Apple might bring Touch ID to its Apple Watch lineup on 2026, along with a meaningful chip upgrade, findings in leaked Apple code suggest.
Macworld has discovered strings in internal Apple code that points to some interesting hardware upgrades for the Apple Watch lineup in 2026, including Touch ID fingerprint authentication and a significant upgrade to the S-series silicon powering the smartwatch.
The existence of these code strings in internal Apple code suggests that the company is already internally testing said hardware upgrades. Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes recently said that the 2026 Apple Watch lineup will get significant design changes, and new hardware features like Touch ID sound like a nice fit.
Touch ID could come to Apple Watch
Touch ID could replace the need to type the passcode every time you want to change a locked setting on your Apple Watch, just like on the Mac and older iPhones. On-device biometric authentication could also make mobile payments with Apple Pay more secure and simplify authorizing App Store downloads.
Apple’s 2020 patent filing outlines a dedicated Touch ID fingerprint reader built into the Apple Watch’s side button. The Digital Crown button already has a built-in sensor for ECG function, so that rules it out as a candidate for Touch ID. The patent filing also mentions that fingerprint authentication could enable user identification, implying multi-user support could come to the Apple Watch at some point.
A meaningful CPU upgrade
The last two Apple Watch generations dissapountid in terms of sheer CPU power. The Apple S9 and S10 chips in the 2023 and 2024 Apple Watch lineups share the T8310 architecture. Plus, leaked internal info suggests that the upcoming Apple S11 chip for the 2025 Apple Watch lineup will also have the same T8310 architecture, suggesting no visible performance improvements.
But that could change in 2026, as the leaked code references the new identifier “T8320” which suggests a major chip upgrade for the next year’s Apple Watch lineup comprising the Apple Watch Series 12 andApple Watch Ultra 4 models.
Another clue: the leaked code uses the “Watch8” identities for the 2026 Apple Watch lineup, which hints at a big hardware leap. In contrast, the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Series 11 models are all part of the “Watch7” family due to their similarities.