Apple has a large hardware upgrade in the planning for next year’s Apple Watch, including the addition of Touch ID.
Apple Watch gets Touch ID
Last week published MacWorld Two articles based on leaked Apple code. One article contained proof that the M5 MacBook Pro is being tested with a C1 modem for 5G. The other article was about an M4 Ultra chip that is being developed for a new Mac Pro. Now an important discovery has been made based on the leaked code.
It appears that Apple has experimented with biometric authentication or Touch ID for the Apple Watch of 2026. The code states support for ‘Applemesa’, the code name of Apple for Touch ID, which suggests that prototype models currently have this function in one way or another.
How is not yet clear
How ‌apple Touch Id‌ wants to implement exactly on the Apple Watch is still unclear. The company could choose to place it under the screen, such as with some Android smartphones, but integrating into the side button is also a possibility.
‌Touch Id‌ On the Apple Watch makes the device safer and the dependence on short numeric passwords is reduced. The safety of services such as Apple Pay can also be greatly improved with biometric authentication on the device.
New chips
In addition to the implementation of Touch ID, the code also reveals that the models ‘N237’ (Apple Watch Series 12), ‘N238’ (Apple Watch Series 12 with mobile connectivity) and ‘N240’ (Apple Watch Ultra 4) will receive a completely new CPU with identification code ‘T8320’. The S9, S10 and upcoming S11 chips are essentially all the same chip with the identification code ‘T8310’. So it is very likely that the S-series Chips will get a major upgrade next year.
The new Apple Watch series is referred to as ‘Watch8’, and the series 9, 10 and 11 are all referred to as ‘Watch7’. This indicates a considerable change compared to earlier models in 2026. This seems to be confirmed by Digitimesthat reported last week that there will be significant design changes for the Apple Watch next year.
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