A screenless Apple Watch. Let that sink in for a second. That’s one of the actual directions Apple is reportedly exploring as it thinks about what the next generation of its smartwatch lineup could look like. And honestly? It makes more sense than it sounds.
According to Engadget, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple is considering new devices with no displays, different types of screens, and various sizes, as it figures out how to overhaul its smartwatch lineup. Nothing is locked in yet. Apple hasn’t committed to a specific direction, and any major redesign is still at least a year or two away. But the fact that Apple is thinking this broadly about the Watch’s future tells you a lot about the pressure it’s facing.
That pressure has a name: Whoop. And other fitness-focused wearables that ditch the screen entirely. These devices have built real audiences among athletes and health-obsessed users who don’t need a tiny display on their wrist. They want data, battery life, and a slim profile. Apple is clearly paying attention to that shift, because ignoring it would mean leaving a growing slice of the wearables market to competitors.
On the other end of the spectrum, Gurman reports Apple is also looking at expanding its lineup with more premium options beyond the Ultra and Hermès models, while also pushing lower with something cheaper than the Apple Watch SE. That’s a wide range to cover, and it suggests Apple wants the Watch to stop being a one-size-fits-most product.
Before any of that happens, there are some smaller but still welcome changes reportedly coming in 2026 or 2027:
- The return of the ceramic case option
- New watch colors and band choices
- Health and fitness feature upgrades
- Deeper integration with a revamped Siri
The Series 12 and Ultra 4, which are up next, aren’t expected to bring anything dramatic. So if you’re holding out for a big design change, you’re probably waiting until 2027 at the earliest. But the direction Apple is heading, more sizes, more price points, possibly no screen at all, shows the Watch is due for its most interesting era yet.