Apple introduces the advanced new Apple Watch Series 9
PRESS RELEASE September 12, 2023
Featuring breakthrough capabilities for the world’s most popular watch and Apple’s first carbon neutral products
Apple Watch Series 9 brings new capabilities to the world’s best-selling watch while achieving a significant environmental milestone.
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced Apple Watch Series 9, bringing new features to the world’s best-selling watch and achieving a significant environmental milestone. Apple Watch Series 9 is more powerful than ever with the new S9 SiP, which increases performance and capabilities; a magical new double tap gesture; a brighter display; faster on-device Siri, now with the ability to access and log health data; Precision Finding for iPhone; and more. Apple Watch Series 9 runs watchOS 10, which delivers redesigned apps, the new Smart Stack, new watch faces, new cycling and hiking features, and tools to support mental health.
For the first time, customers can choose a carbon neutral option of any Apple Watch, representing a significant milestone toward Apple 2030: Apple’s plan to be carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030.
The new Apple Watch lineup can be ordered today, with availability beginning Friday, September 22.
Apple Watch Series 9 is a more indispensable companion than ever, offering powerful new capabilities to help users with their health, fitness, communications, and safety.
“Apple Watch is an indispensable companion that helps millions of people with their health, fitness, communications, and safety,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We’re introducing our best Apple Watch lineup, with incredible new capabilities and technological advancements, including a new double tap gesture, brighter display, on-device Siri, as well as our first-ever carbon neutral products. Whether users are upgrading from earlier models or buying their first, there’s never been a more compelling time to experience Apple Watch.”
“At Apple, we are committed to making products customers love and protecting the planet at the same time, and this year, we hit a key milestone toward our Apple 2030 goal,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “Our first carbon neutral products were made in a uniquely Apple way, steeply reducing carbon emissions from materials, electricity, and transportation through innovation and design.”
Select case and band combinations of Apple Watch Series 9 are Apple’s first-ever carbon neutral products.
Apple Watch Series 9 is powered by custom Apple silicon in the all-new S9 SiP. Apple’s most powerful watch chip yet delivers systemwide improvements and brand-new features, including a new double tap gesture and on-device Siri with the ability to access and log health data privately and securely. Apple Watch Series 9 also has a new 4-core Neural Engine that can process machine learning tasks up to twice as fast, when compared with Apple Watch Series 8. The power efficiency of the S9 SiP allows Apple Watch Series 9 to maintain all-day 18-hour battery life.1
Apple Watch Series 9 features the S9 SiP, Apple’s most powerful watch chip yet, along with a new 4-core Neural Engine that can process machine learning tasks up to two times faster.
Innovations such as the Digital Crown and Taptic Engine — along with gestures like tap, swipe, wrist raise, and cover to mute — make Apple Watch simple and intuitive to use. With a new double tap gesture, users can easily control Apple Watch Series 9 using just one hand and without touching the display. Users can tap the index finger and thumb of their watch hand together twice to quickly and conveniently perform many of the most common actions on Apple Watch Series 9.
Double tap controls the primary button in an app so it can be used to stop a timer, play and pause music, or snooze an alarm. The gesture can be used to answer and end a phone call, and even to take a photo with the Camera Remote on Apple Watch. Double tap will also open the Smart Stack from the watch face, and another double tap will scroll through widgets in the stack.
This new double tap gesture is enabled by the faster Neural Engine in Apple Watch Series 9, which processes data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor with a new machine learning algorithm. The algorithm detects the unique signature of tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb perform a double tap. The double tap gesture will be available in a software update next month.
With a new double tap gesture, users can easily control Apple Watch Series 9 using just one hand and without touching the display. Double tap controls the primary button in an app so it can be used to answer a phone call, stop a timer, play and pause music, or snooze an alarm.
The power-efficient S9 SiP and advanced display architecture increase the maximum brightness of the Apple Watch Series 9 display up to 2000 nits — double that of Series 8 — making it even easier to read text in bright sunlight. For dark rooms or early mornings, the display can also lower to just one nit so as not to disturb people close by.
Apple Watch Series 9 features a maximum brightness of up to 2000 nits — double that of Series 8.
For the first time on Apple Watch, Siri requests can be processed on device. For requests that do not require information from the internet, such as starting a workout or setting a timer, Siri does not rely on Wi-Fi or cellular networks, resulting in quicker and more reliable responses. The powerful Neural Engine also makes dictation up to 25 percent more accurate than Apple Watch Series 8.
On-device processing is private and secure, and now Siri can be used to access data from the Health app for health- and fitness-related queries. For example, a user can ask how many hours of sleep they had the previous night, for progress on closing their Activity rings, or about their blood glucose level if they have a connected monitor. Users can also make Siri requests on Apple Watch Series 9 to log health data such as their weight, period, or medications taken.2
Precision Finding and HomePod IntegrationThe ability to use Apple Watch to find iPhone is a favorite user feature. Now, the S9 SiP includes a second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip to enable Precision Finding for the iPhone 15 family, which has the same chip. Precision Finding provides distance and direction, as well as visual, haptic, and audio guidance to a misplaced iPhone, even if it is in a different room.
The S9 SiP chip features second-generation Ultra Wideband to enable Precision Finding, providing distance and direction, as well as visual, haptic, and audio guidance to a misplaced iPhone, even if it is in a different room.
UWB also brings deeper integration between Apple Watch and HomePod. When an Apple Watch user gets within 4 meters of a HomePod playing audio, Apple Watch Series 9 will launch Now Playing to control the media. Or if nothing is playing on HomePod, media suggestions will appear at the top of the Smart Stack.
The new second-generation Ultra Wideband chip also brings deeper integration between Apple Watch and HomePod.
Apple Watch Series 9 runs watchOS 10, a milestone update that includes:
watchOS 10 brings Apple Watch users a new Smart Stack to show relevant widgets right when they’re needed.
New watch faces include Snoopy (pictured), Palette, and Solar Analog.
New watch faces include Snoopy, Palette (pictured), and Solar Analog.
New watch faces include Snoopy, Palette, and Solar Analog (pictured).
Bluetooth connectivity for power meters, speed sensors, and cadence sensors arrives for cyclists, unlocking new metrics and Workout Views, and cycling workouts.
New Compass Waypoints and Maps capabilities can further help during outdoor adventures.
The Mindfulness app offers additional tools to support mental health with state of mind logging.
Select case and band combinations of Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch SE are Apple’s first-ever carbon neutral products. As part of Apple 2030, the carbon footprint of Apple Watch has been significantly decreased. Emissions were reduced from the three biggest sources of greenhouse gases — materials, electricity, and transportation. The small amount of emissions remaining are offset with high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects. Apple Watch packaging has been redesigned to be 100 percent fiber-based, and a new logo on the packaging indicates models that are carbon neutral.
For the first time, customers can choose a carbon neutral option of any Apple Watch — a significant milestone toward Apple 2030.
Apple Watch SE continues to deliver the core Apple Watch experience at a more affordable price point, and is a great way for users to start their Apple Watch journey, use with Family Setup, or gift to their loved ones. Additionally, Apple Watch SE offers Activity tracking, high and low heart rate notifications, Fall Detection, Emergency SOS, Crash Detection, and watchOS 10.
The new Apple Watch SE delivers the core Apple Watch experience at a more affordable price point, offering everything from Activity tracking to Emergency SOS.
Shown here in the new pink aluminum case with a pink Sport Band, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Shown here in a starlight aluminum case with a guava Braided Solo Loop, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Shown here in a midnight aluminum case with a midnight Sport Loop, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Shown here in a silver aluminum case with an olive Solo Loop, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Shown here in a (PRODUCT)RED aluminum case with a (PRODUCT)RED Sport Band, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Shown here in stainless steel in silver with a gray FineWoven Modern Buckle, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Shown here in stainless steel in gold with a purple Sport Band, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Shown here in stainless steel in graphite with a green FineWoven Magnetic Link, Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Apple is introducing FineWoven, a luxurious and durable microtwill made of 68 percent post-consumer recycled content that has significantly lower carbon emissions compared to leather. FineWoven has a suedelike feel, and is available with the Magnetic Link and Modern Buckle bands. Starting today, Apple will no longer use leather in any new Apple product, including watch bands.
The popular Sport Loop band has been redesigned to include 82 percent recycled yarn. All new Apple Watch Sport Loops are carbon neutral.
The luxurious new microtwill, FineWoven, is available with the Magnetic Link (pictured) and Modern Buckle.
The luxurious new microtwill, FineWoven, is available with the Magnetic Link and Modern Buckle (pictured).
Apple worked with Nike and Hermès on more environmentally friendly band collections. The Nike Sport Band now contains 32 percent or more recycled fluoroelastomer, including colorful flakes made from excess bands that create a randomized pattern, making each band unique, while the Nike Sport Loop with a space-dye pattern repurposes yarn from previous seasons.
Apple worked with Nike on more environmentally friendly band collections.
The Nike Sport Band now contains 32 percent or more recycled fluoroelastomer, including colorful flakes made from excess bands that create a randomized pattern to make each band completely unique.
The Nike Sport Loop with a space-dye pattern repurposes yarn from previous seasons.
A new collection of Hermès bands draws on the house’s rich history in textiles and craftsmanship. Two new woven bands are introduced: Toile H is an interpretation of the brand’s signature checked canvas, and Twill Jump is a rich solid color with contrasting details. The first-ever knitted band for Apple Watch, Bridon, is hand-braided with a bold chevron pattern, while Kilim is made of sporty, waterproof molded rubber and has a deployment buckle. A classic new watch face, Hermès Radial, complements these four new band styles.3
A new collection of Hermès bands draws on the house’s rich history in textiles and craftsmanship. The first-ever knitted band for Apple Watch, Bridon, is hand-braided with a bold chevron pattern.
Kilim is made of sporty, waterproof molded rubber and features a deployment buckle.
Twill Jump is a rich solid color with contrasting details.
Toile H is an interpretation of the brand’s signature cotton canvas.
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