Apple has once again redefined the smartwatch industry with the introduction of the Apple Watch Series 9, showcasing groundbreaking features and an unprecedented commitment to sustainability.
Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the U.K., the U.S., and more than 40 other countries and regions can order Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch SE today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 22.
Cupertino, California-based Apple said the price of Apple Watch Series 9 starts at $399 (U.S.), and Apple Watch SE starts at $249 (U.S.).
The Series 9 builds on the success of its predecessors and introduces remarkable enhancements, all while taking a significant step toward Apple’s ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030.
Powerful Performance and New Features: The Apple Watch Series 9 boasts the latest S9 SiP (System in Package) chip, offering exceptional performance and capabilities. This advanced chip brings several new features to the smartwatch, including a revolutionary double tap gesture for one-handed operation, a brighter display, faster on-device Siri with access to health data, and Precision Finding for iPhone.
The S9 SiP also incorporates a new 4-core Neural Engine that accelerates machine learning tasks by up to twice the speed compared to its predecessor, the Series 8. Despite these advancements, the Series 9 maintains an all-day 18-hour battery life, thanks to the chip’s power efficiency.
One of the most striking innovations is the double tap gesture, which allows users to control the Apple Watch Series 9 using just one hand without touching the display. By tapping their index finger and thumb together twice, users can perform common actions like stopping a timer, playing and pausing music, snoozing an alarm, answering and ending phone calls, and even taking photos with the Camera Remote feature.
This gesture also provides quick access to the Smart Stack on the watch face and allows users to scroll through widgets in the stack. The double tap gesture leverages the Series 9’s faster Neural Engine, which processes wrist movements and blood flow changes to recognize the unique signature of a double tap. This feature will be made available through a software update next month.
In terms of display technology, the Apple Watch Series 9 achieves a significant milestone by increasing its maximum brightness to 2000 nits, double that of the Series 8. This enhancement ensures excellent visibility in bright sunlight while allowing the display to reduce brightness to a mere one nit for discretion in dark environments.
Additionally, Siri requests can now be processed on the device, eliminating the need for Wi-Fi or cellular networks for certain tasks such as starting workouts or setting timers. This enhancement delivers quicker and more reliable responses. The Series 9 also brings a 25% improvement in dictation accuracy over its predecessor.
Carbon Neutral Option: In an unprecedented move, Apple is offering customers the option to choose a carbon-neutral Apple Watch. This initiative aligns with Apple’s ambitious sustainability plan, Apple 2030, which aims to make the company completely carbon neutral by 2030. By providing carbon-neutral options for its products, Apple is taking a significant step toward achieving this goal and reducing its environmental footprint.
Availability: The new Apple Watch Series 9 is now available for order, with shipments scheduled to commence on Friday, September 22. This latest addition to the Apple Watch lineup combines groundbreaking technology, enhanced features, and a commitment to sustainability, further solidifying Apple’s position as a leader in the smartwatch industry.
Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, expressed the company’s dedication to innovation and sustainability, stating, “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.”
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, emphasized the company’s dual commitment to product excellence and environmental responsibility: “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.”
Apple’s ongoing efforts underscore the tech giant’s dedication to a sustainable and innovative future.
