Apple Watch Series 9 specs, images and pricing

Besides iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) Yesterday Apple also released the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Apple Watch Series 9 presented. This article will be about the latter. But Apple hasn't reinvented the wheel with the new watch; major innovations will be saved for the tenth generation next year. The Apple Watch Series 9 primarily brings with it the new S9 SiP, Siri processing on the device, the U2 chip, new brightness levels and gesture control (double tapping with index finger and thumb on the arm). The model should also be particularly sustainable.

Apple Watch Series 9 specifications

Apple does not offer detailed data sheets for its smartwatches, as is the case with the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Especially not shortly after the presentation. The following data is therefore out yesterday's keynote stream, the official one press release for the Apple Watch Series 9 and other Apple sources. But the data available in this way also provides a good overview.

• Manufacturer: Apple
• Model: Watch Series 9
• Device type: Smartwatch
• Case size: 41 mm or 45 mm
• Housing material: aluminum or stainless steel
• Display: Always-On Retina Display
• Screen brightness: up to 2.000 nits; Darkening up to 1 nit
• System: S9 SiP
• Siri on device: yes
• Operating system: watchOS 10
• Internal memory: 64 GB
• Input options on the device: display, crown, side button
• Operation without touching: double-tap with index finger and thumb on the hand of the carrying arm
• Audio: Microphone, speaker, audio pairing with Bluetooth accessories
• Sensors: two temperature sensors (one on the skin, one on the display), ECG, blood oxygen, pulse, altimeter, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, accident detection sensors, etc.
• Battery life: up to 18 hours or up to 36 hours in power saving mode
• Cellular communications: there are again pure GPS and GPS+Cellular models with cell phone use
• Other features: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, WLAN, U2 chip, Bluetooth, Apple Pay, etc.

Double-tap gesture for hands-free operation

In addition to the Digital Crown and the gestures on the display, starting with the Apple Watch Series 9 there is now a new way to make entries on the watch. The double-tap gesture for hands-free operation is performed with the index finger and thumb of the hand on the arm. The gesture is registered by motion sensors and the measurement of blood flow in the wrist. 

Depending on the app that is open, the primary button can be operated with the gesture. What sounds quite technical actually just means that e.g. B. Play and pause for music playback, stopping a timer, answering and ending phone calls, taking photos with a paired iPhone and the like. However, this gesture control will not be available at the launch of the Apple Watch Series 9, but only after an update in October.

Brighter or darker display on the Apple Watch

While last year's Apple Watch Series 8 offered a maximum display brightness of 1.000 nits, this year's Apple Watch Series 9 delivers a peak value of 2.000 nits. This means that display content should be clearly visible even in strong sunshine and other bright ambient light. However, if it is dark, the display can now be dimmed significantly - down to 1 nit. This way you won't be blinded or disturb others with your watch.

S9 SiP with faster Neural Engine: Siri on Device

The new S9 system, which gives the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 its computing power, provides a practical innovation through, among other things, a more powerful Neural Engine: requests to Siri are now processed directly on the device. Siri requests are no longer sent to the cloud, which also means that they work completely without cellular or Wi-Fi. This is also a plus for data protection and privacy, so that health data can now also be queried via Siri.

"Users can ask, for example, how many hours they slept last night, how closed their activity rings are or how high their blood sugar level is if they have a connected measuring device. You can also ask Siri on the Apple Watch Series 9 to log health data such as weight, body temperature, periods or medications taken“ says the press release linked above about the new watch.

U2 chip: Search for devices and connect them to the HomePod

Apple currently calls the updated U chip in its new devices “second-generation ultra-wideband chip”. Since that's too long for me, I'll shorten it to U2 chip, even though that brings back iPod memories of the band of the same name. The new U-chip ensures, among other things, a greater range for the precise “Where is?” search. “Exact Search provides distance and direction information as well as visual, haptic and audio clues about where a misplaced iPhone is [the iPhone 15 series] - even if it is in another room“, It says.

But the U2 chip also provides new connectivity with the Apple HomePod and Apple HomePod mini (which brings us back to music). When you get within four meters or closer, there is an automatic “Now Playing” indicator on the Apple Watch. If there is currently no media playback on the HomePod, suitable media suggestions are displayed at the top of the Smart Stack instead - similar to what happens on the iPhone when you pair Bluetooth headphones.

CO2-neutral watch-strap combinations available

The sustainability of the Apple Watch was an extremely big topic at this year's Apple September keynote. The Apple Watch Series 9 has been shown to have a net-zero carbon footprint based on various factors and measures. This also goes hand in hand with the new “Carbon Neutral” symbol on the packaging. 

However, not every watch and bracelet combination has this extensive sustainability in mind when purchasing it. However, while leather bracelets are being completely abandoned, the collaboration with Hermès continues with woven, knitted and plastic bracelets. Nike also offers wristbands made with recycled material.

When can you buy the Apple Watch Series 9?

The new Apple Watch Series 9 can be pre-ordered since yesterday. It will be available in stores from next Friday, September 22nd, 2023. Then you no longer have to look exclusively at Apple for purchase options, but can buy the watch from Amazon, Media Markt, Saturn, Cyberport and the like. We will probably inform you about Amazon offers.

The price: How much does the Apple Watch Series 9 cost?

As with the previous models, the price of the Apple Watch Series 9 is made up of various factors: case size, case material and wireless technology (GPS or GPS+cellular). Depending on the selection, these are the current prices:

Apple Watch Series 9 made of aluminum

Apple Watch Series 9 made of stainless steel

Apple Watch Series 9 in the video

If you want to watch the Apple Watch Series 9 in moving images, Apple offers the right video on YouTube:

You can also watch what was streamed yesterday Apple event with the new smartwatches and the iPhone 15 series:

Johannes Domke

[On vacation] After graduating from high school, Johannes completed training as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which led to his independence. He has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others, for several years now. His articles include product introductions, news, instructions, video games, consoles and much more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.