A redesigned Apple Watch could arrive this year

(Image credit: Future)

By John McCann

published 13 January 2025

in News

Quick Summary

The Apple Watch SE 3 is set to launch this year, with potentially its biggest overhaul ever.

Watch 11 and Watch Ultra 3 could also receive updates when they also arrive later this year, albeit minor ones.

Apple Watch is set for a big year, with the latest rumours pointing towards an entirely new Watch SE in 2025. There should also be refreshes for the firm’s main Watch and Ultra line-ups.

According to well-connected insider Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the Cupertino, California based firm is readying the next generation of its "affordable" smartwatch that’ll “sport a new look”.

Gurman (via 9to5Mac) doesn’t reveal much else about the new Apple Watch SE 3, but considering his strong track record of garnering early information on launches like this, there’s a very good chance a major refresh for the SE line is in the works.

We’ve only seen two generations of the Watch SE, with the smartwatch originally launching in 2020 alongside the Apple Watch Series 6. The second generation Watch SE 2 then arrived in 2022 with an updated chipset, improved Bluetooth, a pair of new sensors, and a slightly refined body.

Overall, the upgrades over the original Watch SE were relatively minor, which means the significant design changes Gurman is talking about for 2025 could well be the biggest change in the model’s life to date.

We’d expect this to mean slimmer bezels round the display and a more refined body, while Gurman has previously suggested a future SE model could come with a plastic frame rather than metal.

Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3

Don’t get your hopes up for any major redesign of Apple’s two other Watch lines though, as Gurman also notes the Apple Watch 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 will aesthetically “probably stay roughly the same” versus their predecessors.

There will be plenty new to talk about for both though, with internal changes and upgrades including rumoured high blood pressure detection and an AI coaching service – plus the Watch Ultra 3 is tipped to get satellite connectivity for when you’re adventuring off-grid.

Whatever Apple has in store for us, we’ll likely need to wait until September and the iPhone 17 launch for news on any updates to the entire Watch line, as they tend to be announced in tandem with the next generation smartphone.

If you simply can’t wait until September for the new Apple Watch series, visit our best Apple Watch deals roundup to get the best price on your next Watch.

John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s reported on pretty much every area of consumer technology, from laptops, tablets, smartwatches and smartphones to smart speakers, automotive, headphones and more. During his time in journalism, John has written for TechRadar, T3, Shortlist, What Laptop, Windows 8 magazine, Gizmodo UK, Saga Magazine and Saga Exceptional, and he’s appeared in the Evening Standard and Metro newspapers.

Outside of work, John is a passionate Watford FC and Green Bay Packers fan, enjoys a Sunday afternoon watching the F1, and is also a Guinness World Record Holder.