Apple Watch Ultra 4 could get a new design and blood pressure measurement
According to DigiTimes, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 could feature a completely new design and blood pressure monitoring. Apple will apparently integrate a new hypertension warning function into the Apple Watch. This will use the optical heart rate sensor on the back of the device to analyze the blood vessels’ response to each heartbeat and issue a warning if abnormalities are detected. The feature is currently under FDA review.
It’s not entirely clear how this new feature differs from the blood pressure alert feature Apple introduced last fall with watchOS 26. That feature uses the optical heart sensor to analyze blood vessel responses over a 30-day period. According to DigiTimes, previous Apple Watch models already had blood pressure measurement capabilities, and the new feature appears to be a refined or clinically validated implementation of the underlying hardware.
Apple’s next health monitoring features are expected to focus on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, a feature Apple has been pursuing for several years and for which government approval is still pending.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 with a new design
The report largely aligns with a DigiTimes report from last year, which stated that at least one new Apple Watch model would feature a “comprehensive redesign.” Given that the Watch Ultra 3 has virtually the same design as the first model, a major update for the Apple Watch Ultra 4 wouldn’t be a huge surprise.
Supplier sources had already hinted at changes to the external design, including eight sensors arranged in a ring on the back of the device. Today’s update describes the changes more clearly, speaking of a “complete redesign” and a “significant improvement in sensor capabilities.” Touch ID, however, is unlikely to be included in the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
According to market observers quoted in the report, the redesign could increase Apple Watch shipments by 20 to 30 percent compared to 2025. The sensor upgrades are expected to give a significant boost to Taiwan-Asia Semiconductor (TASC), Apple’s exclusive supplier of sensor components, with large orders anticipated as early as July.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is expected to be unveiled in the fall of 2026, along with the Apple Watch Series 12, the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra.
