What happens when more processing power is paired with newer and better sensors? We get new features! Well, that’s exactly how we’d describe the new Apple Watches. Just like a tradition, Apple announced a bunch of new products at their annual September event including the iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus along with iPhone 15 Pro and a feature-packed iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Same Design New Bands
The Apple Watch Series 9 and the second-gen Apple Watch Ultra have the same exact same design as last year. The Series 9 still comes in 42mm and 44mm sizes and the 2023 Apple Watch Ultra comes in 49mm case size.
However, this year we have a new color for the Series 9. It comes in a pink aluminum case along with the standard lineup of starlight, midnight, silver, and (PRODUCT)RED. We still have the stainless steel offerings in silver, graphite, and gold colors.
The second Apple Watch Ultra comes in the same color as before. Although we do have new colors for the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, and Ocean Band.
Apple has also replaced all leather accessories (including the Hermes collection) with what it calls FineWoven. It’s got suedelike feel and has significantly lower carbon emissions compared to leather. This change was hinted at just a few days before the event when Hermes removed all Apple Watch bands from their website.
The S9 Chip
The S9 SiP, which is the next iteration in Apple Watch’s processor lineup, stands out in terms of its raw performance. The tech giant has been following a straightforward chip naming strategy for their Apple Watches. For instance, the Series 8 boasts the S8 chip, the Series 7 features the S7 chip, and similarly, the Series 6 utilizes the S6 chip. One interesting fact about these Apple Watch chipsets is that all these chips are essentially the same, with just different names. So, this year we’ve gotten new hardware in the smartwatches.
Just like our respected leakers reported earlier this year, the S9 chip boasts more significantly improved processing power than its predecessors. It’s got 5.6 billion transistors and has a 60% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU than the S8 chip.
So, the new Apple Watches are more power efficient than before and have a ton of new features with the same 18-hour-long battery life for the Series 9 and 36 hours for the 2nd Gen Watch Ultra (same 72 hours in low power mode ).
New Sensors & Features
Powered by one of the most powerful smartwatch chips, the Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra offer new features that take the user experience to a new level. The most interesting is the double tap feature. You can use the Apple Watch without even touching it. Just tap your index finger with your thumb twice to perform primary button actions. this includes picking up or ending a call, taking a picture with your iPhone, playing or pausing music, and a lot more.
Siri processes most of the requests right on your Apple Watch. So, it works offline for most of the basic tasks.
The displays of both watches have gotten significantly brighter this year. The Watch Series 9 can light up to 2000 nits while the Watch Ultra goes up to 3000 nits. Similarly, the displays can go as low as 1 nit for super dark environments.
Other upgrades include a next-generation UltraWideBand sensor. This helps you find your iPhone a lot easier by increasing its range, and haptic feedback and allows you to use features like Now Playing by just walking to a Homepod.
The new Apple Watches will ship with watchOS 10 running out of the box. Also, watchOS 10 will be available to download for compatible Apple Watches on September 18, 2023.
Watch everything in action here:
Pricing & Availability
The new digital timepieces will be available for pre-order starting 12th September. You can grab them from stores on Friday, 22nd September 2023.
| Apple Watch Series 9 | Price | Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen | Price |
| 41mm (GPS) | $399 | 49mm (GPS + Cellular) | $799 |
| 41mm (GPS + Cellular) | $499 | ||
| 45mm (GPS) | $429 | ||
| 45mm (GPS + Cellular) | $529 |
Sadly, we did not get any hints about the much-hyped Apple Watch X.
