[DigitalToday intern reporter Kyung-min Hong (홍경민)] Apple Watch Ultra 4 is expected to roll out four key innovation cards, led by major sensor upgrades and a drastic design change.

On June 17 (local time), IT outlet 9to5Mac reported, citing Taiwan supply-chain outlet DigiTimes, that Apple plans to release more than 15 new product lines this fall.

The centerpiece among them is the next-generation smartwatch, Apple Watch Ultra 4. A sweeping overhaul is expected across hardware and software. The global parts supply chain also agrees the new product will see an unprecedented shift that wipes away traces of the previous model, from its sensor setup to its exterior design.

The market is focusing on four main points: doubling the number of sensor parts, a full industrial design overhaul, the introduction of a new hypertension-related function, and a dramatic improvement in power efficiency.

The first change users are likely to feel is that the number of sensor parts built into the body will double from the current level. With stronger hardware support, the system can greatly reduce its reliance on algorithms that forced interpretation by squeezing out data. That can produce more precise and accurate biometric health data, while also boosting overall computing performance and battery efficiency.

The blood glucose measurement function that users have long waited for is unlikely to be included this year. Instead, a new hypertension-related health function, a step beyond the existing alert method, is expected to be unveiled at a September fall event alongside Apple Watch Series 12.

With the internals strengthened, the exterior design will also be completely revamped for the first time in the lineup. It is on a different level from Apple Watch Ultra 3, which was hard to distinguish from its predecessor with only color changes or minor finishing tweaks.

The new product is expected to undergo bold changes in appearance, to the extent that the term full redesign is openly being used within the supply chain. With plans for a microLED display originally intended for the 2026 model having been canceled, the initial design that aimed to simply increase screen size may have been partly revised. Even so, a major design-change card capable of replacing it is still on the table.

A groundbreaking improvement in power efficiency, which will firmly support the accelerated hardware changes, is also drawing attention. A new S-class chip, the next-generation core brain, and a smarter new sensor unit are expected to significantly improve the device's own power-consumption efficiency compared with the previous model.

Apple could use that efficiency advantage to extend pure battery life. Or it could try a design trade-off by reducing the battery's physical size to secure space for other key healthcare sensors.

As a result, the new product is judged likely to be a well-made model that satisfies three factors that smartwatch users react most sensitively to: the reliability of health information, design identity and relief from chronic battery pressure.