# Apple's first new watch chip since 2023 surfaced in code

Source: https://idevice.com/first-new-apple-watch-chip-since-2023-surfaced-in-code
Published: 2026-08-22

> Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3 all shipped on the same S10. Series 12 is where that stops, and the case around it is not changing.

Macworld found a new CPU called T8320 in Apple's code in August 2025. It sat with three unreleased model numbers, N237, N238 and N240, which are the Wi-Fi and cellular [Apple Watch Series 12](https://idevice.com/smart-watches/apple-watch/roadmap) and the Ultra 4.

Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3 all carry the same S10 chip as the models before them. Three watches in a row shipped on the same silicon, and the last Apple Watch chip to bring real performance gains was the S9 in 2023.

Mark Gurman reported at Bloomberg that both watches will get "a long-awaited bump in chips and speed", and put them in September. The case and the screen stay as they are, so the processor and the health work carry this update on their own.

The code gives a part number and no capabilities. Upgraded CPU cores are the one concrete expectation attached to it. Thirteen months separate the discovery from the September event.