The Apple Watch Series 9 is Apple's 2023 Apple Watch. Unveiled alongside the flagship iPhone 15 series on September 12, 2023, this cutting-edge smartwatch promises to elevate your digital experience. In this article, we've compiled everything you need to know to make an informed decision about upgrading your smartwatch.
In terms of improvements, the Apple Watch 9 is a more modest upgrade from its predecessor. Powered by the S9 processor, the smartwatch delivers enhanced performance.
Additionally, the 2023 iteration of the Apple Watch introduces notable improvements such as faster on-device Siri functionality, a brighter display for improved visibility, and the introduction of a new gesture dubbed Double Tap.
When was the Apple Watch Series 9 released, and how does its release date fit into the Apple Watch release order from previous years?
The Apple Watch Series 9 was announced on September 12, 2023. General availability in stores started on September 22, 2023. So basically, you're able to purchase the timepiece now.
Apple Watches in order of release
Announcement
Market release
Apple Watch Series 4
September 12, 2018
September 21, 2018
Apple Watch Series 5
September 10, 2019
September 20, 2019
Apple Watch Series 6
September 15, 2020
September 18, 2020
Apple Watch Series 7
September 14, 2021
October 15, 2021
Apple Watch Series 8
September 7, 2022
September 16, 2022
Apple Watch Series 9
September 12, 2023
September 22, 2023
Price
How much does the Apple Watch Series 9 cost?
The Apple Watch Series 9 sports the same price as its predecessor, as well as previous premium Apple Watches.
As usual, the price goes up if you decide you want a Cellular Apple Watch (capable of making calls without an iPhone). The price also depends on the size of the watch that you decide to pick.
Here are the prices compared by sizes, connectivity, and previous models:
Apple Watch model
41mm GPS only
45mm GPS only
41mm GPS + Cellular
45mm GPS + Cellular
Apple Watch Series 7
$399
$429
$499
$529
Apple Watch Series 8
$399
$429
$499
$529
Apple Watch Series 9
$399
$429
$499
$529
Design
What design features, color options, and new band choices are available for the Apple Watch Series 9?
We don't have big surprises here. The Apple Watch Series 9 basically looks the same as previous Apple Watches. You are able to choose between aluminum and stainless steel for the case material, which is pretty standard.
The device sports a recognizable rectangular look with two case sizes: 41mm and 45mm.
One difference this year is that the Apple Watch Series 9, is also available in pink alongside it's standard color options. Apart from pink, you get Starlight, Midnight, Silver, and Product (RED).
The digital crown and the buttons remain unchanged as well compared to previous gens.
New watch bands, environmental friendliness
Apple has been aiming to be more environment friendly in recent times, and now the company is taking it up a notch. With the Apple Watch Series 9, you get new watch bands that are environment friendly. Also, leather bands are gone now. The Series 9, coupled with a new Sport Loop, is Apple's first completely carbon neutral product.
Additionally, the Nike and Hermès collaborations also have new environment friendly options.
These are the Nike bands that are now environmentally friendly
We also get a new FineWoven material, which is made of 68% post-consumer recycled content. It will be taking the place of the leather band. It is available with the Magnetic Link and Modern Buckle bands.
Apple's new FineWoven bands. The picture shows the FineWoven band with the Magnetic Link
Display specs
The display of the Apple Watch Series 9 has gotten some upgrade love from Apple. It can now go up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, which is pretty much double what the Series 8 offers. This change is especially helpful if you spend a lot of time outdoors, as it will make details on your Watch's display easier to distinguish in bright light conditions.
Apart from peak brightness though, the display specs of the Series 9 remain unchanged from the 8. The Series 8 on the other hand kept almost exactly the same display as the 7. Basically, the only difference from the previous models are the Watch faces.
The Apple Watch Series 7 in 2021 was a huge step in the right direction in terms of display. The bezels got thinner and the display got bigger when compared to the Series 6.
Battery
Battery on Apple Watches is something Apple really needs to work on for future models. So far, ever since the mobile tech dawn of times, Apple Watch battery life has remained more or less the same. It's true that we got bigger battery life on the Apple Watch Ultra and the new Ultra 2, but not everyone wants that big of a smartwatch to wear all-day (and night) long.
The Series 9 sports up to 18 hours of battery life and a new Low Power Mode which can help the watch last up to 36 hours.
As for charging, according to official documentation from Apple, the Series 9 can charge from 0 percent to 80 percent in about 45 minutes (with Apple USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable and a fast charging brick).
Features and software
What new features, improvements to Siri, health and fitness capabilities, and operating system enhancements does the Apple Watch Series 9 introduce?
watchOS 11
The series 9 comes with watchOS 10 out of the box. However, Apple has now announced watchOS 11, and the timepiece will be getting the new operating system.
Here's a rundown of the new watchOS 11 features:
Training Load Tracker: Assesses exertion using heart rate, elevation, and pace, providing a 10-point effort score.
Vitals App: Monitors health metrics like sleep and heart rate, offering weekly reports and highlighting unusual data trends.
Dynamic Watch Faces: Automatically selects watch faces from your photos.
SmartStack Predictions: Enhances widget relevance based on context.
Check-In Feature: Allows friends to track each other's locations.
These updates enhance health tracking, personalization, and overall functionality of the Apple Watch.
Let's also address quickly the new chip that the Series 9 has. The S9 chip has 60% more transistors than the one in S8, which makes it way more faster and capable. On top of that, it's got a new four-core Neural Engine that processes machine learning tasks up to there times faster.
Thanks to that new Neural Engine, you get the new Double Tap gesture. This feature allows you to tap twice your thumb and index finger together to control key features of the timepiece.
The gesture can be used to answer a call, end a call, and also control the primary button in apps (like to play or pause music, stop a timer, snooze an alarm).
You also get a new second generation Ultra Wideband. Basically what this does is allow you to use your Apple Watch Series 9 to track and find your iPhone more precisely. Thanks to this, you get precision finding (directing you towards your iPhone using the Apple Watch) and HomePod integration (meaning you can control the music that's playing from the Now Playing screen on the Series 9).
You can also now use On-Device Siri with Ability to Access and log heath data. On-device processing is now faster and more secure. You're able to ask Siri to tell you how many hours you slept last night, or for the progress on closing your Activity ring, for example.
Apple Watches are quite popular with their health-related features as well. The regular features we see on premium Apple Watches are present for the Series 9. Therefore, you can enjoy Blood Oxygen monitoring, Sleep monitoring, Emergency SOS, heart rate monitoring, body temperature monitoring (for women's health) and Crash Detection.
Of course, there are also plenty of workouts available with the Series 9.
Apple Watch Series 9 comparisons
If you want to know how the Apple Watch Series 9 performs compared to other smartwatches, check these out:
Apple Watch Series 9 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 - we compare the latest smartwatch from Samsung with the Apple Watch Series 9. Check out which timepiece performs better across various categories such as design, battery, software, and specs.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs Apple Watch Series 10 - Apple has released the newest Apple Watch, the Series 10. See if the differences between it and the Series 9 are enough for you to get you to look into the newer model.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs Apple Watch Series 8 - What about the previous generation? Check out what we think about how the Series 9 compares to its predecessor, the Series 8, and what updates it brings.
Apple Watch Series 9 review
Our Apple Watch Series 9 deep-dive is now here if you want to read more and find out how the Series 9 fares in real life:
Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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