Friday’s prediction was spot on: “Apple will disappoint everyone on Monday”. But Apple Watch wearers and developers are more than just a little disappointed following the WWDC 2026 keynote. Because Apple has, well, forgotten about its smartwatch.
Okay, there were a few scattered references to the new health features, such as pre-menopause tracking, but the Apple Watch was only on screen for a few seconds during the keynote!
Apple Intelligence – the biggest star
The biggest star of the keynote was, of course, Apple Intelligence and the updated Siri. That was predictable and understandable for Apple: Cupertino has finally delivered what they merely showed two years ago and had to keep postponing.
This autumn, users will be able to interact with Siri in new ways and collect their conversations within an app. The smart assistant will also be able to draw on data from other apps and understand the broader context of the query, so that users won’t have to roll their eyes in frustration and cut the conversation short.
Apple
There are a few downsides too, such as the inability to bring Siri AI to the EU (though it shouldn’t affect the UK), but the Apple Watch was almost completely absent from this concept on the WWDC stage.
Hardware limitations
In recent years, it has become clear that Apple is taking a slightly different approach to artificial intelligence than its competitors, relying more heavily on models that can run exclusively, or at least for the most part, locally on the device.
This approach offers significant advantages for Apple: With more than two billion active devices, there is no need to transfer vast amounts of data back and forth between the end device and the server.
The downside: Apple Intelligence is only possible once a certain threshold of shared memory and a specific chip generation is reached. For Macs, this threshold is 8GB of RAM.
The Apple Watch doesn’t fit into this concept at all. The maximum RAM on the Apple Watch Series 11 and Watch Ultra 3 is 2GB. Apple also limits the processor to two high-performance cores. The Neural Engine is limited to four cores, whereas on the iPhone and most Macs, the co-processor for machine learning is equipped with 16 cores.
What Apple did announce for the Apple Watch
If the Apple Watch were an actress in one of the Apple TV series, her role in today’s WWDC keynote would be downgraded to that of an extra: although she delivered during filming, whether she appears in the film depends on the production’s final cut. She’ll have to prove her presence to friends and family with a screenshot.
Apple did, in fact, mention its smartwatch on the sidelines of the event. At the very least, it appeared repeatedly in the graphics illustrating the partnership between Apple Intelligence and Siri 2.0. Yet there are few tangible changes: Apple is introducing a new app view on the Apple Watch that prominently displays five currently relevant apps. A sort of smart stack, slightly expanded.
Workout Buddy, a smart training assistant that compares current workout data with previous trends and offers smart tips, also showed some signs of life. Workout Buddy is now available in Spanish and can be used without a connection to the iPhone. You can start a Siri conversation from your wrist, but the iPhone nearby does most of the work.
The “Find My” app has been slightly revamped on the Apple Watch and combines the views for people, devices and items.
What Apple should announce for the Apple Watch
With so much Apple Intelligence and contextual knowledge, one huge area stands out that will benefit from better analytics and proactive tips – the Health app. There have long been rumours that Apple is bringing something similar to Workout Buddy, but for general health, and could provide an interactive coach for the user.
This would be a perfect extension of Apple Intelligence and tailor-made for the Apple Watch. Because even if the analysis takes place on the iPhone, most of the data comes from the Apple Watch. The results of these analyses can be displayed on both the iPhone and, in a smaller format, the Apple Watch.
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watchOS shake-up
The biggest surprise is probably the watchOS 27 compatibility list. Whilst iOS 27 supports all devices compatible with iOS 26, the devices compatible with watchOS 27 can be counted on one hand: Apple Watch SE 3, Series 10 and 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and 3.
There was confusion about the Series 9 being left off the compatibility list, but Apple has since confirmed it was a mistake and it will get watchOS 27.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is also on its last legs – it is the only device on the list still running on the SiP S9. Apple will likely cut support next year.
Apple
Too weak for Apple Intelligence, but too important
At this year’s WWDC, Apple is showing where the journey with Apple Intelligence is headed. Ideally, the AI models should run on the device itself, without any third-party servers or even an internet connection.
For iPhones, iPads and Macs, the manufacturer laid the groundwork for this future back in 2017: the first iPhone with a Neural Engine was the iPhone X. For devices that can’t keep up, Apple is making cuts.
Today’s drastic cutback in compatible models suggests that Apple has an AI solution up its sleeve for the Apple Watch. However, this will require significantly more resources than the relatively recent Watches can provide.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and adapted from German.
