Apple Watch is set to get Apple Intelligence this year, but only with a little help from a friend

Apple launched its version of AI in the form of Apple Intelligence back in June 2024, before releasing it to compatible devices towards the end of last year.

But while the latest iPhone models, MacBooks and iPads running Apple silicon chips, and even Vision Pro have all had a dose of Apple Intelligence, there’s one product missing – the Apple Watch.

That could change with watchOS 12. It is claimed that Apple will reveal that it's the latest to get Apple Intelligence features, most likely during Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June this year.

Although we won’t know for sure what those will entail, there have been some speculation on what might appear. And how it will work.

What can we expect from watchOS 12?

One of the biggest upgrades tipped for the Watch is Apple Intelligence. However, it seems that rather than running the AI-powered tools on the smartwatch itself, you will need a compatible iPhone to do much of the leg work.

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who generally has a decent track record with Apple leaks, “the company is branding a new set [of] features as 'powered by Apple Intelligence' (even though the device isn’t actually running the AI models directly)”.

Gurman doesn't reveal any specifics on the features coming, and as 9to5Mac adds, the Apple Watch already runs a couple of Apple Intelligence features through iPhone – including Reduce Interruptions Focus and Notification Summaries. Presumably, there will be a few more coming with the new software.

There's plenty of potential for the use of AI in a smartwatch – Samsung uses it for its Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra for the Sleep Score and Energy Score, for example, two features we'd love to see on Apple Watch.

For now though, we will have to wait and see what is confirmed for watchOS 12 and what Apple Intelligence brings to Apple's smartwatch.