The upcoming Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 might feature continuous heart rate monitoring for better health tracking. The two watches should also come with a speedy new S-series chip for better performance and longer battery life.
Unfortunately, Apple does not plan to introduce any design changes this year. But the Apple Watch Series 12 could come with a premium ceramic casing option, which Apple last offered on Series 5 models.
Continuous heart rate monitoring finally coming to Apple Watch?
After the Apple Watch pivoted from fashion to fitness and well-being, data collection became the device’s primary function. Some functions, like taking an electrocardiogram or checking blood oxygen levels, require active intervention. But many of the Apple Watch’s sensors conduct background monitoring that can spot problems like sleep apnea or hypertension over time.
Apple Watch currently only measures your heart rate continuously during workouts. Otherwise, it reads your heart rate data once every few minutes. That stands in stark contrast to other smartwatches and fitness trackers, like Whoop and Fitbit Air, which offer continuous heart rate monitoring.
Apple is testing an always-on heart rate sensor for its upcoming Apple Watch, wrote Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the Sunday edition of the Power On newsletter. However, it’s unclear whether the company will go ahead with the change.
Continuous heart rate monitoring will negatively impact battery life, something Apple may want to avoid. The new S11 chip might make up for the additional power consumption with its superior performance and efficiency.
Apple’s current Watch lineup uses the S10 chip, which debuted on the Apple Watch Series 10 in 2024, and it’s considered a minor upgrade over the S9. So, the new S11 SoC should bring some notable improvements.
Alongside more accurate heart rate tracking, Bloomberg says Apple is working on revamping its Health and Fitness apps. It wants these apps to show more fitness and wellness data, like Whoop and Oura.
Apple Watch Series 12 may come with a ceramic casing
Previous rumors suggested Apple is considering bringing back the ceramic casing for the Apple Watch Series 12. Gurman reaffirms this in his newsletter, saying Apple tested ceramic casings in white and dark gray for its upcoming smartwatch.
The company previously offered ceramic versions with the Apple Watch Series 2, Series 3 and Series 5, positioning them as premium alternatives to the standard aluminum and stainless steel models.
See also:
- Apple Watch Series 12: Everything we know so far
- Apple Watch Ultra 4 rumors: Everything we know so far
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
You can reach out to him at mail[at]rajeshpandey.me.
