The next version of WatchOS is about to get a slimmed-down version of the Watch Ultra’s iconic dial, alongside several others, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Whether this means the latest version of the operating system will primarily be a cosmetic upgrade, or whether Apple has remained tight-lipped on WatchOS 27, remains to be seen.
With WWDC2026 just around the corner, most eyes are on iOS 27, which is expected to include the Siri powered by Google Gemini to bolster Apple’s AI efforts, but rumors about the latest WatchOS features have been minimal.
According to Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple has several new watch faces in the works for the next version of WatchOS, but the most well-known of them is also the most notable. A new modular watch face is expected to appear, which borrows heavily from the Modular Ultra watch face.
The modular face of the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple/Screenshot by CNETThe new watch face would have removed the large complication in the center, the three small complications above the clock, and the surrounding information around the bezel. What’s left is a stripped-down version of the original: a massive clock that takes up the top two-thirds of the screen, with three small complication options below it.
Simplifying this specific watch face could be an attempt to make it more accessible for the standard Apple Watch line, while still providing visual information with the three complication options.
Apple Watch users should get another watch face before WatchOS 27. With the release of WatchOS 26.5, a new Pride Luminance watch face will be introduced, alongside a accompanying watch strap in time for Pride Month in June.
A smartwatch with new watch faces is as exciting as telling the time itself. It’s not particularly exciting – although it’s something that comes from a high-end model.
An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
