Apple Watch Series 9 Buyer’s Guide: How Incremental Upgrades Stack Up Over the Years
The Apple Watch has received some incremental updates over the past few years, with fewer and fewer significant upgrades as the device has evolved. Since the evolution of the Apple Watch is relatively small from generation to generation, it is even more important to consider when an upgrade is warranted and whether an older model might be sufficient for your needs.
The Apple Watch Series 9The most significant upgrade is the S9 chip, which brings improved performance to the Apple Watch for the first time in four years and enables features like Double Tap. Price starts at $399. Last year’s Series 8 introduced body temperature measurement and accident detection, but the last moderately significant update to the device was 2021’s Series 7, which introduced larger display sizes and fast charging capability. All previous Apple Watch models prior to Series 9 have been discontinued, but older models may still be available for even cheaper prices from third-party retailers or second-hand.
Read on to see the breakdown below of all the new features, changes and improvements added with each Apple Watch model compared to its immediate predecessor. By looking at each generation’s changes this way, you can weigh the cumulative upgrades you get from skipping multiple generations when purchasing a new device, and get an idea of which generations offered the biggest upgrades overall.
Apple Watch Series 9 (2023)
- Retina display with up to 2,000 nits brightness
- The display may dim in dark rooms and at night (up to 1 nit brightness).
- Double tap gesture
- S9 chip (based on A15 Bionic)
- 4-core Neural Engine (x2 faster than Series 8)
- Siri processed on the device for requests that do not require information from the Internet
- Siri can access health and fitness data
- 25% more accurate dictation
- Second generation ultra wideband chip
- Precision finding for iPhone 15 Models
- HomePod Proximity integration
- 64GB storage
- Introducing the pink aluminum case
Apple Watch Series 8 (2022)
- S8 chip (same CPU as S6)
- More powerful gyroscope and accelerometer with high dynamic range
- Crash detection
- Body temperature sensor
- Measuring wrist temperature during sleep
- Cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimation
- Blue and green aluminum cases are no longer offered, silver aluminum is being reintroduced
- The Apple Watch Edition is discontinued
Apple Watch Series 7 (2021)
- Case sizes 41 mm and 45 mm
- 1.7mm bezels for almost 20% more screen real estate than Series 6
- QWERTY keyboard
- Up to 70% brighter display than Series 6 indoors when wrist is lowered
- S7 chip (same CPU as S6)
- Shatterproof front glass (50% thicker)
- IP6X dust resistance
- Fast charge for up to 80% charge in around 45 minutes (33% faster than Series 6)
- The aluminum cases in Silver and Space Gray are no longer offered, Midnight, Starlight and Green are introduced
Apple Watch Series 6 (2020)
- Up to 2.5x brighter always-on display
- Access Notification Center, Control Center, and Complications when the display is idle
- S6 chip (based on A13 Bionic, 20% faster than S5)
- Altimeter always on
- First generation ultra wideband chip
- 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi
- Blood oxygen sensor
- Faster charging for a full charge in under 1.5 hours
- Improved battery life for tracking specific workouts, such as: B. Indoor and outdoor runs
- Introducing Blue and (PRODUCT)RED aluminum housing options
- Space Black stainless steel case only available with Apple Watch Hermès, Graphite option introduced
- The ceramic Apple Watch edition is discontinued
Apple Watch Series 5 (2019)
- Always-on Retina display
- Force Touch has been removed
- S5 chip
- compass
- 32GB storage
- Reintroducing the Apple Watch Edition with White Ceramic, Natural Titanium and Space Black Titanium case options
Apple Watch Series 4 (2018)
- Case sizes 40 mm and 44 mm
- Over 30% larger display with rounded corners
- 3.0mm display bezels
- S4 chip (2x faster than S3)
- Gyroscope and accelerometer
- Barometric altimeter
- Fall detection
- 2.4GHz WiFi
- Optical heart sensor and electrical heart sensor for ECG
- 16GB storage
- Digital crown with haptic feedback
- 50% louder speaker
- Offset microphone for less echo and better sound quality
- Faster charging for a full charge in 1.5 hours
- Introducing the gold-colored stainless steel case
- The Apple Watch Edition is discontinued
Apple Watch Series 3 (2017)
- S3 chip (70% faster than S2)
- Barometric altimeter
- Bluetooth 4.2
- “Siri” can speak via the integrated speaker
- LTE cellular model available with red Digital Crown
- Rose gold-colored aluminum case is no longer offered
- Introducing the gray ceramic model of the Apple Watch Edition
Apple Watch Series 2 (2016)
- Retina display with up to 1,000 nits brightness (2x brighter than previous generation)
- S2 chip (dual core)
- GPS and GLONASS receiver
- Waterproof up to 50 meters
- Added gold and rose gold aluminum case options
- The 18K gold and rose gold Apple Watch Edition is discontinued, while the ceramic model is introduced in white
- Introducing the Apple Watch Nike+ variant
The Apple Watch Series 9 doesn’t seem to offer a meaningful upgrade for most Series 7 and Series 8 users. If you have an Apple Watch Series 6 or older, it is usually worth upgrading to the “Apple Watch Series 9” as it offers numerous new functions in all areas. Discounted Apple Watch Series 7 and 8 models are also a good option for those who have a Series 6 or older and want to save money.
Accordingly Bloomberg‘S Mark GurmanApple has thought about moving The Apple Watch forgoes an annual upgrade cycle in order to offer more extensive updates less frequently. It is rumored that the Apple Watch “Series larger displaysmicroLED technology, larger batteries, blood pressure monitoring and a new mechanism for connecting ribbons.
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