Later this year, Apple is expected to announce the Apple Watch Series 9. After years of minor upgrades to its smartwatch lineup, here’s what we know about this hotly anticipated upcoming product.
We’ll cover all the latest rumors pertaining to the Apple Watch Series 9 release date, price, specs, watchOS 10, and much more.
What will Apple call the next Apple Watch?
If the Cupertino firm follows the trend, Apple will likely name the next Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 9.
Will there be an Apple Watch Series X instead?
Although rumors claimed Apple was readying an Apple Watch Series X for 2023, the suggestion doesn’t make sense as only the product’s operating system is nearing version 10, but the Watch isn’t turning ten years old yet.
That said, it doesn’t mean Apple won’t launch an Apple Watch Series X in the future – as it has previously done with the iPhone. Just don’t expect 2023 to be the year.
Apple Watch Series 9 features
Design
Rumors so far believe Apple will stick another year with the same display size as the Apple Watch Series 7: 41mm and 45mm. Since the company now offers a titanium Apple Watch Ultra, the Series 9 will probably be offered in aluminum and stainless steel options.
In June, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter that Apple is readying three new watches in 2023: Two Apple Watch Series 9 models and one Apple Watch Ultra. That could mean different finish options.
Leaker ShrimpApplePro believes the box of this Apple Watch will be smaller compared to previous iterations.
Colors
ShrimpApplePro also leaked the colors of the upcoming Apple Watch. Interestingly enough, he believes a new pink color is being added to this device, which could make sense with a previous rumor saying Apple is readying a pink iPhone 15. That said, here are the colors for the Apple Watch Series 9:
Aluminum:
- Midnight
- Starlight
- (PRODUCT)RED
- Silver
- Pink
Stainless Steel:
Processor
At the beginning of the year, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said the Series 9 might have a new processor but no new sensors. Currently, Apple is working on a blood glucose sensor, but reports say it’s still years away from being released.
We still don’t know how much faster this new S9 chip will be, but since the latest spec bumps were around 20% to 30%, we could likely have a similar improvement to this upcoming Apple Watch.
By the end of July, Gurman addressed the S9 processor once again: “All of this year’s [Apple Watch] models will get a fairly sizable performance bump thanks to the new S9 processor. This marks the first time since the S6 chip launched in 2020 — with the Series 6 watch — that the lineup gets significant speed improvements.”
Sensors
No new sensors are expected for this year’s Apple Watch. That said, this device will maintain the existing ones with these features:
- High and low heart rate notifications
- Irregular rhythm notification
- Cardio fitness notifications
- Temperature sensing
- Emergency SOS
- International emergency calling
- Fall Detection
- Crash Detection
- High-g accelerometer
Apple Watch Series 9 will be powered by watchOS 10
Since Apple Watch Series 9 won’t have groundbreaking hardware functionalities, Apple is betting on improved watchOS 10 features to make this device more enticing. With watchOS 9, Apple expanded its Sleep functionalities, revamped Watch Faces, and a new Medications app.
This time, Apple says that “virtually every app has been rethought.” With that, these apps use the entire screen to create new places for content, so you can see and do more, which is especially useful for a larger Apple Watch display. In addition, Apple added two new Watch Faces, Pallet and Snoopy.
With Smart Stack widgets, you get the information you need below any Watch Face. You just need to turn the Digital Crown to reveal widgets in the Smart Stack. It includes multiple timers, your next meeting, music playing, and more.
The Control Center is now available when pressing the side button. Pressing the Digital Crown once still opens the App Library – which has been reimagined – and pressing twice opens the cards added to your Apple Wallet.
New features for Apple Fitness Plus on watchOS 10 include the ability to create a custom plan for your workouts. If you have a goal, such as a personal event, or want to lose weight, you can select your weekly schedule, how long you are planning to workout per day, the length of the plan (up to 8 weeks), and the activity types you’re planning to engage.
You can learn more about watchOS 10 here.
Release date
If Apple follows the trend, the company could announce Series 9 during the iPhone 15 event in September. The company has done that several times in the past. After the announcement, the Apple Watch would be available in the stores in the following week.
Price
With no significant changes planned for the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple could likely keep the same prices for the upcoming model. The Apple Watch Series 8 currently starts at $399 with an aluminum case and Wi-Fi only. The stainless steel version starts at $699 with Wi-Fi + Cellular connectivity. Both prices are for the 41mm option. Regarding its bands, Apple will probably charge the same amount as it already does.
A new page to buy Apple Watch
Before announcing Apple Watch Series 9, Apple revamped its Apple Watch buying page on its official website. Now, the company offers a streamlined and slimmed-down experience, highlighting each part of your new Watch, giving users a better understatement of how to customize this wearable properly.
For example, when you start shopping for an Apple Watch Series 8, you begin by choosing the material and finish. Once you select Aluminum, it shows the different cases and how each looks; the same is worth it for Stainless Steel models.
After that, you choose the case size and different bands. Since bands are a crucial part of the Apple Watch customization, Apple first shows the four options: Rubber, Textiles, Leather, and Stainless Steel. Then, when you click on each option, the company shows the different brands and, finally, the different colors.
Finally, you choose if you have a Watch to use as a trade-in, how you plan to pay, and if you want to add AppleCare+. During the whole process, Apple also tells you how much you will spend with each option and the benefits of each one.
