Apple’s upcoming watchOS 12 update is getting dressed up with something new: a dose of AI — or at least, that’s how the company wants it to appear.
According to Mark Gurman, the software will introduce a small collection of features branded as "Powered by
Apple Intelligence," though the reality is a bit more nuanced.Unlike the iPhone or iPad, the Apple Watch doesn’t have the horsepower to run advanced AI models locally. So while the branding suggests that generative AI is coming to your wrist, what’s really happening is a more cloud-dependent approach. These features might technically be enhanced by AI on the backend, but the Watch itself isn’t doing any of the heavy lifting. Still, Apple sees enough marketing value in the phrase to stamp it across watchOS 12.
This is all part of a broader WWDC 2025 theme, where
Apple Intelligence is expected to take center stage across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. And while the Apple Watch won’t be the flagship product for AI innovation, it’s still getting a small taste of what’s to come.
In addition to the AI-lite features, watchOS 12 is also getting a visual refresh. It won’t be a massive redesign, but users can expect interface tweaks inspired by "Solarium," the new design language that will make its way across all Apple platforms this year. Think smoother animations, updated widget styles, and a more cohesive visual experience, all in line with what’s coming to the iPhone and Mac.Still, Apple choosing to continue to lean on
Apple Intelligence as a feature, now in a different product category, makes me a bit apprehensive for the company. Following the whole Intelligent Siri fiasco, I believe the public has lost some trust in whether Apple can deliver on new intelligence features, and it will take Apple really demoing it live during WWDC to prove that the feature is indeed working rather than just another "coming soon" feature that the company won’t be able to deliver on time.Whether or not these new additions are enough to get people excited about a new generation of Apple Watch hardware is still unclear, but as usual, WWDC will be the place where Apple sets the tone for the year ahead.
