Apple Inc.
What Happened: Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were launched at the 'Wonderlust' event in Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park.
While the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 feature iterative improvements over their predecessors, one of the highlights is a new S9 SiP (System in Package) for a faster, more seamless performance. This helps Apple perform Siri requests on-device instead of connecting to an Apple server.
Apple has underlined its focus on sustainability, from the materials inside the new Apple Watches to the bands and packaging. While the company has increased the use of recycled cobalt and other materials, it also announced the phasing out of leather bands and the launch of a new range of bands called FineWoven.
Apple Watch Series 9 Price
The Apple Watch Series 9 price starts at $399. It comes in two sizes - 41mm and 45mm. It is available in aluminum and stainless steel options. Pre-orders start today, and in-store availability begins Sept. 22.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Price
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 price starts at $799.
Apple Watch Series 9 Features: Powered by S9 SiP, the Apple Watch Series 9 will run watchOS 10 out of the box.
Apple claims that the S9 SiP's GPU is 30% faster and has a four-core neural engine. One of the benefits of this is faster loading and boot times. It also enables Siri requests to be processed on-device, which also helps in improving power efficiency.
Another notable improvement is the significantly brighter display - the Apple Watch Series 9 display can get as bright as 2,000 nits, which is double that of the Apple Watch Series 8.
Apple has also introduced a new double-tap gesture that allows users to answer and end phone calls or snooze alarms. This can be triggered using the index finger and thumb.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Features: The Apple Watch Ultra 2 also sees some notable improvements over the original Ultra. Powered by the S9 SiP, it also supports Siri on-device like the Apple Watch Series 9. Its display brightness has increased to 3,000 nits from 2,000 nits on its predecessor.
Rugged features have been a highlight of the Apple Watch Ultra series, and Apple has improved some of those with the Ultra 2. It also gets the same double-tap gesture that the Series 9 has for call and alarm management.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 can also operate up to 40 meters in the water. It also operates 500 meters below and 9,000 meters above the sea level. Apple Watch Ultra 2's battery is rated to last 36 hours on a single charge and up to 72 hours in low-power mode.
