DigiTimes Asia is out today with a new report saying Apple Watch sales in the first half of 2025 came in about 10% above expectations. Still, the more interesting part of the report touches on what to expect from a very promising 2026 lineup. Here are the details.
Strong 2025 momentum heading into Series 11 launch
According to the report, sales look promising for the third quarter peak season, which comes after a challenging, but successful, last few months:
“Despite challenges from tariffs and macroeconomic factors dampening consumer electronics demand, the supply chain confirms that Apple’s early procurement in the first half of 2025 is outperforming initial forecasts by approximately 10%.”
The report says that beyond the Apple Intelligence-based features announced at WWDC25 for watchOS 26, the upcoming Apple Watch Series 11 lineup (including the new Apple Watch Ultra 3) may debut blood pressure detection. However, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring “remains constrained by medical regulations, technological development, and patent disputes.”
In its first iteration, they claim the blood pressure detection feature will focus on spotting trends and issuing abnormality alerts, which, if accurate, would be similar to how recent additions like temperature monitoring work.
2026 lineup: More sensors, new design, and better efficiency
According to the report, based on “supply chain insiders,” next year’s Apple Watch lineup will focus on three aspects:
“First, the number of sensor components will double; second, there will be alterations to the exterior design; and third, power efficiency will improve significantly.”
While the report doesn’t detail exactly which sensors are coming to next year’s “high-end Apple Watch” models, it says they’ll reduce the devices’ reliance on algorithmic data interpretation, a change that could improve both performance and battery life.
They also claim that while rumors are circulating about the high-end Apple Watch getting “a significant redesign,” Apple will likely not change the aspect of the circular sensor array under the Apple Watch, despite doubling the sensors.
The report contains quite a bit of hedging, but if the details are accurate, 2026 could bring one of the more exciting Apple Watch upgrades in recent years, with multiple new sensors and a redesign.
Would a blood pressure sensor convince you to get a new Apple Watch? Let us know in the comments.
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