The Apple Watch square face has become one of tech’s most recognizable design choices. While nearly every traditional watch, and most Android smartwatches, stick to a circle, Apple has kept its signature rectangle since 2015. That could soon change. Fresh reporting this week claims Apple is testing round-display prototypes, a screenless fitness tracker, and a broader rethink of its wearable lineup.
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Here’s what’s actually happening with the Apple Watch square face, why it exists in the first place, and what you should expect before you buy your next one.
Why Does the Apple Watch Square Face Exist?
Apple didn’t pick a rectangle by accident. Traditional watches use round dials because they only need to display hands moving around a circle. Smartwatches work differently. They pack in notifications, apps, workout stats, and health readings, so a square screen fits more content without wasting corner space. Reporters covering Apple’s wearable strategy note the rectangular shape simply displays more information than a circular screen of the same size.
A Familiar Shape With a Twist
Apple borrowed cues from its own iPod nano when it designed the first Apple Watch. Every generation since, including the Apple Watch Ultra, has followed the same square-ish blueprint. It’s one of the most consistent design decisions in Apple’s entire lineup, and it answers the old question of why Apple made a square-faced watch instead of copying a classic dial.
Is Apple Finally Ditching the Square Face for a Round One?
Maybe, but not this year. According to reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring a round-display Apple Watch and a screenless fitness tracker as part of a longer-term redesign. The goal is to compete with screen-free wearables like the Oura Ring, Whoop, and the new Fitbit Air. Nothing is finalized, and Apple hasn’t confirmed any of it publicly.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, expected in September alongside the iPhone 18 lineup, will reportedly keep the familiar square face. Any round-display Apple Watch is a future project, not a 2026 launch.
2026 Apple Watch Upgrade: What Actually Changes
This year’s 2026 Apple Watch upgrade is more about performance than looks. Rumors point to a faster processor, extra color options, and improved fitness tracking rather than a new shape. Apple appears to be saving the bigger redesign, including a possible round replacement for the Apple Watch square face, for a later release.
If you’re curious how Apple’s health tools tie into other platforms, our guide on syncing Apple Health with Google Health walks through the setup step by step.
Apple Watch Square Face Price: What You’ll Pay Right Now
The current Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm aluminum model, with the 46mm version priced at $429. Education pricing brings the entry point down to $359. Expect a similar Apple Watch square face price when the Series 12 launches this fall, since the design carries over largely unchanged.
Apple Watch Faces and Their Features: Can You Customize the Shape?
You can’t change the physical screen shape, but Apple packs dozens of digital watch faces and features into that rectangle. Modular, Photos, Activity Rings, and other faces rearrange complications to look busier, cleaner, or more minimal. Third-party apps add even more options. So while the Apple Watch square face itself stays fixed, what shows up on it is endlessly customizable.
Apple isn’t the only company reshaping its ecosystem this month. Google recently rolled out Google Wallet’s new parental controls, another sign that wearables and everyday apps keep pulling closer together.
Does the Apple Watch Ultra Have a Square Face Too?
Yes. The Apple Watch Ultra, including the current Ultra 2 and the upcoming Ultra 4, uses the same square-ish design as the standard lineup, just inside a larger, tougher case. Even Apple’s most rugged smartwatch keeps the Apple Watch square face design for now.
Apple Watch Round vs. Square: Which Wins for Readability?
Round faces feel closer to a traditional watch and can look more elegant on smaller wrists. Square faces win on readability for lists, texts, and app content, since there’s no curved edge cutting off text. For pure timekeeping, round wins. For daily notifications and health stats, the Apple Watch square face still has the edge.
What This Means for Your Next Upgrade
If you love the Apple Watch square face, buy with confidence. The Series 12 and Ultra 4 are both keeping the current shape this September. If you’re holding out for a round Apple Watch, patience is the only strategy, since Bloomberg’s reporting suggests it’s still in early testing with no confirmed release window.
While Apple takes its time on hardware, other tech giants are moving fast on software. Meta’s recent open-source AI model launch shows just how quickly the wider tech industry is shifting, even while Apple’s watch shape stays put.
Every Apple Watch square face review over the past decade lands on the same conclusion: readability wins over romance, at least for now. Apple’s rectangle isn’t going away this year, but it’s clearly not sacred either. Enjoy your square Apple Watch, because a round one is coming eventually, just not in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Apple Watch square instead of round?
Apple chose a square screen because it displays more information, like notifications and app data, without wasting space, unlike a round face designed mainly to show the time.
Is Apple planning to switch the Apple Watch to a round display?
Apple is reportedly testing a round-display Apple Watch, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Nothing is confirmed, and it won’t arrive with the 2026 Series 12 or Ultra 4.
Are there square watch faces available for the Apple Watch?
Yes. Apple offers dozens of digital watch faces, like Modular and Photos, that work within the square screen, letting you customize layout and complications without changing its shape.
Why don’t smartwatches with round faces show as much information?
Round screens waste space in the corners, leaving less room for text, complications, and app content compared with a rectangular display of the same size.
Does the Apple Watch Ultra have a square face too?
Yes. The Apple Watch Ultra, including the upcoming Ultra 4, uses the same square-ish design as the standard Apple Watch, just in a larger, more rugged case.
Can you customize the Apple Watch face shape?
No, the physical screen shape stays fixed. You can customize the digital watch face style, colors, and complications, but not the rectangular hardware shape itself.
Why did Apple choose a square design over a traditional round watch shape?
Apple prioritized function over tradition. A square screen displays more notifications, health metrics, and app content clearly, which mattered more than mimicking a classic watch dial.
Will the Apple Watch Series 12 keep the square design?
Yes. Reports indicate the Apple Watch Series 12, launching this September alongside the iPhone 18, will keep the familiar square face. Any redesign is expected later.
What Apple Watch models have a square or rectangular face?
Every Apple Watch released so far, including Series 1 through 11, the SE models, and every Ultra version, uses the same square-ish rectangular display shape.
Is a round Apple Watch better for readability than a square one?
Not necessarily. Round faces look more traditional, but square screens display more text and data clearly, since they don’t lose space to curved edges.
