There’s lower than every week to go till WWDC, the annual developer fest the place Apple takes the wraps off its newest OS releases. Whereas the rumor mill has largely targeted on iPhone this yr, there’s a lot for Apple Watch followers to sit up for.
Rumor has it that the following massive watch replace — probably dubbed “watchOS 26,” according to Apple’s rumored naming conference shakeup — will get a contemporary new consumer interface, Apple Intelligence, dialog transcriptions and a sensible AI coach that delivers tailor-made well being and health recommendation.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and take a more in-depth have a look at what’s in retailer for Apple Watch.
watchOS rumors: What to anticipate at WWDC 2025
A decade after the Apple Watch debuted, the smartwatch has morphed into probably the most intimate and health-focused units in Apple’s ecosystem. It tracks coronary heart charges and exercises, nudges us to face, and even calls emergency companies throughout crises.
Now, with watchOS poised for an additional evolution, Apple seems able to double down on that position. Apple Watch rumors at all times appear scarcer than iPhone rumors. However at WWDC 2025, the corporate is predicted to introduce a wiser, extra context-aware model of watchOS, wrapped in a visionOS-inspired design that jibes with the remainder of Apple’s refreshed working programs.
watchOS 12 or watchOS 26: What’s in a reputation?
The obvious change to watchOS will in all probability be its title. In response to Bloomberg’s veteran rumormonger Mark Gurman, watchOS will bounce from model 11 to model 26, aligning with all Apple’s working programs. This feels like significantly excellent news for Apple Watch followers. You’d need to be a hard-core Apple geek to do not forget that watchOS 11 works with iOS 18. iOS 26 and watchOS 26 will probably be far more apparent bedfellows.
watchOS 26 seems set for an additional design refresh
watchOS received a significant redesign simply two years in the past with watchOS 10. On the time, Apple’s VP of expertise, Kevin Lynch, referred to as it a “main milestone.” The redesign launched a brand new visible language that took full benefit of the bigger display screen sizes of current Apple Watch fashions.
It might sound unusual for watchOS to obtain one other makeover so quickly. However in response to the rumors, that is all a part of an even bigger plan, dubbed “Solarium” internally at Apple. Solarium reportedly will introduce a brand new, constant design language throughout all Apple’s platforms, together with watchOS.
Since watchOS benefited from a giant design refresh so lately, this yr’s modifications are prone to be minor. However we are able to in all probability count on some visible touches impressed by visionOS, like translucent glass results and buttons with beveled edges that catch the sunshine as you progress your wrist.
Your smartwatch is about to get smarter, with Apple Intelligence
When Cupertino rolled out Apple Intelligence final yr, Apple Watch was conspicuously absent from the checklist of supported units. That might change this yr, with rumors suggesting AI options are heading to a wrist close to you.
The present absence of Apple Intelligence could possibly be because of {hardware} limitations. The Apple Watch Extremely 2’s neural engine solely has 4 cores. That’s nothing in comparison with the whopping 16-core Neural Engine the newest iPhones are packing.
Apple would possibly get round this limitation by offloading intensive AI processing to your iPhone. This might allow your Apple Watch to ship some fundamental AI options like Genmoji, notification summaries and new Siri capabilities. However solely when your iPhone is inside vary.
This yr’s modifications could possibly be the primary small step towards a way more formidable AI plan for Apple Watch. Rumors point out Apple desires to add a digital camera to future fashions to ship Visible Intelligence.
watchOS 26 delivers subtitles to your wrist
Apple already previewed some upcoming accessibility options on World Accessibility Consciousness Day final month. So we don’t want rumormongers to know a few of the neat options the following model of watchOS has in retailer for us.
watchOS will acquire controls for Stay Pay attention, a characteristic that permits you to use your iPhone as a distant mic and stream audio to AirPods. Plus, dwell transcriptions of conversations will seem in your watch display screen as mini subtitles. Sadly, checking your watch when somebody is speaking to you is a fairly unsubtle dis. So this characteristic may show problematic.
Personally, the accessibility characteristic I’m eagerly ready for is assist for streaming audio to Made for iPhone listening to aids. You may already do that with iPhone, iPad and Mac. The Apple Watch is the final main Apple {hardware} platform to not supply this characteristic.
Picture: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
Would you belief Apple’s AI along with your life?
Rumors of an AI-powered health coach have been doing the rounds for years. Again in 2023, Bloomberg’s Gurman reported that Apple deliberate to “use AI and knowledge from an Apple Watch to make options and create teaching applications tailor-made to particular customers.”
The challenge, apparently dubbed “Quartz” internally, could possibly be an unique new characteristic for Health+ subscribers.
As a health buff myself, I’ve my doubts about all this. Actual coaches know every thing about their athletes’ capabilities and weaknesses. They relentlessly observe coaching periods to ensure their applications are protected and efficient. Can Apple Watch actually collect sufficient knowledge to securely and reliably present this sort of recommendation? And would Apple be chargeable for any accidents if an AI coach hallucinated?
Quartz can be a daring transfer for an organization that has beforehand been so measured in its health claims that it solely ever promised that closing your Exercise Rings would allow you to dwell a more healthy day.
Picture: Apple
Apple mulls transferring into well being teaching with Mission Mulberry
If a digital health coach wasn’t formidable sufficient, Apple can also be contemplating including AI-powered well being coaches to the Well being app. Internally dubbed “Mission Mulberry,” this might kind a part of a brand new subscription service dubbed Apple Well being+. In response to Gurman, it will be Apple’s “largest well being care push up to now with a revamped app and AI physician service.”
Mission Mulberry would draw on the information collected from the well being sensors in your Apple Watch to ship individually tailor-made well being and life-style suggestions.
Meals monitoring would play a central position ing this providing, placing Apple in direct competitors with calorie-counting apps like Lose It. This simplistic “energy in, energy out” method to weight reduction is more and more challenged by consultants. So it’s odd timing for Apple to maneuver into this space.
Gurman suggests Mission Mulberry may not ship till spring or summer time of 2026, which suggests we would not see it at this yr’s WWDC.
Will Apple Watch lastly meet up with Garmin?
Lately, Apple has saved up with Garmin by including new coaching metrics yearly at WWDC. We’ve seen the addition of metrics like coronary heart fee variability, VO2 Max, Working & Biking Energy, Effort and Coaching Load.
So, what new metrics can we count on this yr? The rumor mill doesn’t present any clues, however the good cash is on coaching readiness and physique battery, options that Garmin already provides. Coaching readiness analyzes issues like your sleep historical past and stress ranges to evaluate whether or not you need to push your self with a exercise. The Physique Battery characteristic in Garmin watches allows you to “monitor your private vitality sources across the clock,” in response to the corporate.
There are only some sleeps left now earlier than Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner and his workforce reveal all through the WWDC25 keynote on June 9. You’ll want to verify again subsequent week, once I’ll serve my sizzling tackle all the brand new Apple Watch well being and health options.
