Apple is working on a new watch face design that simplifies its most data-dense display. Here's what the watchOS 27 leak tells us about Apple's thinking.
The Most Complex Apple Watch Face Is Getting Simpler
The Modular Ultra — Apple's most information-dense watch face — is getting a makeover in watchOS 27. And based on the early leaks, Apple is going in the opposite direction from what you might expect.
Instead of adding more data, they're removing stuff.
The current Modular Ultra face offers seven complications and six options for sizing the time display. It is designed for athletes and power users who want everything visible at a glance — Vitals, training load, heart rate, all of it. The new design being tested reportedly keeps the large digital clock that fills the top two-thirds of the screen, but removes the center complication slot, the row of three small complications above the time, and the training bezel information ring.
The result is cleaner and more readable. Think of it as Modular Ultra for people who want the vibe of the Ultra face but don't need seven complications.
What's Actually Changing
From the reports across multiple sources (MacRumors, AppleInsider, MacDailyNews):
- The large digital clock still fills the top two-thirds of the display
- A row of three smaller circular complications appears along the bottom
- Gone: the center complication slot, the row of small complications above the time, the bezel training ring
This is being described as a "simplified" version — and that tracks with how Apple has evolved watch faces. The original Modular was already a simplification when it launched. Modular Ultra was the complex version for Ultra watches. Now we're getting a complex-lite version for standard Apple Watch models.
Why This Matters
Apple Watch faces tend to tell us where Apple is heading. The Modular Ultra was built around training data — Vitals, recovery, training load. That was a deliberate statement that the Ultra was a serious training watch.
The simplified version suggests Apple may be planning to bring the Modular face to more Apple Watch models. Not everyone with an Apple Watch Series or Apple Watch SE wants seven complications. A cleaner version that still shows the key training metrics could be the right balance.
It also signals that watchOS 27 is more about refinement than revolution. After watchOS 26 brought the new Pride Luminance face and other additions, watchOS 27 appears to be an evolutionary update rather than a ground-up redesign.
The Full watchOS 27 Picture
The Modular Ultra news joins a few other things expected in watchOS 27:
- New watch faces beyond just the Modular variants
- The standard Modular Ultra face is also getting adjustments
- WWDC 2026 is expected in June where Apple will officially announce all the software details
iOS 26.5 is also reportedly coming soon with new features ahead of the full iOS 27 cycle.
What This Means for Your Current Watch
If you're running watchOS 26, nothing changes today. watchOS 27 is still in development and won't be officially announced until WWDC in June, with a public release likely in September alongside new Apple Watch hardware.
If you're the kind of person who customizes your watch face constantly, this is worth watching — the new simplified Modular Ultra may become your new favorite face once the update drops.
We'll update this post as more watchOS 27 details leak ahead of WWDC.