- watchOS 12 will be announced on June 9
- It may have a new name, however, in line with reports Apple is changing the numbers on its OS releases
- Below are three features I think we'll see this year
Apple's WWDC 2025 event is coming in a matter of days, and while this conference is usually focused on developers, I'm expecting big things from iOS, MacOS, iPadOS and, yes, watchOS – the operating system used to power Apple Watches.
While we'll have to wait for September for new models to add to our best Apple Watches list – Apple almost never debuts this sort of hardware at WWDC – we're likely to see a host of new software features.
While watchOS is hardly ever Apple’s main focus for its developer-focused events, it still gets a chunk of time dedicated to it every year. Below are three features I expect to see announced for the future Apple Watch platform.
Before we start:
It’s worth noting while most people are expecting this year’s release to be called watchOS 12, there’s every chance Apple mixes things up somewhat.
In recent weeks, Bloomberg has suggested our devices will be running iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and so forth, with future releases adhering to this new naming convention.
Will we be using watchOS 26 from September, when it's released to the public? We’ll soon find out.
1. Apple Intelligence on Apple Watch
Response to last year’s Apple Intelligence big reveal was somewhat tepid, and some reports have painted a picture of a company struggling to gain a foothold in the AI age.
That makes June 9’s showing very important to show that Apple can run with the seriously AI-focused tech giants such as Google and OpenAI. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested it’s possible –at least in branding – for Apple Intelligence to arrive on watchOS in a limited capacity.
The Bloomberg report linked above suggested Apple “is branding a new set [of] features as 'powered by Apple Intelligence’ (even though the device isn’t actually running the AI models directly).”
That latter point is key because it could mean your current Apple Watch is able to run some of these “Apple Intelligence” features without needing to splurge on a future model.
There is reportedly a trifecta of features planned; Genmoji creation on a user’s wrist, notification summaries planned for widgets on your Apple Watch, while Siri could see an Apple Intelligence-style refresh. However, this reworking of Siri won't be to the extent Apple promised for the iPhone last year.
2. A redesigned, Solarium inspired UI
It wasn’t all that long ago that Apple shook up watchOS with its watchOS 10 update, offering widget stacks reminiscent of the best Garmin watches' UI. Now, rumor has it we could get a broader visual overhaul that encompasses just about every platform, including watchOS, iOS and even MacOS.
Multiple reports have suggested that Apple will use a new design language that’s internally referred to as ‘Solarium’, with a much brighter design, possibly with increased window transparency.
It’s been tipped for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. We’re curious to see how the latter works, though, especially since watchOS has always been set against a black backdrop. Color us intrigued.
3. An exercise highlight
Apple loves to showcase one exercise in the upcoming OS where it can, releasing a bunch of new features to excite fans. We’ve seen a big focus on running in watchOS 9 and cycling for watchOS 10 in the past, but where could Apple go next?
We’d love to see a way to track strength workouts within Apple’s own ecosystem: gymgoers are crying out for more ways to make the most of their Apple Watches. However, our money is on something set outdoors.
Rumors have suggested an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is incoming this year, so we’d be very surprised if Apple doesn’t push the rugged durability, GPS capabilities and longer-lasting battery of the Apple Watch Ultra series in some regard.
A marathon? A triathlon? What about rucking – the trendy exercise consisting of walking with a weighted backpack? We’ll find out on June 9.
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