Apple Watch redesign: from single product to full wearable family
The Apple Watch redesign refers to Apple’s reported exploration of new smartwatch and wearable forms, including circular displays, screenless fitness trackers, more sizes, and new materials, transforming Apple Watch from a single rectangular wrist computer into a broader family of wearables that target different needs and budgets across the health and fitness market.
Apple is no longer content with one Apple Watch shape and one idea of what a smartwatch should be. According to Mark Gurman, Apple’s industrial design team has spent the past year exploring a “broader rethink” of its smartwatch lineup, including devices without screens, new display designs and additional sizes and price tiers. Apple is reportedly exploring a revamped smartwatch lineup with new designs, form factors, and even a screenless fitness tracker. This is not a minor refresh; it could become one of the biggest changes to the Apple Watch since its launch in 2015. The message is clear: Apple intends to turn Apple Watch from a single hero product into an ecosystem of wearables tuned to different types of users.
Why Apple suddenly cares about screenless fitness trackers
Apple’s rethink has a simple trigger: Apple Watch competition from wearables that do less on the surface but more in the background. Smart rings and screen-free fitness trackers are giving consumers more options, and Apple plans to overhaul the Apple Watch lineup as these new types of wearables gain traction. Devices such as Whoop bands and Oura rings show there is demand for smaller wearables built around passive health tracking rather than apps, notifications, and frequent screen interaction.
One of the devices under consideration is a screenless fitness tracker designed to compete with Whoop and Google’s recently launched Fitbit Air. Apple is taking the increasing popularity of such alternative fitness wearables seriously and has even considered launching its own screenless device. A screenless Apple device could give the company a more direct competitor in that category while leaving the traditional Apple Watch to serve users who want a full smartwatch. This is Apple admitting that not every wrist needs a glowing rectangle; some users only want invisible, continuous monitoring, not another screen to manage.
Round displays, ceramic cases and the end of one-size-fits-all
Instead of chasing one perfect design, Apple is openly flirting with multiple paths at once. Apple is evaluating smartwatches with different display types and new size options, and has reportedly considered a circular display Apple Watch. A round Apple Watch has been explored, although Gurman says it is unlikely to make it to market, and he also notes that such a model may never see the light of day. Even if it never ships, the exploration shows Apple is willing to challenge the rounded-rectangle shape it has guarded for a decade.
At the same time, Apple plans to overhaul the Apple Watch lineup as new types of wearables start gaining traction, and that includes materials and tiers, not just shapes. The company supposedly wants to reintroduce a ceramic casing for Apple Watch, and is considering expanding the lineup with new premium and budget-friendly models. Apple is also reportedly considering changes to the number of wearable devices it offers, adding more sizes and price points. This is the opposite of Apple’s old playbook: instead of one flagship, expect a spectrum from budget screen wearables to ultra-premium ceramic hardware.
What it means for users: more choice, more fragmentation
For ordinary users, this Apple Watch redesign is less about tech novelty and more about choice. A screenless Apple device could give Apple a more direct competitor to passive trackers while leaving existing Apple Watch models for people who want full smartwatch features. That approach could allow Apple to target a wider range of consumers while creating more opportunities to sell wearable devices across different price points. Introducing these options could help Apple reach people who do not want to spend hundreds on a smartwatch, while also giving existing customers more reasons to upgrade to premium devices.
The catch is complexity. Multiple form factors, screenless trackers, circular display Apple Watch concepts and ceramic chassis options risk turning a once straightforward product into a maze. Apple is exploring several options, including launching more affordable and premium models to cater to the low-end and high-end markets, while also considering devices without screens, new display designs and additional sizes and price tiers. If Apple manages this well, users get a tailored wearable; if it stumbles, buyers will be left guessing which Apple Watch is “the real one.”
Timeline: incremental updates now, big changes later
This overhaul is not landing tomorrow. A major redesign could still be a year or two away, meaning Apple’s current smartwatch design will likely remain in place while the company works on what comes next. Before any radically new Apple Watch arrives, Apple will launch Apple Watch Series 12, and the upcoming Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are expected to bring improvements under the hood, including a performance boost.
According to Gurman, the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are likely to receive incremental updates such as a new chip, health and fitness improvements, new colors and bands, and possibly the return of ceramic cases. Apple could bring back a ceramic Apple Watch case later this year or sometime in 2027. Meanwhile, the reported experimentation comes as Apple seeks to reinvigorate its Wearables, Home and Accessories business and respond to competitors that approach wearable technology differently. The conclusion is unavoidable: the Apple Watch we know is living on borrowed time. The next chapter will not be one watch, but a portfolio designed to keep Whoop, Oura, and every other challenger at arm’s length.
