The Apple Watch Series 9 doesn’t change much in terms of design. But under the hood, it introduces an S9 chip that powers a brighter display, faster Siri interactions, and new ecosystem functions. It’s a compelling upgrade for anyone looking for a high-powered wearable that can do more than track your workouts and remind you to take medication.
The new S9 chip on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 enables Siri to process requests on the device instead of sending them to the cloud — something that would require Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity, meaning that your health data is safe and secure. It also increases functionality by allowing you to log things like weight, the dates of your period, and the names of your medications through voice commands.
It’s a welcome feature, but more is needed to justify the price premium over the older model. You’ll still find the usual fitness and health features like a heart rate monitor, a gyroscope, a barometer, a compass, water resistance, and the ability to send and receive notifications and respond to phone calls without ever needing to touch the screen.
The only significant difference between this year’s models and the last is that the new ones have a slightly larger display and can run up to 18 hours on a full charge. That’s pretty impressive, and it shows that even though Apple’s smartwatch market share has been slipping over the past couple of years, it’s still one of the most capable devices on the market.
However, the lack of a precision start button is an annoyance. While it may not seem like a big deal at first glance, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to get GPS lock before pressing the start button (waiting for the beginning of a race, running with other people, waiting in the pool to dive in, etc.).
Apple’s latest iteration of the Watch has some excellent features that make it worth checking out, such as Double Tap. The feature allows you to double-tap your index and thumb on the hand the Watch sits above, which lets you interact with buttons, scroll menus, and more without touching the screen. It’s a spin on Assistive Touch, and it works well.
Overall, the Apple Watch Series 9 is a solid improvement over last year’s model with its faster performance, better display, and a few new ecosystem features. But it doesn’t feel like a big enough update to warrant an upgrade if you already have a model that you love, especially considering what will probably be a significant overhaul on this product’s tenth anniversary next year.
