Apple Watch Series 12, which looks like Apple’s next smartwatch, may arrive with continuous heart rate monitoring when the company unveils it, if the current rumors hold up. If that happens, it could turn into Apple’s biggest health upgrade for the Apple Watch in years.
Right now, outside a workout, the watch takes heart rate readings in the background at intervals. The rumor this time is that Series 12 would track it all day continuously, more like Whoop, Fitbit, or Oura. That should mean better cardiovascular data, more accurate calorie-burn estimates, and a clearer picture of how stress, walking, commuting, and the rest of your day show up in your heart rate.
There’s talk of a new processor too, called the S11 in some reports and the S12 in others. That upgrade may matter less for raw speed than for efficiency, especially if Apple wants always-on tracking without draining the battery. What still isn’t clear is the software side: whether watchOS will get new coaching tools, deeper health insights, or reworked fitness summaries that actually make use of all that extra data.
The design, from what’s been reported, doesn’t sound like it’s changing much. The current shape is expected to stick around for now, and the bigger redesign may have been pushed back to 2027 or 2028. One detail that would stand out, though: Apple Watch Series 12 might bring back ceramic on a premium model, possibly in white or dark gray, which Apple hasn’t done since Apple Watch Series 5.
If health tracking is the main reason you wear an Apple Watch, this may be the one to pay attention to when Apple announces it. For now, though, you’ll have to wait for Apple to make any of it official.
