The Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 are expected to be announced alongside the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup next month. However, it seems like they may not come with substantial upgrades, as the company seems to be saving those enhancements for next year’s models.
According to a report by DigiTimes, the brand’s 2026 smartwatch lineup will get a major redesign. Citing supply chain insiders, the report claimed that the overhaul will be focused on three aspects, namely the sensors, exterior design, and power efficiency.
Apparently, Apple is planning to double the number of sensor components for next year’s “high-end” smartwatch models, which could reduce their reliance on algorithmic data interpretation. This change might improve battery life and performance. However, the report did not offer any specifics on these sensors.
As for the exterior design changes, the report claimed that the watches will feature a new ring of eight sensors on the bottom. Beyond that, though, not much else is known about this supposed redesign, especially in terms of the watch case.
Of course, while it seems like next year’s batch of smartwatches will be getting the major upgrades, Apple isn’t leaving this year’s models in the dust. According to the report, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 will debut with the much-anticipated blood pressure detection feature. The initial iteration of this feature will be focused on identifying patterns and alerting the wearer of any abnormalities.
On the other hand, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is not coming anytime soon. This is apparently due to constraints relating to medical regulations, technological development, as well as patent disputes.
(Source: DigiTimes via NotebookCheck, 9To5Mac)
