Apple Watch Could Get a Round Screen, Ceramic Case, and Screenless Sibling
Apple is reportedly weighing its biggest rethink of the Apple Watch since the product launched, according to a new report on the company's plans that surfaced today. The ideas on the table include a round-faced model, a screenless fitness tracker to compete with devices like the Oura Ring, and the return of a ceramic case option that has been absent from the lineup for six years. None of it is close to shipping, and Apple has not settled on a final direction.
A round screen and a screenless sibling
The report describes Apple's industrial design team exploring several form factors that would break from the rectangular face the Apple Watch has used since 2015. A round-display model is one option under discussion, though it is reportedly considered unlikely to actually ship. More plausible, according to the same reporting, is a screenless fitness band aimed squarely at the growing market for smart rings and display-free trackers.
Apple is said to be considering new price tiers to go with the redesign too: a premium option positioned above the current Ultra and Hermès models, and a cheaper alternative that would sit below the existing Apple Watch SE. The changes are being framed internally as a response to a wearables business that has cooled off, alongside a parallel push to rebuild the Health app around AI.
Ceramic is coming back — the timing is the open question
Separately, the same report says Apple is planning to reintroduce a ceramic case, possibly as soon as this year or in 2027. Ceramic has a long, inconsistent history on the Apple Watch: it debuted on the Series 2 Edition in 2016, gained a gray option on the Series 3, disappeared entirely on the Series 4, returned in white on the Series 5 in 2019, and has not been offered since the Series 6 launched in 2020. Apple markets the material — compressed zirconia and alumina powder polished with a diamond slurry — as roughly four times harder than stainless steel, and the last ceramic Edition models started at more than three times the price of a base aluminum Apple Watch.
Reporting has not narrowed down which series ceramic would return on first, so treat both the 2026 and 2027 windows as live possibilities rather than a confirmed date.
What's actually shipping this fall
None of the redesign work applies to the watches Apple is expected to announce alongside the next iPhones in September. That lineup is shaping up as an iterative update — Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 with new chips, additional color options, and fitness feature refinements — rather than anything structurally new. Apple has already been nudging the current lineup forward in smaller ways, including a watchOS update that restored single-tap workout starts after months of complaints, and it recently raised US trade-in values across the Watch, iPhone, Mac, and iPad lines.
How solid is this, really
This is a leak, not a roadmap. It comes from a single well-sourced report rather than an Apple announcement, spec sheet, or filing, and the round-screen concept in particular is explicitly flagged as unlikely to reach customers. The screenless tracker and the ceramic case return read as more concrete, but neither has a confirmed launch date or model name attached. Anyone shopping this September should expect familiar Apple Watch shapes, not a round face or a screenless band.
What this means if you're due for an upgrade
- If you want ceramic specifically, there is no guarantee it lands this year — it could just as easily be a 2027 option.
- The round-screen concept is the least likely of the three to ship at all, based on current reporting.
- Buyers who just need this year's update should expect Series 12 and Ultra 4 with incremental hardware, not a form-factor change.
- Anyone interested in a screenless option should watch for more concrete details closer to a formal Apple announcement rather than assuming a release window.
Apple's own September event will settle what actually ships this year. The bigger redesign, if it happens at all, is still described as years out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Apple really making a round Apple Watch?
It's being explored internally, but a new report on Apple's plans describes a round-screen model as unlikely to actually ship. Treat it as one design direction under consideration, not a confirmed product.
When is the ceramic Apple Watch case coming back?
Reporting points to either this year or 2027, without naming a specific model. Ceramic previously appeared on the Series 2, 3, and 5 before being dropped after the Series 6 in 2020.
Will the Apple Watch Series 12 have a new design?
No. The Series 12 and Ultra 4, expected at Apple's September event alongside new iPhones, are shaped up as iterative updates with new chips and colors rather than a structural redesign.
What is the screenless Apple Watch fitness tracker?
It's a display-free wearable Apple is reportedly considering to compete with smart rings and screenless fitness bands. No name, price, or release window has been reported yet.
How reliable is this Apple Watch redesign report?
It comes from a single well-sourced report rather than an Apple filing or announcement, and Apple has not finalized a direction. The round-screen idea is flagged as the least likely of the concepts to reach production.
