Apple Watch Redesign Could Go Screenless as Apple Takes On Oura and Whoop
Apple is reportedly exploring the biggest Apple Watch rethink in years, including screenless wearables, new display shapes and sizes, cheaper models, premium tiers and a heavier push into AI-powered health.
The interesting part isn’t another thinner case or fresh band color; it’s the possibility that Apple is starting to question whether the Apple Watch even needs to look like an Apple Watch.
➜ The real story: Apple spent a decade teaching everyone what a smartwatch should be, and now Oura and Whoop are making a pretty convincing case that the next wearable might barely be a watch at all.
That doesn’t mean the familiar square Apple Watch is disappearing. Apple Watch shipments rose 21% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, so this is less about rescuing a failed product and more about making sure a successful one doesn’t get stuck defending yesterday’s idea of wearable tech.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Are Still the Calm Before the Redesign
The next Apple Watch generation is expected to stay pretty recognizable. Series 12 and Ultra 4 are reportedly focused on internal performance improvements, fresh colors and bands, new health and fitness features, and a possible return of a ceramic case. The bigger rethink is farther out, with Apple reportedly exploring different screen types, multiple sizes and even devices with no display at all. A round Apple Watch has apparently entered the conversation too, while Apple is also considering additional premium and lower-cost models, though none of those concepts is guaranteed to ship.
Why Oura and Whoop Are Forcing Apple to Think Beyond the Screen
The pressure isn’t really coming from another company making a better square smartwatch. It’s coming from products like Oura Ring and Whoop that treat the wearable as a quiet sensor first and a tiny computer second, making them lighter, less distracting and easier to wear around the clock. For years, Apple Watch won by doing more on your wrist, but the next wave of wearables may win by asking you to interact with them less. Screenless bands and smart rings turn the phone into the dashboard and let the hardware fade into the background, which is almost the opposite of the original Apple Watch pitch.
Apple Watch AI Health Could Be the Bigger Upgrade Than the Hardware
Apple also has another reason to rethink the Watch now: AI is moving health apps from passive charts toward interpretation, coaching and personalized guidance. Apple is rebuilding Siri around newer AI capabilities and has broader ambitions for the Health app, giving the company a chance to turn years of wearable data into something more conversational and useful. A future Apple wearable could be a watch, a band or something Apple hasn’t named yet, while the real product becomes the intelligence connecting all that health data. If Apple gets that right, the biggest Apple Watch redesign may not be a new case shape at all; it may be Apple deciding the screen is optional.
FAQs
Is Apple Redesigning the Apple Watch?
Apple is reportedly exploring a broader Apple Watch redesign, including different display types, new sizes, screenless devices and additional premium and lower-cost models. A major redesign does not appear imminent.
Will Apple Watch Series 12 Have a New Design?
Current reporting points to Apple Watch Series 12 keeping the familiar overall design while focusing on performance, health and fitness upgrades, colors, bands and possible material changes.
Could Apple Release a Screenless Wearable Like Whoop or Oura?
Apple is reportedly considering wearable concepts with no display as it responds to growing interest in screenless fitness bands and smart rings. There is no confirmed launch plan yet.
