Apple is testing always-on heart-rate tracking and a redesigned health and fitness app for its next Apple Watch models, according to ’s Mark Gurman. The changes would give Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 users a more continuous stream of health data, not just the bursts they get now during workouts and at random.
The renewed push is drawing attention because it suggests Apple is trying to make the watch feel less like a rings-and-goals device and more like a true health tracker. Michael, who says he already owns a WHOOP and prefers its app for learning from health data, would be exactly the kind of user Apple is chasing with a broader software overhaul.
Gurman said Apple is also working on revamping its fitness and health app software to show more wellness-related metrics in a way similar to WHOOP and Oura. That matters because the current Apple Watch experience still centers on activity rings, even as Apple looks to add a richer layer of information for people who want more than calories, steps and exercise summaries.
The reporting leaves one key piece unresolved: Apple has not said which specific wellness measurements would appear in the redesigned app. It is clear, though, that the company is testing the heart-rate sensor to record all day rather than only during workouts and at random, which would make the watch’s health data feel more complete without changing the hardware alone.
There is also a design angle. Apple is reportedly testing a ceramic version with two finishes, a traditional white and a dark gray, along with many new band colors and configurations. said Apple is pushing to have a big redesign for its watch ready by next year, though the plan could slip to the year after. The current design language was introduced in 2024 with Apple Watch Series 12, when Apple made the watch much thinner at the compromise of bezels, so the next update would build on a look users already know rather than start from scratch.
For Apple, the stakes are straightforward: the company is trying to turn a familiar fitness accessory into a more serious health companion without losing the simplicity that made the watch popular in the first place. The real test is whether the next redesign arrives with enough new wellness data to change how people use it, or whether Apple is still chasing the kind of depth competitors have already made their selling point.
