watchOS 27 brings these new Apple Watch features
Apple will unveil watchOS 27 at its WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8, and several new features are already circulating in the rumor mill. The first developer beta should be available immediately after the keynote, with a public beta typically following in July. The update is expected to be released in September for all users with a compatible Apple Watch model. Below, we summarize the rumors so far.
watchOS 27 with improved heart rate measurement
In his newsletter “Power On” today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that watchOS 27 will include improvements to heart rate measurement, without going into detail.
New modular dial
According to Gurman, watchOS 27 will also add new watch faces, including a variant of the “Modular Ultra” watch face, which is currently exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra.
New Apple Intelligence features
Under watchOS 26, the following Apple Intelligence features are available on an Apple Watch when paired with an iPhone 15 Pro or later:
- Training partner
- Live translation in news
- Summaries of the notifications
When Apple announced the dates for WWDC 2026, the company promised to showcase “AI advancements” on its platforms, and it is reasonable to assume that watchOS 27 will include some additional Apple Intelligence features supported by the iPhone.
New satellite features
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 has a built-in satellite connection that enables emergency SOS calls, “Where is?” and messaging via satellite without the need for an iPhone.
iOS 27 is reportedly set to include up to five new satellite features, and the following two are expected to extend to watchOS 27 as well:
- Apple Maps via satellite
- Photos support the transmission of messages via satellite.
Last month, Amazon announced plans to acquire Globalstar, the satellite company that enables Apple’s satellite capabilities on the iPhone 14 and later models, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 3. In return, Amazon announced it had signed an agreement with Apple to provide satellite connectivity for current and future iPhone and Apple Watch features.
Stability focus
According to Gurman, Apple is focusing primarily on stability, performance, and minor improvements with watchOS 27, rather than major new features. This suggests that the update could include numerous bug fixes.
