Table of Contents
Apple’s smartwatches get their first speed boost in years along with brighter displays and new hands-free gestures, keeping the market leader miles ahead of the pack.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is available in a range of sizes and materials and costs £399 (€449, $399, AU$649) – a £20 discount in the UK. It launches alongside the Ultra 2, which costs £799 (€899, $799, AU$1,399), a £50 discount on last year’s model.
Both watches look the same as their predecessors on the outside. The Series 9 has a slimmer, pillow-like profile available in 41mm or 45mm sizes, while the 49mm Ultra 2 embraces the rugged look with a solid titanium case and oversized buttons.
New this year are significantly brighter displays. The Series 9 is now twice as bright as last year’s Series 8, peaking at 2000 nitswhich matches rival Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6, and has the same maximum brightness as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The brighter the display, the easier it will be to read in direct sunlight, which is particularly important for a watch.
The Ultra 2 goes even further, with a display capable of reaching an incredible 3,000 nits at its peak – 50% brighter than last year’s model. The super-bright display is almost overkill unless you’re trekking through the desert, but its maximum brightness can be used in the built-in flashlight mode, which helps better illuminate the path.
New faster chip
The new S9 chip in both watches is the first since 2020’s S6 to get a significant speed boost. The 30% increase in performance isn’t radical for day-to-day activities except for interactions with Siri, many of which are now processed on the watch. Setting timers, making calls, and other simple interactions are fast and now work without an iPhone or data connection. Dictation for messages and notes is also up to 25% more accurate, making it faster to send responses without a phone.
Battery life on both models hovers around 36 hours for the Series 9 and close to 70 hours for the Ultra 2, which is enough for a day and a night, or nearly three days respectively between charges.
Coming soon, double tap
Apple is also adding a new hands-free gesture for the watch called double-tap, which recognizes when you pinch your index finger and thumb together twice. It’s a simplified version of one of Apple’s existing gestures. AssistiveTouch Accessibility Features for the watch, but faster and became a standard part of the interface for everyone.
You can double-pinch to silence an alarm, a timer, answer or end a call, and other key actions. It only works when the screen is active, so the watch is turned toward you, preventing it from being accidentally activated. The feature requires the watchOS 10.1 update, which is now being tested in public beta and worked very well, and is expected to be fully rolled out before the end of October.
Sustainability
Apple doesn’t provide an expected lifespan for the battery, but it should last more than 500 full charge cycles, at least 80% of its original capacity, and can be replaced with a new one. £95Repair cost Between £309 and £509 Depending on the model.
Contains recycled aluminum or titanium, cobalt, copper, gold, plastic, rare earth elements, tin and tungsten. Apple offers free trade-in and recycling of the devices and breaks down the environmental impact of each watch in its reports.
Price
The Series 9 comes in two sizes (41 and 45mm), a choice of materials and a 4G option that requires an e-SIM card and compatible phone plan. It starts at £399 ($399/AU$649). 4G models cost an additional £100 ($100/AU$160). The Ultra 2 costs £799 ($799/AU$1,399).
For comparison, the Apple Watch SE costs £259, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 costs £289, the Google Pixel Watch 2 costs £349The Garmin Venu 3 costs £449 and the Garmin Epix Pro costs £829.
Verdict
It didn’t take much to keep Apple’s smartwatches on top, but both the Series 9 and Ultra 2 have small but significant upgrades that will be hard to top, even if they don’t look any different on the outside.
The considerably brighter displays make a huge difference when it comes to reading the time, alerts, and exercise metrics at a glance while outdoors. The faster chip will ensure the watch remains fast for years to come, and will make interacting with Siri super-fast even when you’re not near your phone.
The upcoming double-tap gesture is also a nice addition, making moments like checking train times while rushing around with bags in hand a little easier.
If you’re looking for the best smartwatch for an iPhone, there’s nothing better than the Apple Watch in any of its formats.
