The Apple Watch Series 12 could ship with a new health sensor built directly into one of its bands, according to a sketchy rumor from a known leaker. The leaker known as " Kosutami " says the sensor will be injection-molded into a silicone band, and only a silicone band, apparently because Apple has not yet solved how to embed similar hardware in bands made from other materials. No detail was given on what the sensor is actually meant to measure. [Censo-Wat]ch Series 12 gonna have a sensor on band, injection molded(to the silicon band, they hasn't yet figured out how to putting a sensor on band with other materials now.). — Kosutami (@Kosutami_Ito) July 3, 2026 This is not the first time band-based sensing has been floated for Apple Watch, and the idea has reappeared repeatedly over the years, mainly as a result of Apple's patent filings. Back in 2017, a patent for modular band links that could each house a different function emerged, including blood pressure monitors and sweat sensors, followed later that year by a self-adjusting band patent that Apple said could also improve the accuracy of onboard biometric sensors by ensuring a snugger fit. In 2019, a batch of smart band patents covered skin-texture authentication and other embedded functionality, and in 2021 a dedicated hydration sensor patent proposed the use of electrodes against the skin to measure electrolyte concentration in sweat. None of that patent activity has led to a shipping product so far, and Apple routinely files patents for concepts that never reach customers. Kosutami's credibility as a source is mixed. While Apple has clearly researched adding sensors to Apple Watch bands extensively, the rumor is new, uncorroborated, and should be taken with a heavy pinch of salt for now. The Apple Watch Series 12 is likely to be a minor upgrade featuring a new chip and little else is known about the device. It's expected to launch this fall alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple's first foldable iPhone, continuing to use the same design introduced with the Series 10. Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11 Tag: Kosutami Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution) This article, " Sketchy Rumor Claims Apple Watch Series 12 Could Introduce Sensor in Band " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The second iOS 27 developer beta seemingly hints at a new Apple product, according to code uncovered by app designer and developer Sam Henri Gold . The code mentions a product codenamed B790 that can relay "two images from cameras on either side of [a] user's head." Gold speculated that the code could be referring to Apple's rumored smart glasses, but a more likely possibility is AirPods with cameras, which are reportedly further along in development compared to the glasses. AirPods Pro 3 were codenamed B788, while the smart glasses are reportedly codenamed N50. Apple is rumored to be working on both "AirPods Ultra" and smart glasses with cameras , and Visual Intelligence is expected to be a core feature of these products. While wearing the camera-equipped AirPods or glasses, you would be able to look at something such as a house plant and have Siri provide you with information about it. Visual Intelligence is already available on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. On iOS 27, the feature is accessible through the Camera app via a new "Siri" mode . The code appears to instruct Visual Intelligence on how to function on the mystery device. It says the feature works with landmarks, text, and known objects, with the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a coffee mug cited as two examples. /System/Library/AssetsV2/com_apple_MobileAsset_UAF_IF_PlannerOverrides/purpose_auto/9aaa6a204118137235983cc3f1eecae8a125c550.asset/AssetData/PCC/system_prompt_metadata/system_prompt.json seems to hint at some smart glasses codenamed B790 pic.twitter.com/IEmbfleth4 — sam henri gold (@samhenrigold) July 3, 2026 The code does not reveal much else, but it serves as yet another indication that Apple is actively developing more camera-equipped wearables. According to the latest reporting from Bloomberg , both the "AirPods Ultra" and the smart glasses are currently slated to launch in late 2027. Related Roundups: AirPods 4 , iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 Tags: AirPods Ultra , Apple Glasses Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution) Related Forum: AirPods This article, " iOS 27 Beta Hints at New Apple Product Such as 'AirPods Ultra' " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features on the way, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list testifies. iOS 27 remains in developer beta, while a public beta is expected to arrive this month. Extend Your Photos and Lock Screen Wallpaper A new wallpaper extension feature in iOS 27 uses Apple Intelligence to automatically expand a photo beyond its original boundaries so it fills the entire Lock Screen more naturally. If a photo is cropped too tightly, doesn't match your iPhone's aspect ratio, or it leaves empty space when positioned on the Lock Screen, iOS 27 can generate additional image content around the edges with the "Extend" option. It will analyze the existing image and create matching background details that blend with the original photo, so there's no need for aggressive cropping. The Extend option can also be found in the Photos app. Organize Your Safari Tabs Safari uses Apple Intelligence to automatically organize your open tabs into related topics, making them easier to browse and manage. For example, if you're shopping for a new refrigerator while planning a vacation, Safari groups tabs for each activity into separate topic-based collections. You can enable this feature by opening Tab View, tapping the three-line icon in the top-right corner, and turning on Automatically Create Topics. Use Natural Language for Reminder and Calendar Entries In the Reminders app, you can now create reminders using natural language, and Apple Intelligence will automatically fill in details such as the date, time, and location. For example, if you type "Pick up Dad at 6 p.m. tonight" or "Send the photos to Eric tomorrow at 3 p.m.," Reminders extracts the relevant information and adds it to the reminder automatically. The Calendar app also supports natural language input, identifying people, dates, and locations as you type. You can then tap the suggested information to quickly add it to your event. Inline Reply to Messages From Android Users In the Messages app, you can now long press on a specific message from an Android user (a green chat bubble) and get an option to reply to it. That contrasts with iOS 26, where inline replies are limited to blue bubbles sent over Apple's iMessage platform. Upgrade Your Wallet Passes Apple has expanded the redesigned pass experience in the Wallet app with iOS 27, bringing the enhanced design introduced for airline boarding passes in iOS 26 to additional pass types. Membership, gift, loyalty, and rewards cards can now use a new Poster Generic layout with a background image, a logo, customizable header and footer fields, main information, and an optional barcode. Passes can also include up to two quick actions at the bottom, such as getting directions to a venue or checking a rewards points balance. Describe Your Next Shortcut Apple Intelligence makes creating shortcuts much more accessible by letting you build them with natural language. Tapping New Shortcut in the Shortcuts app opens a Describe a Shortcut interface, where you simply explain what you want the shortcut to do. You can describe a single action or a more complex automation, and Apple Intelligence selects the appropriate actions and assembles the shortcut automatically. For example, you could create a shortcut that sets tomorrow's alarm based on your first Calendar event, enables Sleep Focus, and dims the bedroom lights each evening, or one that displays your first meeting, the weather, and today's reminders every morning. Like existing shortcuts, these automations can be triggered by factors such as the time of day, your location, app activity, system events like taking a screenshot, incoming notifications, and more. Get a Better Flyover of Your City Apple is enhancing the Flyover feature in Maps with iOS 27, using Apple Intelligence models to improve aerial imagery with greater texture and sharper detail. Trees, buildings, and other landmarks appear more realistic, with more accurate geometry and improved lighting effects. According to Apple, the update makes select cities around the world look more lifelike, from the shape of individual trees to the way light reflects off glass skyscrapers. Flyover already offers detailed 3D views of landmarks, roads, parks, and buildings in more than 350 cities, so iOS 27 is essentially using AI to further improve the quality of those visualizations. Ask Siri What Your Camera Sees The iOS 27 Camera app has a new "Siri" mode that is available in addition to the video, photo, and other camera modes. The new mode uses Visual Intelligence to identify objects in the frame and provide information about them. It can be used to identify plants, animals, food, and more. If it's food you want info on, for example, it can tell you what it is, and how many calories are in it. Other examples Siri mode can be used for include capturing a photo of an event flyer and adding a date to the Calendar app, text translation, splitting a bill, and more. Make Your Lock Screen Clock More Compact A new compact clock mode is available as a new Lock Screen layout option in iOS 27. Found in the top-right corner of the Font & Color panel, the option moves the time from its traditional large, centered position to a much smaller format alongside the date and widgets at the top of the screen. It's a nice option to have if you like a cleaner Lock Screen look that shows off your wallpaper more fully, and it's the complete opposite effect introduced in iOS 26 that stretches the clock down the screen. Generate Photo-realistic Images with Image Playground Apple's Image Playground has been a bit of an embarrassment up until now, being limited to cutesy re-renderings of actual photos and sketched illustrations. But the app gets a major update in iOS 27. Powered by a new generative model that runs on Private Cloud Compute, it can produce high-quality images in virtually any style, including photo-realistic output for the first time. All generated images automatically carry a hidden SynthID watermark to identify them as AI-generated. The app now also supports photo-based editing in addition to creation. Tweak Liquid Glass Opacity If Apple's Liquid Glass UI embrace in iOS 26 wasn't your thing, there's a way to tone it down. In iOS 27, Apple added a full Liquid Glass slider under Settings ➝ Appearance ➝ Liquid Glass. It changes the translucency of Liquid Glass elements, and you can choose a clear version of Liquid Glass that allows some of the background to show through, select a more opaque, tinted version that improves the legibility of text, or choose something in between. Create a Slideshow from Any Album In iOS 27, you can create a slideshow from any album, collection, or selection of photos in the Photos app, rather than being limited to Memories. Open an album or select multiple photos, tap the menu button in the top-right corner, and choose Start Slideshow. Slideshows can be customized with different transition styles, slide durations, and background music, and then saved as a video or shared directly to social media. Related Roundups: iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 This article, " 12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27 " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
