Apple Watch Series 9: What to expect? New redesign, new processor, and more

Abhi B.
Apple Watch Series 9 will launch in September alongside the iPhone 15 series. (Image via Apple)
Apple Watch Series 9 will launch in September alongside the iPhone 15 series. (Image via Apple)

The Apple Watch Series 9 is one of the most anticipated devices from Apple. It is one of the best-selling smartwatches globally, so Apple makes sure they upgrade the Apple Watch annually alongside new iPhones at its fall event. Last year’s Apple Watch Series 8 was an iterative upgrade from the Series 7 and played second fiddle to the shiny new Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE2. Therefore, Apple will likely bring about significant changes with this year's Apple Watch Series 9.

If you're wondering whether you should wait for the Apple Watch Series 9, this article will have all the information you need to consider.


Will the Apple Watch 9 have a new design?

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Apple doesn’t usually make drastic changes to the design of their products. For example, from iPhone X in 2017 to iPhone 14 series last year, all that changed was the shape and size of the display notch on the top. The company has now moved to a three-year design cycle for the iPhone.

From the initial model until the Apple Watch Ultra last year, all their watches look identical except for minor changes in curvature, reduced bezels, and construction material. The most significant change from Seris 7 to Series 8 was the availability of the Titanium option on the latter, which is now an Apple Watch Ultra exclusive.

Apart from these subtle changes from generation to generation, the aesthetics of the Apple Watch have remained the same over the years. The design has become part of the identity of the Apple Watch, so the brand is unlikely to change it anytime soon. We can also expect the same 41mm and 45mm variants this year, with Aluminium and Steel chassis options.


When will Apple Watch Series 9 launch?

As mentioned before, Apple upgrades its Apple Watch lineup annually since it’s a significant product for the brand. Usually, the new Apple Watch series launches with new iPhones at the fall event. Apple is known to host their fall event during mid-September and prefers to host it on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Going by their track record, we can expect the Apple Watch Series 9 to launch on either September 13 or September 14, or September 20 or September 21, which are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively.


What will the price of the Apple Watch Series 9 be?

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At this point, there have been no rumors or leaks regarding the price of the Apple Watch Series 9. Thankfully for us, Apple has a set pattern for Apple Watch pricing. The Apple Watch Series 4, 5, 6,7, and 8 launched in the US with a starting price of $399. We can also expect the Apple Watch Series 9 price to start at $399. This is a good middle point since Apple caters to budget and high-end buyers with its Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra lineup, respectively.


Will the Apple Watch 9 bring performance improvements?

There are two rumors suggesting performance improvements in the Apple Watch Series 9. Chronologically, Apple could launch the Watch Series 9 with the new Apple S9 chipset with minor improvements. The performance bump from Apple S7 to S8 was also very minute. However, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has claimed that Apple Watch Series 9 might come with a processor based on the A15 Bionic SoC from the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

There have also been reports of Apple bringing a microLED display to the Apple Watch. However, Gurman has stated that Apple will definitely bring microLED to the Apple Watch but will restrict it to the Ultra variant, and that too in 2024. So, we can safely assume that the Series 9 will use the tried and tested AMOLED panels with the same display size as the Apple Watch Series 8.

In another report, leading Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo claimed that the company would include an advanced Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip in various devices, including the Apple Watch, to seamlessly fit the Vision Pro headset in its ecosystem. Apple launched its mixed reality headset with spatial computing at its WWDC 2023 event held on June 5, 2023,

The most significant improvement will be on the software side with the WatchOS 10. It will bring a major interface overhaul, including crown navigation for the control center and widget support. Apple is bringing iPhone’s Smart Stack widget to Apple Watch, which can be navigated using the crown. WatchOS 10 also brings mood tracking to help users take note of and improve their mental health.


Will there be a new Apple Watch Ultra or Apple Watch SE 3rd generation?

Apple will launch a new Apple Watch Ultra in 2023 but not Apple Watch SE. (Image via Apple)
Apple will launch a new Apple Watch Ultra in 2023 but not Apple Watch SE. (Image via Apple)

Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra last year, and it quickly became a hot-selling product for the brand. We expect Apple to upgrade the Apple Watch Ultra like the core models annually. Very little is known about the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra at the moment, but it is expected to have an improved processor.

On the other hand, the Apple Watch SE is not upgraded annually. Apple launched the first Apple Watch SE in 2020 and the Apple Watch SE2 in 2022. Considering the Apple Watch SE2 launched just last year, it’s unlikely that Apple will refresh it this year.


This is all the information about the upcoming Apple Watch Series 9 at the moment. If you have been waiting to pick up the latest Apple Watch, it would be wise to wait for a couple of months and pick the latest and greatest at the same price.

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Edited by Siddharth Satish
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