The WWDC updates for watchOS 27 are expected to be minimal thanks to Apple's stability focus. However, Apple is rumored to be improving the heart-rate tracking with the new fall update.
The WWDC 2026 keynote is a few weeks away, and the excitement is all about AI and iOS 27's changes. While you can expect some tweaks to watchOS 27, it seems like there won't be that many visible changes on the way.
In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, the watchOS update will focus on stability, performance, and refinements. There will be changes, but most will be to improve the existing features rather than add new ones to the software.
This apparently includes more improvements to the way the Apple Watch tracks the wearer's heart rate. However, Gurman doesn't say what this will entail.
Previously, Gurman wrote that Apple was porting the Modular face from the Apple Watch Ultra to the other models. This entails Apple removing a row of three small complications that appear above the time, as well as the information that surrounds the bezel.
Managerial updates
watchOS 27 isn't the only thing that's seeing some changes hidden or barely observable by users. There have been some more managerial changes within Apple as well.
Gurman mentions the departure of Stan Ng, who retired from his role as VP of Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing in April. His replacement covering health, home, and Apple Watch, is Kaiann Drance, a manager of iPhone product marketing who insiders believe could become the overall marketing chief.
There has also been a change in oversight for the long-running non-invasive glucose monitoring project. Apple handed control of the project from platform architecture chief Tim Millet over to Zongjian Chen.
Chen is the senior engineering leader managing modems and the Advanced Technologies Group. It is proposed that Chen's involvement is an indication that Apple is getting somewhere with the technology, and may actually bring it to consumers at some point.
There have been projections of it landing in 2027, but it could easily arrive at a much later time.
