Top Features to Expect in WatchOS 12 for Apple Watch Users

Apple's upcoming WatchOS 12 update arrives at a critical moment as Apple Watch sales have declined by 19% in 2024 amid rising competition from devices like the Oura ring. This new software version represents an opportunity for Apple to reinvigorate its wearable platform with meaningful enhancements that address long-standing user requests and emerging market demands.

Improved Battery Life and Power Efficiency

Battery longevity remains the top priority for many Apple Watch users. Despite faster charging in the Series 10, battery life has not significantly improved. Users hope WatchOS 12 will introduce smarter power management features such as adaptive battery-saving modes and more efficient bedtime settings to extend daily usage. Software optimizations alone, as seen in Google's Wear OS 6 improvements, can yield meaningful gains without hardware changes.

User Interface Enhancements and Customization

While Apple has improved UI customization over the years, the app list remains limited to grid or list views without options to sort by frequency or favorites, leading to inefficient navigation. Watch face customization is also constrained to Apple's templates. Users desire a watch face store and diverse collections, including those representing underrepresented communities, to enhance personalization and inclusivity.

Expanded Gesture Controls

Introduced in WatchOS 10, gesture controls have proven useful but remain limited. Users seek more programmable gestures beyond the double pinch, such as gestures to ping the iPhone, enabling hands-free interactions especially when multitasking or carrying items. This would enhance accessibility and convenience.

Integration of Apple Intelligence Features

Though the Apple Watch lacks onboard AI processing power, leveraging Apple Intelligence via the iPhone could enable new features like Genmoji, which creates custom emojis from prompts, adding personality to wrist-based messaging. Additionally, smarter notification management, including spam filtering and streamlined reporting directly from the watch, would reduce clutter and improve user experience.

Advancements in Siri and Voice Assistance

Siri improvements in Series 9 and later models are welcome but offline functionality and contextual understanding remain limited. Users desire a smarter, more context-aware assistant that can handle requests accurately on the first try and provide concise, relevant responses without defaulting to web links, which are impractical on a small screen.

Customizable Workouts and Fitness Tracking

Current workout metrics do not account for external factors like added weight or resistance, which can skew heart rate and calorie calculations. Users want the ability to flag such conditions to receive accurate feedback and credit, improving the relevance of fitness tracking and move ring progress.

Smarter Coaching for Fitness and Sleep

While the Apple Watch provides extensive health data, translating it into actionable coaching remains a challenge. Users desire real-time guidance on heart rate zones, dynamic workout plans that adapt to daily energy and schedules, and sleep coaching that interprets sleep stages with clear recommendations for improvement. Enhanced energy and sleep scoring could guide better recovery and health management.

Enhanced Vitals Monitoring and Health Insights

Apple's Vitals app aggregates key health metrics but leaves interpretation to users. Future updates could introduce proactive alerts for overall vital signs, similar to features in competing wearables like the Oura Ring’s Symptom Radar, helping users anticipate illness or strain. Rumors suggest Apple’s 'Project Mulberry' aims to deliver personalized health coaching and recommendations without additional subscription fees.

As WWDC approaches, anticipation builds around how Apple will address these user-driven feature requests in WatchOS 12. The update has the potential to revitalize the Apple Watch ecosystem by enhancing usability, personalization, and health intelligence, helping Apple regain momentum in a competitive wearable market.