The Apple Watch continues to expand its health capabilities in 2026, while a rumoured screen-free wearable could offer a quieter alternative for those seeking fewer notifications.
Apple’s September event schedule traditionally covers its key portable products, including iPhone, AirPods and the Apple Watch. This year followed that pattern, with new wrist-mounted models placing a strong emphasis on health.
Expanded health sensors and Readiness scoring
Apple has introduced a new health-sensing system featuring an expanded electrode surface area, additional electrodes and an improved photodiode array. The device now checks the wearer’s heart every five seconds, providing insight into how heart rate varies throughout the day.
A new Readiness score offers a straightforward way to gauge a user’s capacity to exercise or manage the day ahead. While it stops short of directly prompting users to sleep more or work out, the metric is designed to encourage greater attention to personal wellbeing.
These developments tie into changes across the Health app on iPhone and iPad, which now makes greater use of Apple Intelligence. Among the additions is a Health Age feature, which compares a user’s physiological age against their actual age, presenting a clearer picture of overall fitness.
A rumoured screen-free tracker
Alongside the new models, reports emerged this week that Apple has been prototyping a new fitness and health tracker. Unlike the Apple Watch, this device is said to be designed not as a compact iPhone for the wrist, but rather as a collection of sensors that passes data to a paired iPhone.
The concept mirrors trackers such as those produced by Whoop, which gather activity data without offering a screen or direct on-device information. Such a device would not present metrics to the wearer directly, instead relying on the iPhone to display collected data.
The distinction highlights a key characteristic of the current Apple Watch. Alongside its strong data-collection abilities, the wearable frequently delivers notifications to the wrist, prompting users to glance at their device throughout the day. A screen-free tracker would remove that constant stream of alerts while still capturing health and activity information.
The rumoured tracker remains at the prototype stage, with Apple continuing to develop the wider health features across its wearable and mobile products.
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Image: appleinsider.com
