It’s hard to believe that the Apple Watch is already in its 11th generation. Apple’s first wearable technology launched in 2015 and quickly became ubiquitous: within six months, it had more than 100 million users worldwide. The Apple Watch has gone through several iterations since then, with each annual series adding updated technology and new features. If the pattern established by previous years’ releases holds true, the Apple Watch Series 12 line is expected to launch before the end of 2026, and users already have plenty of opinions on which direction it should take.
Apple Watch users have been talking a lot about the upgrades they expect from the Series 12, and they’re not shy about posting their dreams and speculations about this upcoming device. From upgrades to existing features to entirely new form factors, they shared plenty of opinions, and we scoured Reddit threads for some of the most interesting ideas to find seven things users want to see with the Apple Watch Series 12. These are just some of the most frequently discussed 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 for a more powerful battery. The Apple Watch Ultra is now in its third generation, and while it has better battery life than the standard Series 11 (42 hours versus 24 hours of normal use), some users say it’s still not enough. “Just more battery life,” said one commenter on Reddit. “If (the Apple Watch Ultra 4) can achieve a week of battery life, then it’s going to explode sales.”
Other Apple Watch users agreed that they were willing to sacrifice sleekness for a battery that doesn’t drain so often, even if it means the relatively thick Ultra won’t get smaller in the next generation. “Bigness is kind of the goal of Ultra,” another commenter added. “Battery life is already marginal for backpacking, so shaving off two millimeters for what, slightly better aesthetics? It’s not worth it if it costs me five to six hours of juice.”
A round dial
At first glance, it can be difficult to tell one generation of Apple Watch from the next. Despite minor changes in screen size and strap styles over the years, the product form factor has remained almost identical. The central point of its design is the rounded square dial, which has not changed since the release of the first generation.
Notably, round watch faces are an option, if not the standard, for most of the Apple Watch’s competitors, including smartwatches from 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 a category where the Apple Watch is lagging behind. But some Apple Watch users would like to see this change. “I’m patiently waiting for them to release a round dial,” one Reddit user commented. “I don’t use a screen. I just want a nice watch that tracks my sleep, my workouts, tells me the time and looks pretty.”
New health features
Starting with Series 3, the Apple Watch has become a tool for monitoring your health. Previously just a portable iPhone, the Series 3 changed the focus of this device with the introduction of a peak oxygen consumption monitor. Later generations introduced additional health features, like an ECG monitor to detect irregular heart rates, menstrual cycle tracking, and a blood oximeter.
But Apple Watch users say the Series 12 could still use more. One Reddit commenter suggested a long 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 a simple request. “(The) only thing I want is blood sugar monitoring. I would pay ($2,000) for it if it was accurate.” Although the Apple Watch can currently help monitor blood sugar by connecting to continuous glucose monitors like those made by Dexcom, it has long been rumored that a non-invasive glucometer could arrive in a future generation.
Optical sensors that work with tattoos
Apple itself admits that some tattoos may disrupt the effectiveness of the Apple Watch’s health monitoring features. Particularly dark tattoos on your wrist can block the light emitted by the Apple Watch’s sensors, causing inaccurate or no heart rate readings. Others say their heart rate readings work fine, but the tattoos disrupt wrist sensing, causing their watch to stop periodically.
For Series 12, many inked users say they would like this fixed. “Just make it work with tattoos,” pleads one Reddit user. They and many others have had to resort to impractical solutions to keep their Apple Watches working: “I’ve had to wear mine on my right wrist for years. » Some users swear that sticking clear epoxy stickers or even tape over the sensors can help, but others say it didn’t solve the problem in the first place. Still others complain that these solutions make their watches too uncomfortable to wear.
Ultra features, smaller size
The Apple Watch Ultra line launched in 2022 as part of the Series 8 with a larger screen and longer battery life than standard models. Now in its third generation, it has additional features largely designed for endurance athletes and outdoor enthusiasts: a programmable “action button,” a water temperature gauge, 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. Additionally, because the Ultra is larger than the standard series models, users are limited in what Apple Watch accessories they can purchase.
“Not everyone wants to wear a 49 millimeter tablet on their wrist,” comments one Reddit user. “I would love an Ultra ‘mini’ — ultra features at 42 millimeters!” Some users say they would go to great lengths to get their hands on a smaller Apple Watch that doesn’t sacrifice features. “The day this happens, I will camp out in front of the Apple Store like ten years ago,” the response read.
Touch identification
Most Apple devices have a feature called Touch ID, a biometric security measure that lets you unlock your phone or computer by simply tapping your finger on a sensor. However, even after 11 generations, the Apple Watch still has no fingerprint reader. There are only two ways to unlock it: by entering your password directly on the watch screen, or through the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
In principle, you should only have to enter your password once a day: when you put on your watch for the first time in the morning. But for those who need to unlock their Apple Watch more often, either because they need to take it off at certain times of the day or because a tattoo interferes with their wrist detection, the lack of Touch ID can be frustrating.
“I hate having to type my code a dozen or more times a day,” commented one Reddit user. “Entering a password in any context sucks,” another comment read. “They are much less secure and, on a screen as small as the watch, it is easy to make a mistake.” Some people point out, however, that it would be inconvenient to install a Touch ID sensor under the Apple Watch screen. “If they have to do it, I hope they use the crown or the menu button.”
A good reason to buy it
However, perhaps the biggest complaint from Apple Watch users is how little the device has changed in 11 years. “I can’t wait until it’s the exact same watch again,” one Reddit user comments on a thread speculating about potential Series 12 features. While subsequent models have added new health features, many say what’s inside hasn’t changed enough for them to stick with the latest generation.
“I’m still using a Series 3 with the original battery,” another comment read. “I don’t really have a reason to replace it. The software works fine. I don’t know why they have 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 thing. They say previous generations didn’t really make them sit up and pay attention, but they’re hoping Series 12 will shake things up enough to give them a reason to upgrade.
