Apple Watch Series 12 May Bring Battery Gains

Apple’s Apple Watch Series 12 is now roughly two months away, and the clearest rumor so far is a familiar one: better performance and battery life.

According to MacRumors, leaked Apple code indicates the Series 12 will get a new chip after a one-year pause. The current Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3 all use the same S10 chip as the previous generation. It is not yet clear whether Apple will brand the new processor as S11 or S12, but a speed bump is expected either way.

The other more credible upgrade is longer battery life. A known leaker on Weibo said Apple is focusing on extending endurance for the Series 12. Apple currently rates the Series 11 for up to 24 hours on a charge, or up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode.

Less certain are two more ambitious changes. One is Touch ID, which MacRumors says also appeared in leaked Apple code. If Apple ships it, the fingerprint sensor would likely sit in the watch’s side button, letting users unlock the device with a fingerprint instead of a passcode. But the report notes there is no guarantee Apple will follow through: one leaker has disputed the claim, while Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have not said Touch ID is coming this year.

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Another rumor, from leaker Kosutami, claims the Series 12 could use a watch band with at least one health sensor built in. That would be a first for the Apple Watch, which currently places its health sensors directly on the watch itself.

If Apple sticks to its usual schedule, the Apple Watch Series 12 should arrive in September.