In his latest Power On newsletter, Apple expert Mark Gurman shares that the Apple Watch will not feature onboard Apple Intelligence; however, it will still include AI-enhanced functionalities. Although the Apple Watch will not undergo a significant redesign, Gurman mentions that users can expect some fresh interface elements and a glimpse into the broader changes happening at Apple.
Further details about these updates will be unveiled during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Gurman notes that the key topics for the June event will be Apple Intelligence and an initiative internally known as Solarium, which is a new design framework Apple aims to implement across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
“The watch currently lacks Apple Intelligence, and this won’t change with the upcoming watchOS 12 release. Nonetheless, there will be a new set of features labeled as ‘powered by Apple Intelligence’ even though the device won’t run the AI models natively,” Gurman stated.
Although these features have yet to be confirmed, previous speculations point to potential additions such as notification summaries and other similar capabilities for the wearable. Additionally, an anticipated overhaul of Siri might be introduced to the iPhone via an over-the-air update.
Gurman also hinted that Apple has plans for hardware upgrades to the Apple Watch in the “next couple of years,” although he did not specify an exact timeline. He mentioned the possibility of AI-enabled cameras being incorporated into both the Apple Watch and potentially the Apple AirPods, inspired by the success of Meta’s eyewear.
While we don’t have a precise timeline for when these updates might occur, it’s clear that Apple is ramping up its research to stay competitive. More information will likely be shared in June during WWDC, with the updates expected to roll out in the following months.
