Apple Watch Series 12 could have a surprise hiding in plain sight

Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to be unveiled tomorrow, but some of its most interesting changes may have been sitting inside Apple’s own software for weeks.

New discoveries in the iOS 27 and watchOS 27 beta code point to several previously unannounced features connected to Apple’s next watches, including a new Readiness app, revised optical sensing hardware and the possibility of a major storage increase.

As reported by MacRumors, code references describe a separate app named Readiness that appears alongside Workout in the default Apple Watch Home Screen arrangement. Its placement suggests Apple could be preparing a dedicated way to present recovery or training-readiness information.

The discovery would give Apple another way to build on the health and fitness data already collected by Apple Watch without relying on a dramatic hardware redesign. Reports have consistently suggested Series 12 will look broadly familiar from the outside.

The same code reportedly references a new optical-sensing family known internally as “Sunstone4p0,” with changes designed to improve readings when reflected pulse signals are weak and adapt sensing based on how the watch is positioned.

Perhaps the most unexpected reference is a 128GB NAND storage profile tied to hardware associated with Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Current models offer 64GB, meaning Apple could potentially double storage on its new watches.

The Apple Post’s final September event expectations include Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 among the headline products expected tomorrow, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra.

Code references do not guarantee every feature will be enabled at launch, and some could be intended for later software updates. But with Apple’s event now only a day away, the discoveries suggest there may still be a few Apple Watch surprises that have escaped the usual hardware rumor cycle.