The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to debut at Apple's annual iPhone event next month, with rumors pointing to another modest upgrade cycle. Apple has not altered the Apple Watch's design since the Series 10 arrived in 2024 and is not expected to change this year, marking the third year of the current case design.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes the Series 12 will continue a run of modest upgrades, with virtually everything of significance happening internally. The device is highly likely to deliver the first meaningfully new chip for the Apple Watch in years, likely branded as the S11 or S12. Evidence of this has been spotted in internal Apple code.

A known leaker on Weibo said in May that Apple is prioritizing battery life with the Series 12, pursuing a physically larger battery and efficiency gains. The Series 11 is currently rated at up to 24 hours on a charge, or up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode. Gurman also referred to health and fitness upgrades, while DigiTimes pointed to a new blood pressure notification feature awaiting FDA clearance.

Gurman reported that the Apple Watch's ceramic casing is set to return either this year or in 2027, with leaker and prototype collector Kosutami claiming it will arrive with the Series 12. The finish has been absent for six years and would provide a high-end case option above titanium. Leaked code referenced AppleMesa, Apple's codename for Touch ID, though one leaker denied the claim, arguing it would add cost and consume internal space better given to the battery.