Gurman points out the other than the new bands, Apple’s 2026 watches are unlikely to look much different than the ones released over the past several years. Instead, upgrades will once again be on the inside. He doesn’t mention whether there will be any new sensors, but he spotlights an upgrade to an existing one. Apple is reportedly testing the ability of the heart-rate sensor to “continuously collect data throughout the day.”
As it currently works, Apple’s heart-rate sensor only monitors your heart rate in real time for workouts, Breathe and Reflect sessions, and when you open the Heart Rate app. It also takes sporadic readings throughout the day to check for unusually high, low, or irregular rhythms. This new feature would allow it to work all day to get a clearer and constant picture of your health.
He also says Apple is “revamping its fitness and health app software” to better compete with screenless trackers from Whoop and Oura. As we wrote in our comparison test, Whoop has a superior app experience, which includes a journal of daily habits to personalize the fitness experience. Gurman says the refresh will “show more wellness-related metrics.”
Finally, Gurman says Apple is indeed working on “a big redesign,” as has been rumored for a while, but it’s still at least a year away.
