Apple’s Next Apple Watch Could Have No Display

Apple Could Be Preparing Its Most Unusual Watch Yet

For more than a decade, the Apple Watch has followed a familiar formula: a screen on your wrist, powerful health sensors, notifications, apps, and increasingly advanced features. But Apple could now be preparing to completely change that formula.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring a new type of wearable that could arrive without a display at all. Instead of functioning like a traditional smartwatch, this device would focus almost entirely on health and fitness tracking, taking inspiration from products like Whoop and Oura.

And if Apple actually brings this product to market, it could become one of the most unusual additions to the Apple Watch family yet.

An Apple Watch Without a Screen?

The basic idea is surprisingly simple.

Apple could create a wearable that continuously tracks your health and activity without giving you a screen to interact with. There would be no traditional watch face, no apps directly on your wrist, and potentially no constant stream of notifications demanding your attention.

Instead, the device would collect data in the background and send that information to your iPhone and Apple Health ecosystem.

It could potentially monitor activities such as workouts, sleep, heart rate, recovery, and other health-related metrics while keeping the hardware smaller and simpler.

This would put Apple much closer to the approach already taken by Whoop and other screenless fitness trackers.

Why Would Apple Remove the Display?

At first, removing the screen might sound like a strange decision for Apple. After all, the display is one of the defining features of the Apple Watch.

But there is a strong argument for going screenless.

Without a display, Apple could potentially make the device smaller, lighter, and less expensive. It could also reduce distractions while improving battery life, depending on the final design.

That is exactly what makes products like Whoop interesting. They are designed to disappear into your daily routine rather than constantly demanding your attention.

Apple appears to be taking this trend seriously.

The company could essentially offer a wearable for people who want Apple's health and fitness ecosystem without actually needing another screen in their lives.

Apple Could Be Rethinking the Entire Watch Lineup

The screenless wearable may only be one part of a much bigger change.

According to Gurman, Apple's industrial design team is reportedly exploring what the future of the Apple Watch could look like, with the company considering what he describes as “revolutionary design changes.”

That could eventually mean completely new shapes and form factors.

One possibility reportedly being considered is a round Apple Watch. Apple has maintained its distinctive rectangular design since the original Apple Watch, so moving to a circular design would represent a major departure.

The company could also explore more premium versions of the watch, including the possibility of bringing back a ceramic model.

What About an Apple Smart Ring?

Apple's wearable ambitions may not stop with watches.

The company has also reportedly continued exploring the idea of a smart ring, although it remains unclear whether Apple will actually launch one.

A ring could complement Apple's health ecosystem by providing continuous health and fitness tracking in an even smaller form factor.

However, unlike the screenless wearable, the Apple Ring remains much more uncertain.

Apple Health Could Be Driving This Change

Another interesting part of the story is Apple's growing focus on health.

Apple executive Eddy Cue is now also responsible for Apple Health and has reportedly been a fan of products from companies such as Whoop and Oura.

That could be significant because these companies have built their products around a simple philosophy: collect as much health data as possible without necessarily putting a screen in front of the user.

Apple already has one of the world's largest wearable ecosystems, so bringing a similar concept into its own lineup could allow the company to reach people who don't want a conventional smartwatch.

Don't Expect It This Year

Despite all these possibilities, this screenless Apple Watch is not expected to arrive immediately.

Apple's product development roadmaps often stretch across several years, and Gurman suggests that this particular transformation will take time.

There has reportedly been no final decision on the product yet, meaning Apple could still change its plans or decide not to launch it at all.

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are also not expected to bring these radical changes. Instead, the next generation is likely to focus more on internal improvements rather than a completely new design philosophy.

The Future of Apple Watch Could Be Very Different

The Apple Watch has now been around for more than 11 years, and Apple has steadily expanded what its wearable can do.

But the next major evolution may not be about adding more features.

It could actually be about removing one of the biggest features—the display itself.

A screenless Apple wearable would give Apple a way to compete directly with Whoop-style fitness trackers while expanding its health ecosystem into a completely different category.

And if Apple can combine its health technology, sensors, software, and ecosystem into a device that simply works quietly in the background, this could be much more than just a cheaper Apple Watch.

It could represent a completely new direction for Apple's wearable strategy.