Get ready for Apple's event with this quick summary of the wearables being rumored
Apple is widely expected to announce a series of new smartwatches at its annual September showcase later today, 9 September.
The keynote will be broadcast from the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, kicking off at 10:00am PT. And while the main event will undoubtedly be the iPhone 17 unveiling, we’ll leave the analysis of camera lenses and the like to everybody else—we’re only concerned with getting a first look at the next generation of the Apple Watch lineup.
Here are the smartwatches and wearables we’re expecting to see announced.
Business as usual for the Series line
As we’ve been tracking since the start of 2025, a trio of new watches is widely expected to be unveiled. But the headliner is likely to be—as usual—the brand’s update to the mid-range, appeal-to-all Apple Watch, this time in the form of the Series 11.
An identical design to last year’s Series 10 is likely, given that Apple typically only delivers major cosmetic refreshes to the Series lineup every fourth new iteration, which leaves plenty of room for internal and software upgrades.
We’re hoping to see the introduction of advanced new health sensors, with persistent whispers suggesting this could be the year for features like blood pressure monitoring.
A more significant refresh for the Ultra line
The Ultra 3 is also hotly anticipated—especially after being skipped over last year.
The Ultra 2 (released in 2023) was already quite an iterative update on the original Ultra from 2022. And this, combined with the fact that the premium smartwatch market has exploded since, means the pressure is on to deliver a meaningful upgrade.
The most trustworthy Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors point to satellite capabilities (akin to the just-announced Google Pixel Watch 4), as well as a slight bump to the display size. But we’d wager Apple has a few more tricks up its sleeve after waiting this long to introduce the third instalment.
A long-awaited upgrade at the entry-level
Rounding out the potential lineup is the Apple Watch SE 3.
It’s been years since Apple last updated its budget-friendly smartwatch, with the SE 2 debuting in 20022. And though it’s a smartwatch that held up in our long-term testing, it’s now long overdue.
We expect the SE 3 to inherit key features from previous flagships, such as the S9 SiP and the Double Tap gesture, making it once again a superb value option in that lower mid-range market.
What about AirPods?
Last-minute rumors strongly suggest we’ll also see the long-awaited AirPods Pro 3 announced and available to buy from today.
Given that the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 delivered a surprise heart rate monitoring feature, Apple’s all-purpose headphones may do the same. And the final leaks suggest they will.
Again, the real story is the smartwatches. So, clear your schedule for later today, as we’ll be covering all the announcements with our first impressions and expert analysis from the event.
