Apple Skips Touch ID on 2026 Watch as Battery, Health Sensors Take Priority

8 articles · Updated · MacRumors · May 11

2026 Apple Watch models are unlikely to get Touch ID, with Apple instead favoring more battery capacity and upgraded health sensors, according to leaker Instant Digital.
Touch ID would add cost and consume scarce internal space, the report said, while Apple is still relying on paired iPhone unlocking for the watch.
Code found in August had pointed to Touch ID on the Series 12 or Ultra 4, possibly under the display or built into the side button, but that now appears less likely.
2026 models are also not expected to bring major design changes, and a broader redesign is seen as unlikely before 2028.
2028 could be the earliest window for bigger hardware shifts, including noninvasive blood glucose monitoring, though that feature remains in early development.

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