Apple's Watch Makeover: Screenless Tracker and New Forms

Design rooms have a way of telling secrets: sketches pinned to cork, prototype cases on a table, designers arguing over millimeters. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that's where Apple has been for the last year—quietly reimagining the Watch lineup.

The company’s industrial design team, according to Gurman's Power On newsletter, has been testing a range of ideas. Some are subtle: fresh colors, new band styles, a ceramic finish making a comeback. Others are bolder—changes to display shapes, different sizes, and even a device that drops the screen entirely.

Yes, really: a screenless fitness tracker. Think less wrist as mini-smartphone and more wrist as dedicated health tool. It’s the kind of device aimed directly at Whoop users and the crowd curious about Google's new Fitbit Air. What would Apple bring to that territory? Better sensors, tighter integration with Health, and the kind of ecosystem glue only Apple can offer.

Beyond the screenless concept, designers reportedly explored multiple display technologies and form factors. A round Apple Watch showed up in discussions, sketches, and perhaps early mockups. Still, Gurman cautions it’s unlikely to ever clear the finish line—round faces complicate app layouts and the glanceable interface Apple prioritizes.

Apple is also weighing both premium and budget moves across the lineup, signaling a push to widen its audience without abandoning its high-end identity. That could mean models above the current top tier, and alternatives below the Apple Watch SE—devices that lower the price of entry while keeping Apple’s health and safety features within reach.

Timing is flexible. Gurman suggests a ceramic case may return as soon as later this year or in 2027, and a palette of new colors and bands is on the horizon to help refresh the line without a full hardware overhaul.

All of this paints a picture of a company no longer content to iterate at the edges. Instead, Apple seems to be asking: what if the Watch could be a dozen things, not just one? Watch for product announcements and design patents—because if history is any guide, the sketches in those design rooms eventually show up on wrists.