watchOS rumors: What to expect at WWDC 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A decade after the Apple Watch debuted<\/a>, the smartwatch has morphed into one of the most intimate and health-focused devices in Apple\u2019s ecosystem. It tracks heart rates and workouts, nudges us to stand, and even calls emergency services during crises<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, with watchOS<\/a> poised for another evolution, Apple appears ready to double down on that role. Apple Watch rumors always seem scarcer than iPhone rumors. But at WWDC 2025, the company is expected to introduce a smarter, more context-aware version of watchOS, wrapped in a visionOS-inspired design that jibes with the rest of Apple’s refreshed operating systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most obvious change to watchOS will probably be its name. According to Bloomberg’<\/em>s veteran rumormonger Mark Gurman, watchOS will jump from version 11 to version 26<\/a>, aligning with all Apple\u2019s operating systems. This sounds like particularly good news for Apple Watch fans. You’d have to be a hard-core Apple geek to remember that watchOS 11 works with iOS 18. iOS 26 and watchOS 26 will be much more obvious bedfellows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n watchOS got a major redesign just two years ago with watchOS 10. At the time, Apple\u2019s VP of technology, Kevin Lynch, called it a \u201cmajor milestone<\/a>.\u201d The redesign introduced a new visual language that took full advantage of the larger screen sizes of recent Apple Watch models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might seem strange for watchOS to receive another makeover so soon. But according to the rumors, this is all part of a bigger plan, dubbed \u201cSolarium<\/a>\u201d internally at Apple. Solarium reportedly will introduce a new, consistent design language across all Apple\u2019s platforms, including watchOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since watchOS benefited from a big design refresh so recently, this year’s changes are likely to be minor. But we can probably expect some visual touches inspired by visionOS<\/a>, like translucent glass effects and buttons with beveled edges that catch the light as you move your wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Cupertino rolled out Apple Intelligence<\/a> last year, Apple Watch was conspicuously absent from the list of supported devices. That could change this year, with rumors suggesting AI features are heading to a wrist near you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The current absence of Apple Intelligence could be due to hardware limitations. The Apple Watch Ultra 2\u2019s neural engine only has four cores. That’s nothing compared to the whopping 16-core Neural Engine the latest iPhones are packing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple might get around this limitation by offloading intensive AI processing to your iPhone. This could enable your Apple Watch to deliver some basic AI features like Genmoji<\/a>, notification summaries and new Siri<\/a> capabilities. But only when your iPhone is within range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year’s changes could be the first small step toward a much more ambitious AI plan for Apple Watch. Rumors indicate Apple wants to add a camera to future models<\/a> to deliver Visual Intelligence<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple already previewed some upcoming accessibility features<\/a> on Global Accessibility Awareness Day last month. So we don’t need rumormongers to know some of the neat features the next version of watchOS has in store for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n watchOS will gain controls for Live Listen<\/a>, a feature that allows you to use your iPhone as a remote mic and stream audio to AirPods<\/a>. Plus, live transcriptions of conversations will appear on your watch screen as mini subtitles. Unfortunately, checking your watch when someone is talking to you is a pretty unsubtle dis. So this feature could prove problematic.\u2028<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personally, the accessibility feature I’m eagerly waiting for is support for streaming audio to Made for iPhone hearing aids. You can already do this with iPhone, iPad and Mac. The Apple Watch is the last major Apple hardware platform not to offer this feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rumors of an AI-powered fitness coach have been doing the rounds for years<\/a>. Back in 2023, Bloomberg’<\/em>s Gurman reported that Apple planned to \u201cuse AI and data from an Apple Watch to make suggestions and create coaching programs tailored to specific users.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The project, apparently dubbed \u201cQuartz\u201d internally, could be an exclusive new feature for Fitness+<\/a> subscribers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a fitness buff myself, I have my doubts about all this. Real coaches know everything about their athletes’ capabilities and weaknesses. They relentlessly observe training sessions to make sure their programs are safe and effective. Can Apple Watch really gather enough data to safely and reliably provide this kind of advice? And would Apple be liable for any injuries if an AI coach hallucinated?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quartz would be a bold move for a company that has previously been so measured in its fitness claims that it only ever promised that closing your Activity Rings would help you live a healthier day<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a virtual fitness coach wasn\u2019t ambitious enough, Apple is also considering adding AI-powered health coaches to the Health app<\/a>. Internally dubbed “Project Mulberry,” this could form part of a new subscription service dubbed Apple Health+. According to Gurman, it would be Apple\u2019s \u201cbiggest health care push to date with a revamped app and AI doctor service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Project Mulberry<\/a> would draw on the data collected from the health sensors in your Apple Watch to deliver individually tailored health and lifestyle recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Food tracking would play a central role ing this offering, putting Apple in direct competition with calorie-counting apps like Lose It<\/a>. This simplistic “calories in, calories out” approach<\/a> to weight loss is increasingly challenged by experts<\/a>. So it’s odd timing for Apple to move into this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gurman suggests Project Mulberry might not ship until spring or summer of 2026, which means we might not see it at this year’s WWDC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In recent years, Apple has kept up with Garmin by adding new training metrics every year at WWDC. We\u2019ve seen the addition of metrics like heart rate variability<\/a>, VO2 Max<\/a>, Running & Cycling Power, Effort and Training Load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what new metrics can we expect this year? The rumor mill doesn’t provide any clues, but the smart money is on training readiness<\/a> and body battery<\/a>, features that Garmin already offers. Training readiness analyzes things like your sleep history and stress levels to assess whether you should push yourself with a workout. The Body Battery feature in Garmin watches lets you “monitor your personal energy resources around the clock,” according to the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are only a few sleeps left now before Apple CEO Tim Cook<\/a> and his team reveal all during the WWDC25 keynote on June 9<\/a>. Be sure to check back next week, when I’ll serve my hot take on all the new Apple Watch health and fitness features.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What features will the next version of watchOS add to Apple Watch? A look at what’s coming soon to your wrist at WWDC25.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22059,"featured_media":901277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,352670],"tags":[10743,19822,31235,352872],"class_list":["post-901276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-top-stories","tag-apple-rumors","tag-apple-watch","tag-watchos","tag-wwdc25"],"yoast_head":"\nwatchOS 12 or watchOS 26: What\u2019s in a name?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
watchOS 26 looks set for another design refresh<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your smartwatch is about to get smarter, with Apple Intelligence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
watchOS 26 delivers subtitles to your wrist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Would](\"https:\/\/www.cultofmac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/series4-track-780x621.jpg\" "\\"We")
Photo: Graham Bower\/Cult of Mac<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWould you trust Apple\u2019s AI with your life?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.cultofmac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Apple-heart-health-atrial-fibrillation_inline.jpg.large_2x-2-780x616.jpg\" "\\"Apple")
Photo: Apple<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nApple mulls moving into health coaching with Project Mulberry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Will Apple Watch finally catch up with Garmin?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n