Apple Watch Series 2 (Ceramic) - Image: Apple

Apple is laying the groundwork for a sweeping re-imagining of the Apple Watch lineup, exploring a new form factor and bringing back a fan-favorite material to capture a shifting wearables market.

While the upcoming Series 12 and Ultra 4 smartwatches are expected to retain the familiar family aesthetic, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman states in his latest PowerOn newsletter that Apple is actively evaluating several paths for its wearable hardware, weighing everything from screenless biometric bands and to fresh display dimensions, vibrant new band combinations, and alternative casing materials.

Whoop 5.0 band - Image: Whoop

Chief among these experimental concepts is the potential launch of an Apple Watch with no display at all. A screenless wearable would position Apple directly against minimal, recovery-focused trackers like Whoop and Amazfit Helio, catering to users who prioritize discreet health metrics, continuous sleep monitoring, and multi-day battery life over glanceable notifications.

At the same time, Apple is thinking of broadening the number of hardware tiers, which could lower the entry barrier with a model priced below the Apple Watch SE while simultaneously expanding upward into hyper-premium territory beyond the current Ultra and Hermès collections.

Ceramic Apple Watch Series 2 - Image: Apple

That's not all, Cupertino is reportedly preparing to bring back one of its most popular (and expensive) materials: ceramic. First introduced with the Series 2 in white and later expanded to black/white, ceramic Apple Watches commanded prices exceeding $1,200 due to their sleek aesthetic and scratch-resistant durability before vanishing after the Series 5. The material’s return, perhaps as soon as late this year or in 2027, would give collectors and aficionados a distinctive alternative to titanium and aluminum.

Complementing these potential changes will be deeper software intelligence powered by an overhauled Siri and upgraded biometric sensor arrays. As health tracking shifts toward proactive wellness and ambient computing, Apple is refining how its algorithms process biometric telemetry, ensuring that future hardware can deliver continuous, contextual health insights and seamless voice control regardless of whether a physical display is present.

One thing that Gurman wrote is that Apple has not decided on what direction it wants to take yet with the Apple Watch, so it's possible that consumers will only see one or two of these ideas make final production. Nonetheless, as the traditional smartwatch market reaches maturity, expanding into specialized hardware allows Apple to capture distinct user preferences without sacrificing its market share. 

AL