It’s hard to believe that the Apple Watch is already in its 11th generation. Apple’s first piece of wearable tech launched in 2015, and quickly became ubiquitous: within six months, it had more than 100 million users worldwide. The Apple Watch has gone through multiple iterations since then, with each yearly Series adding updated tech and new features. If the pattern set by previous years’ releases holds true, the Series 12 line of Apple Watches should be released before the end of 2026, and users already have lots of opinions about the direction it should take.
Apple Watch users have been quite vocal about the upgrades they expect from the Series 12, and they are quick to post their dreams and speculations for this upcoming device. From upgrades to existing features to entirely new form factors, they’ve shared a lot of opinions, and we’ve scoured threads on Reddit to find some of the more interesting ideas to find seven things that users want to see with the Apple Watch Series 12. These are just some of the most commonly echoed sentiments about what Apple’s next generation of wearables could be.
Longer battery life
Among Apple Watch users, one of the most common requests is a more powerful battery. The Apple Watch Ultra is now in its third generation, and, while it has a better battery life than the standard Series 11 (42 hours versus 24 hours normal use), some users say that’s still not enough. “Just more battery life,” said one commenter on Reddit. “If [Apple Watch Ultra 4] can reach a week of battery, then it’s gonna smash the sales.”
Other Apple Watch users agreed that they are willing to sacrifice sleekness for a battery that doesn’t run out of charge so often, even if it means the relatively thick Ultra doesn’t get any smaller in the next generation. “The chunkiness is kinda the point of the Ultra,” another commenter chimed in. “The battery life is already marginal for backpacking trips, so shaving off two millimeters for what, slightly better aesthetics? Not worth it if it costs me five to six hours of juice.”
A round watch face
At first glance, it can be hard to tell one generation of Apple Watch from the next. Despite minor changes in screen size and band styles over the years, the product’s form factor has remained near identical. The focal point of its design is the rounded square watch face, which hasn’t budged since the first generation’s release.
Notably, round watch faces are an option, if not the norm, for most of the Apple Watch’s competitors, including smart watches by Samsung, Garmin, and Google. Although some fans say this is an intentional way “to stand out from everyone else” one Reddit user theorizes, this is one category in which the Apple Watch lags behind. But some Apple Watch users would like to see that change. “Patiently waiting for them to release a round watch face,” commented one Reddit user. “I don’t use the screen. I just want a nice watch that tracks sleep, workouts, tells me the time and looks nice.”
New health features
Beginning with the Series 3, the Apple Watch became a tool for monitoring your health. Previously just a wearable iPhone, the Series 3 switched the focus of this device with the introduction of a maximal oxygen consumption monitor. Later generations introduced additional health features, like an ECG monitor for detecting irregular heart rates, a menstrual cycle tracker, and a blood oximeter.
But Apple Watch users say Series 12 could still use more. One Reddit commenter suggested an extensive list of health monitoring additions: “I want more/better health tracking like optical blood pressure checking…, hypertension tracking, increased heart rate monitoring…, heart attack or at least loss of pulse detection, [and] seizure detection.”
Another user had just one simple request. “[The] only thing I want is blood glucose monitoring. I’d pay [$2,000] for that if it was accurate.” While the Apple Watch can currently help monitor blood glucose by connecting to continuous glucose monitors like those made by Dexcom, it’s long been rumored that a non-invasive blood glucose monitor could be coming to a future generation.
Optical sensors that work with tattoos
Apple itself admits that some tattoos can disrupt the efficacy of the Apple Watch’s health monitoring features. Especially dark tattoos on your wrist can block the light emitted by the Apple Watch’s sensors, causing inaccurate or nonexistent heart rate readings. Others say that their heart rate readings work fine, but that tattoos disrupt wrist detection, causing their watches to shut off periodically.
For Series 12, many inked users say they’d like to see that fixed. “Just make it work with tattoos,” one Reddit user pleads. They and many others have had to resort to inconvenient solutions to keep their Apple Watches working: “I’ve had to wear mine on my right wrist for years.” Some users swear that slapping clear epoxy stickers or even packing tape over the sensors can help, but others say this didn’t resolve the issue in the first place. Still others complain these solutions made their watches too uncomfortable to wear.
Ultra features, smaller size
The Apple Watch Ultra line launched in 2022 as part of Series 8 with a bulkier screen and longer battery life than standard models. Now in its third generation, it boasts additional features largely designed for endurance athletes and outdoor recreationalists: a programmable “action button,” a water temperature gauge, a more accurate GPS, satellite connectivity for texting, and an emergency siren function, to name a few.
However, some users find the Ultra too big, and wish they could get the same features in a smaller package. In addition, because the Ultra is larger than standard Series models, users are limited in which Apple Watch accessories they can buy.
“Not everyone wants to wear a 49-millimeter tablet on their wrist,” comments one Reddit user. “I’d love an Ultra ‘mini’ — ultra features with a 42-millimeter size!” Some users say they’d go to great lengths to get their hands on a smaller Apple Watch that doesn’t sacrifice on features. “The day that happens, I will camp in front of the Apple Store like they used to ten years ago,” reads a reply.
Touch ID
Most Apple devices come with a feature called Touch ID, a biometric security measure that allows you to unlock your phone or computer by simply tapping your finger on a sensor. However, even after 11 generations, the Apple Watch still lacks any sort of fingerprint reader. There are only two ways to unlock it: by entering your passcode directly on the watch’s display, or
Ostensibly, you should only have to enter your passcode once a day: when you first put on your watch in the morning. But for those who have to unlock their Apple Watches more often, either because they have to take it off at points throughout the day or a tattoo disrupts their wrist detection, the lack of Touch ID can be frustrating.
“I hate having to type in my code a dozen or more times daily,” comments one Reddit user. “Entering a passcode in any context sucks,” reads another comment. “They’re far less secure and, on a screen as small as the watch, easy to get wrong.” Some point out, though, that fitting a Touch ID sensor beneath the Apple Watch’s screen would be awkward. “If they have to do it, I hope they use the crown or menu button.”
A big reason to buy it
Perhaps the biggest complaint among Apple Watch users, though, is just how little the device has changed in 11 years. “Can’t wait for it to be the exact same watch again,” comments one Reddit user on a thread speculating about potential features for Series 12. While subsequent models have added new health features, many say that what’s inside hasn’t meaningfully changed enough for them to buy into the latest generation.
“I’m still using a Series 3 with the original battery,” reads another comment. “I don’t really have a reason to replace it. Software works fine. I don’t know why they need to keep releasing new models without big hardware changes.”
These Apple Watch users’ wish lists are a little more nebulous: they don’t know exactly what they want, but they know they don’t want more of the same. They say previous generations haven’t quite made them sit up and pay attention, but they’re hopeful that Series 12 will shake things up enough to give them a reason to upgrade.
