The Apple Watch has looked pretty much the same for the last 11+ years — a rectangular wearable with a large screen and some buttons on the side — but that could soon change.
According to a report from Business Insider’s Mark Gurman, a prolific Apple insider, Cupertino is actively exploring a potentially revolutionary redesign of the Apple Watch, and future models could look nothing like today's.
From a circular case design to ditching the screen altogether, here’s everything you need to know about the latest Apple Watch redesign mutterings.
Screen-free is the way to be?
2026 is truly the year of the screen-free fitness tracker. Both Garmin and Google just launched subscription-free competitors to the Whoop 5.0 in the form of the Garmin Cirqa and Fitbit Air. Might Apple do the same?
According to Gurman, it’s doubtful we’ll see a screenless Apple Watch in 2026. However, Apple R&D is apparently actively considering the concept. Of course, this isn’t the first time talk of a screen-free Apple fitness tracker has surfaced.
Over the past decade, Apple has filed numerous patents hinting at the possible development of an Apple smart ring. However, there’s little evidence suggesting such a product is a current priority.
This is to say, I wouldn’t count on an Apple-built Oura Ring competitor anytime soon. But an Apple-built Whoop alternative? That might actually be on the horizon.
A screen-free Apple Watch could solve my biggest gripe
The number one thing holding back full-featured smartwatches, especially Apple Watches, in 2026 is battery life, or rather, lack thereof. Even the best Apple Watch models don’t last more than a few days per charge.
The latest Apple Watch Ultra 3, for instance, gets just 42 hours per charge in the standard operating mode, but what if Apple nixed the display, a notorious power hog?
The results could be an Apple wearable that cruises for closer to a week; the Fitbit Air lasts seven days, the Garmin Cirqa is good for ten days, and the Whoop 5.0 keeps on chooglin for up to two weeks.
Other radical Apple Watch redesigns are also on the table
Apple Watch with a circular design. He also suggests that Cupertino is considering expanding the Apple Watch line to potentially include premium models above the Ultra series and/or more affordable ones below the SE range.
In the more immediate term, Gurman suggests that 2026 may see a return of the ceramic Apple Watch case design as an optional upgrade for the latest models likely arriving this fall. The list may include the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Ultimately, while it’s exciting to know that Apple is taking an open-minded approach to the future look and feel of the Apple Watch, Gurman notes that the design team has yet to settle on any one direction.
Of course, as with all insider Apple reports and rumors, digest the above info with a grain of salt or two.
Would you consider a screen-free Apple Watch? Let me know in the poll below.
More from Tom's Guide
- I just reviewed the Garmin Cirqa — 5 things you need to know about Garmin’s subscription-free Whoop and Fitbit Air alternative
- I trekked the Cascade Mountains with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Garmin Instinct 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 — this is the one I'd take on my next hike
- Is your old fitness tracker good enough? I tested a 5-year-old Fitbit vs Apple Watch Series 11 on a 5,500-step walk to find out
