Apple Watch Series 9

A new chip off the old block

The Apple Watch is the most renowned smartwatch currently available, and the Series 9 takes much of what’s worked best and looks to improve it. The watch is exclusive to Apple’s own devices, so you need an iPhone to pair it and integrate the apps and data running on the watch itself. Whether you just want to keep in touch or reach new health and fitness goals, the new Apple Watch Series 9 is ready to go to work.

It starts with the new S9 chipset under the hood, which boosts overall performance by as much as 30% over the Series 8. That means apps and processes will run smoother and quicker for added convenience every time you raise your wrist to look at something on the watch. The depth of watchOS 10 brings activity and peace of mind all in one package.

It will be easier to see it all because of the brighter screen, doubling the output of the Series 8. It’s also smarter, knocking itself down to just 1 nit as a way to preserve battery life yet still stay active whenever you need it.

Just a tap of the finger is all you need to get things started

One of the newest features is called Double Tap, a nifty way to see and do things on the Apple Watch Series 9 without even touching it. When enabled, tapping your index finger and thumb together twice acts like you’re pressing the action button on the watch itself.

Double Tap can do plenty on the Apple Watch. When someone calls, a Double Tap answers the call, and you can do it again when it’s time to hang up. Want to play or pause the music you’re listening to? Just do a Double Tap. You can even do it to snooze an alarm when you just want those few extra minutes of sleep.

It's also a great way for those who need assistance to access features on the watch due to disability or when one hand is already occupied. Look for this functionality to continue to expand for other apps as well to bring a new level of hands-free input to the watch.

Siri is ready to talk offline without an Internet connection

The neural engine in the S9 chip, which is the big reason for Double Tap, also works its magic with access to Siri—no Internet or phone required. That’s right, you won’t need your iPhone on you to talk to the voice assistant in certain instances, negating the need to have all queries and commands beam up to Apple’s servers in the cloud. Instead, machine learning on the S9 chip uses natural language learning models to know what to do without going to the server first.

The list of features and abilities with that feature will only grow, but you can expect to start or end a workout by just saying so, no matter if your iPhone is with you or not.

Apple also made Siri 25% more accurate in understanding what you’re saying, helping to increase accuracy and avoid repetitive inputs. It also marks the first time Siri will have direct access to the Health app, so it’s going to be as simple as asking to pull up or log data for health and fitness metrics.

Staying in touch with the Apple Watch

The same connectivity features apply with the Series 9, including Crash Detection and SOS Emergency. If the Apple Watch detects what it thinks is a crash or collision, it will reach out to first responders to come and help. It works whether you’re conscious or not, ensuring you’re never alone in your moment of need. That also goes for SOS Emergency, where you can call for help using the watch itself or through your iPhone.

The Series 9 will also be better about finding your missing iPhone or AirPods. The new Ultra Wideband 2 chip improves location-tracking to find objects using, especially the iPhone 15 lineup, which are also equipped with the same U2 chip. It’s called Precision Finder, and it works with more precise location data to track down a misplaced or lost iPhone by seeing the exact distance and direction onscreen, while haptic feedback increases in intensity as you get warmer to the actual spot.

New features in watchOS 10 also bring about new ways to connect with loved ones using FaceTime. Widgets play a bigger role, including with Smart Stack, a way to cycle through them with help from machine learning. Extra features for mental and visual health, plus fitness and watch face improvements, help make the Series 9 a reliable smartwatch on any wrist.