Apple has put ceramic on the Apple Watch twice and taken it away twice. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the material is coming back, either this year or in 2027. The Series 12 and Ultra 4 are expected next month with the shape the line has always had and the work under the hood, including a meaningful jump in performance, new colors and bands, and health and fitness upgrades. The rest of what Apple is weighing for the watch, round displays and fitness accessories with no screen at all, is years out and undecided.
Ceramic arrived with the Series 2 in September 2016 at $1,249, replacing a gold Edition model that had cost thousands. A gray option followed with the Series 3, then the Edition line vanished entirely for the Series 4 in 2018. White ceramic came back for the Series 5 in 2019 alongside titanium and was discontinued for good when the Series 6 launched in 2020. The finish is compressed zirconia and alumina powder polished with a diamond slurry, and Apple marketed it as four times as hard as stainless steel. The ceramic Series 5 started at $1,299. The cheapest Apple Watch today starts at $399.