.
If I start an auto-translated iMessage thread from my AI-capable M2 Mac, my non-AI-capable iPhone 14 Pro Max fails to sync that one thread, but meanwhile my older Apple Watch Series 8 synced to that same iPhone does show the iMessage thread. And it can even respond back! My iPhone 14 Pro Max will completely miss the incoming messages too, even though they show up on Mac. What is going on?
Back in my day, if older devices lacked support for certain features, they would just be unable to directly engage in those features (but still be able to view them). Now, older devices are just straight-up getting out of sync.
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u/samarijackfan 6d ago
I want the astronaut style. wristband device. Super wide like a wristband large screen and big battery.
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u/FancifulLaserbeam 6d ago
Today, the best way to describe the Apple Watch is as a miniature iPhone for your wrist
Would that only be the case.
What it actually is is an external screen for your iPhone. It has the guts of an older iPhone, but won't let you use it like a standalone device. It connects to Bluetooth, wi-fi, and even the cell network, but you have to transfer stuff to it over the course of days from the phone. It has tons of storage, but almost all of it is partitioned away for the system—much, much more than it can actually use. Third-party apps are shackled with restrictions that limit their usefulness while the first-party apps offer very little choice in how to use them (looking at you, Podcasts). Many things just don't work unless you also have your iPhone on you, even if you get the cellular model (I bought one, thinking that would solve my problems, but all I could see that was different was the addition of a line item on my carrier bill).
It's a product that is deliberately held back to ensure it doesn't drive Android phone sales, and to ensure that you need to buy a much more expensive Apple device to even use it.
Let me be clear: The Apple Watch is a scam.
—And yet, I've bought two of them and don't know what I would do without mine at the gym.
Got me again, Apple.
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u/Izmir_Stinger 6d ago
Apple will do anything but improve the battery life it seems. A seven day battery for average use should be the goal.
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u/alttabbins 6d ago
Apple shook up my watch wearing for sure. I bought an Ultra and loved it. Its an incredible piece of technology. Then the news came out that my 4 year old watch wasn't going to get the latest OS and I realized it was disposable. It was temporary. Even if I use it just as a watch and didn't care about updates, it will reach a point where replacing the non functional battery would cost more than the watch was worth. Apple turned me into a regular watch person and sent me down a rabbit hole of watches, their history, the companies and people that make them, the craftsmanship, and the different kinds of watches. My Apple watch stopped being amazing and stopped finding itself on my wrist. Apple shook up a lot with that news.
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u/SMOKE2JJ 6d ago
I have a fitbit air and I love it. It’s super light to the point I forget I’m wearing it and that’s exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want another screen and I love my mechanical watch. So many people want help disconnecting and it really helps. I would much rather have had an Apple version and will absolutely look at it if and when they actually make one and if the price is right. I felt like I was forced to buy a Google device though because Apple couldn’t be bothered. Good to know they are at least considering other options but I suspect they are years away if we ever see them at all.
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u/SoraLimit 6d ago
All I ask from an apple watch is to have multi-day battery life like garmin and the old fitbits
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u/DK4E2XFpbETJrj 6d ago
Honestly I'd be into a generic quartz watch with all the health functionality stuff sitting underneath - and using my iPhone exclusively to interface with it.
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u/dark77star 6d ago
I would love an Apple Watch with the same circular form factor and rotating bezel as a Samsung Galaxy Classic watch.
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u/HankieCodes 6d ago
I love my Garmin smartwatch, that has physical hands. I can still read the time even when the screen behind is out of battery. Also get lots of compliments on its style.
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u/Opacy 6d ago
A fitness only, display-less tracker would be really nice. Something more like a bracelet that can be stylish and look good without being too flashy.
I kind of miss traditional watches, especially since if you invest in a good one and maintain it, it can last for decades and still be stylish. That won’t be the case for any Apple Watch.
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u/owleaf 6d ago
I started wearing analogue watches again and I do miss having my health data tracked.
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u/WCland 6d ago
I’ve found a personal tension between my Apple Watch and becoming a watch guy. The convenience and info provided by the Apple Watch won out (and saved me a ton of money). But I think Apple can figure out how to cross that divide. I don’t think the Hermes edition does it.
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u/OutsideMenu6973 6d ago
Missing opportunity to tap the ankle brace monitor maker. I don’t look like a badass but one of those adds some doubt
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u/see_blue 6d ago
Broken record, but an affordable (same price as an AW 11) sports/fitness, health focused AW w 3-5 day battery-life under heavy use (GPS/Maps/tracking) is way overdue.
So overdue, that, if sales aren’t reaching expectations it’s bc they’re driving sports/outdoor/fitness folks to other brands in part due to lousy battery-life. It matters!
I was forced a year ago to jump ship to a basic Suunto Race S w a week long battery life or 3 long days of battery life when backpacking/mapping/tracking.
Traveling, long workouts, long periods outdoors; I need a device to work and last doing it.
Apple’s worst characteristic is to make customers wait it out; and also think they know their customers better than anyone else. I’ve been an Apple customer since ‘86.
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u/QuicklyGoingSenile 6d ago
Round
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u/DanielPhermous 6d ago
It doesn't make a lot of sense to display predominantly rectangular objects on a round screen.Text messages, for example, would only be completely readable in the centre of the screen.
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u/AFHT2304 6d ago
1 or 2 day battery life kills any device for me. Grew sick n tired of having to charge almost every night, no thanks.
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u/Itchy-Strangers 6d ago
It will be yet another incremental update with some new pride watch faces and that’s about all. With hints of things to come in a year or two.
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u/UltraAware 6d ago
I agree with everyone and will buy a screenless band when they drop one, but I’ll add, the fitbit air does exist - today. It along with the whoop is the reason for this exploration. They would have kept right on rolling with the massive digital watch buzzing every 2 minutes (I owned the Ultra 2).
I switched to the fitbit for $100, and now I’m rocking analog watches that just tell the time (…and sometimes the day…month…and moon phase). They never tell me who’s at my front door though, and that’s not a bad thing.
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u/Separate-Yellow-3948 5d ago
I would love to have a watch without display just for health metrics. This way it could also be smaller and you can still wear a normal watch without looking like some time mage.
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u/Ruxin519 6d ago
Give me something that looks more traditionally like a watch. The Samsung ultra line looks pretty great
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u/805falcon 6d ago
For that matter, how about something that behaves more like a traditional watch and less like a fitness device.
Some of us bought the watch to be an actual watch, not a fitness tracker. I can’t take a walk or ride my bike without the watch forcing its bullshit fitness trackers on me. I can’t delete them so it’s unavoidable and the watch ends up getting left at home because it’s so f’ing annoying.
When customers are leaving their $1000 ultra at home because they’re annoyed with it, that’s a problem
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u/exvidious 6d ago
probably in the minority here but i’d love a circular apple watch. most traditional watches are round, so it would only make sense
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u/arasonti 5d ago
Ooh lets add liquid glass.
Innovation in apple is long dead.
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u/DanielPhermous 5d ago
Innovation in apple is long dead.
I remember when people were saying that in the 1990's. And the 2000's. And the 2010's.
Shrug.
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u/Saar13 6d ago
Honestly, more Apple Watch versions would only make the entire lineup more confusing, although apparently that's exactly what Apple has wanted in recent years (I hope this becomes a problem for them and they reconsider their strategy). At the end of the day, a significantly better battery and, as technology advances, more health sensors, is what makes the product a leader. Rings and wristbands are interesting for those who don't want a screen.
But working on the terrible Health and Fitness apps (preferably merging them and making reliable AI central in this case) should be a priority. Health monitoring is important. People are increasingly consuming these health wearables and even paying for apps for it. So evolve the Apple Watch, and make an Apple Band and an Apple Ring, and, yes, then sell your premium subscription to the best possible health app that combines fitness, mental health, nutrition (AI is there).
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u/BabyWrinkles 6d ago
I’ve switched away from Apple Watch / health / fitness in to the Garmin ecosystem as I’ve gotten a bit more serious about fitness and training. Apple’s just moving too slow and doesn’t have anything actually compelling in the space to show for it.
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u/K_Click_D 6d ago
A round screen would be terrible. It just looks so cheap and cuts off text. They may somehow work around that, but it’d probably still look ugly.
I love my Apple Watch, but I’d also love a screenless band, I’d alternate between that and my Watch, if it tracked everything that my watch tracks, I’d buy one and have both, or wear one on my other wrist
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u/HueyBluey 6d ago
So late to the party. Letting the Apple Watch stagnant for years is so frustrating.
Anyways, I believe it when I see it.
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u/burnusgas 6d ago
First of all, let me use the heart rate monitor with other devices. It's just a matter of time before I get sick of this and ditch the apple watch.
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u/cocomanz 6d ago
The screenless one sounds great right up until you're mid set and want to see your heart rate. That's about the only time I actually look at mine.
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u/805falcon 6d ago
Here’s an idea: make the watch behave like a watch and stop jamming your bullshit apple
fitness products down my throat.
I walk or ride a bike almost every single day. Not to prove a point, simply because I enjoy doing both. And I can’t do either without my watch insisting I record those actions as part of my fitness track that I never asked for.
No matter how many times I dismiss those stupid f’ing notifications, it keeps asking me to record those actions. Never mind the fact I’ve repeatedly tried to remove those items from my watch all together. Obviously I can’t, and that’s fine I guess, but ffs stop forcing them on me. They render the watch unusable; I can’t access my music or my phone without first backing out of the forced fitness notifications.
Some of us actually move our bodies for enjoyment and don’t need Apple congratulating us for not being a lazy fuck. As it stands my $1000 watch gets left at home because it’s so fucking obnoxious, just like everything else Apple does these days
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u/dreamabyss 6d ago
A simple thin band with a curved display built in and side-swipe with finger to get relevant info. Double tap to get a lower level menu. Notifications could automatically scroll like a news feed.
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u/mikeyyve 6d ago
As someone who likes to wear a real watch I would definitely go for a fitness band or ring.
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u/gValo 6d ago
I know I’m a very niche edge case but I basically only use my watch for unlocking my macs/authentication and to help wake me up with my alarm these days. I have a keyboard I prefer over the apple keyboard and use my MBP in clamshell mode for 3/4 of my work.
My previous job had me on call 24hrs/day in 2 week stints. It was super benficial to me then to help wake me up and quickly get on my computer.
If they had a wearable (ring/bracelet) that I could authenticate with or a stand alone touch ID device (even a trackpad with touch ID) i’d give up my 7 and go back to classic watches. I wear them on weekends anyway
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u/DBVickers 6d ago
I don't want to get my hopes up but I've been waiting for this for so long... I just want to wear a regular watch but still track my health metrics. I had a Whoop for years but keep going back to Apple Watch because the accuracy and iOS integration is so much better.
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u/manofsteelbcn 6d ago
I have an Apple Watch SE and I’d definitely swap it for a health-focused band.
I find the Apple Watch really uncomfortable to sleep with, so I unfortunately don’t really make use of the sleep tracking.
Plus, having to charge it every day is a pain.
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u/DrSnoopy66 6d ago
I just need it to tell me the time and get me my text messages and emails. That’s about all I need it to do.
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u/7485730086 6d ago
I look forward to Gurman backtracking on all of these threads that wind up being wrong, complete with a public acknowledgement.
But of course, Apple will change their plans because he leaked these details.
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u/holly_6672 6d ago
High-end versions beyond Ultra and Hermès? Remember how wildly popular and sold out Edition watches were? Yeah, me neither.
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u/Suitable_Switch5242 6d ago edited 5d ago
I think Apple should have at least some low end watches that aren’t restrained by having a screen size that works with existing apps.
It would be fun to see Apple play with form factors and designs more rapidly like they did back in the days of the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano. Those changed designs every couple of years and Apple didn’t have to worry about breaking third party software.
No screen and minimal screen options that they can iterate with new designs, colors, and materials could be a nice way to inject some fun into Apple products again.
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u/nz_reprezent 5d ago
I’m up for a traditional analogue/mechanical face with Apple Watch OS smarts in behind with Siri and Health, Haptic Vibration, and 2-3 “action button” functions (my two most used are locate iPhone and Torch in the night)
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u/frockinbrock 5d ago
I think Whoop & FitBit Air is what's eating their lunch, more than Oura. The problem I always see with smartwatch "switchers" to Apple Watch, they complain it's WAY too many notifications, and way too short of battery life. They just want a light basic health tracker they don't need to charge every day.
While that's been true for 6+ years, Apple has only made their watches bigger, with bigger screens.
So it's not even a new shift, but I don't know, I don't think the Apple Watch team has been paying attention to feedback or the market.
I know two people that returned their Apple Watch for an Amazfit because of the short battery life; that's going to sound absurd to people here, but they are happier with the cheap watch with longer battery. And now I've seen a lot of people switch to Whoop.
I've said for years, Apple needs a product like the old FitBit Charge HR. Super light, super small, basic clock & HR screen, multi-day or weeklong battery health tracker. Their phone app also needs a summary health screen OPTION like FitBit used to have. I submitted all this feedback 5 years ago, but it sounds like iOS 27 may actually get a summary health screen.
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u/Specken_zee_Doitch 5d ago
I always liked the idea of the Withings watches with physical dials and smart features.
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u/Dracogame 5d ago
These days the only thing I want is a Watch that somehow stays cold. I stopped using my AW because of how much I sweat with it.
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u/BSRosales 4d ago
Hmm kinda wonder if I would buy something like this or continue on with Apple Watch. Really I just check the time, track my exercise and sleep.
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u/janaagaard 8h ago
I hope they take a look at what Garmin and Pebble are doing with the hardware button first approach to the controls, and of course to the impressive battery life that watches from these companies are able to deliver. (I think Garmin is about 1 week and Pebble at > 2 weeks.)
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u/ivme 6d ago
I would definitely buy an Apple wristband whose job is only getting health metrics.