review with features, price and specifications

If we look back, it is amazing to see how Apple Watch has become such an indispensable accessory in the company’s ecosystem before it is today. I remember putting it on my wrist for the first time in 2015 and feeling like it was something from the future. And he was able to see everything the competitors were doing at Mobile World Congress that year.

I don’t know how many of you reading this were there at the time and how many of you joined the Apple world later, but it is clear to me that this diabolical the speed of technology change sometimes blur a little about the scope of certain successes – and how much they surprised us then. I also remember thinking that this watch is from the future Looks like it wasn’t for everyone, maybe just for early adopters And brand fans. Interestingly, we think the same thing about the Apple Vision Pro today.

Apple Watch Series 9 is the leader of the smartwatch concept

I remember with great fondness that first Apple Watch review because for me it was like exploring a new planet. Before receiving the device for review, I wrote an overly long list of things to check (almost 80 points) – again curious what I also do before trying Vision Pro. I spent weeks testing it so thoroughly that I had to… condense what I wanted to say because the text was too long.

I called it the “Era of Apple Watch” because, having tried it out, I had no doubt about its capabilities, although despite the incredible hardware for the time, I was aware that It wasn’t meant to be an immediate success.. I ended this analysis exactly like this: “This is incredible hardware and I think Apple has hit the mark with such a sophisticated input device (…). It’s not a must-have product for everyone, but if you decide to buy a smartwatch and look into the future, there’s no doubt that the Apple Watch is here to lead the way.”

Today, 8 years after that first analysis, the importance and success of the Apple Watch as a product and range is unquestioned. The people of Cupertino also know how to redirect that first version, which covered too much, focusing on health and sports, without neglecting occasional use through Significantly improved accessories, hardware and software..

Apple is heading into 2023 without anyone in its smartwatch rearview mirror. So much so that last year he dared to release the Apple Watch Ultra to compete in the big leagues. to go this far in terms of technology that this year’s new generation represents an update of some of its key points without changes to the design. Apple Watch Ultra 2 is more powerful, has a better screen and some detail improvements (like the new ultra-wideband chip), which make our daily life more comfortable.

With Apple Watch Series 9 the approach is the same. Last year’s Apple Watch Series 8 was already a very good smartwatch, improving on crash detection, temperature measurement, etc. while maintaining the same design. For evolution in 2023 Apple continues to improve the concept in my opinion, this is even more interesting – but especially shown to those who do not have the previous model.

Apple Watch Series 9 news

IN design remains identical to Series 8. As I mentioned in last year’s analysis, my main change request for Apple is to ditch the proprietary charging system in order to be able to use any wireless charger with standardized Qi technology (one that is used by any device including iPhone) and take one less cable. For now we will have to wait for it.

The only aesthetic changes are a new series of straps and a new pink color as an option if we buy it with an aluminum case, which we can customize in the purchased model. On the wrist, still looks impressive – discreet, minimalistic, but with a huge screen almost from edge to edge and elegant in all finishes. Improvements in a design that is so popular among people and has so many strengths will of course be a challenge for future generations.

What we have is a screen twice as bright: we went from 1000 nits of Series 8 to 2000 nits of Series 9 – but we must remember that this is always peak brightness. That is, watchOS is responsible for controlling – through the device’s sensors – ensuring that the screen is clearly visible to the user in any situation. Therefore, in normal everyday life we ​​will not notice any changes if we compare it with its predecessor.

For example, in broad daylight we notice that it is more visible, which is very good when playing sports. Over the past few months of testing, I noticed that it is more visualwith a more “live” screen in moments when, for example, you can’t concentrate your gaze on the sphere for a long time(for example, in the middle of a race in daylight).

All this is controlled by the new S9 chip, which has more changes under the hood than just evolution. It promises speeds 30% faster than the S8, but what’s important is that includes a quad-core neural engine for local processing of certain AI processes, such as Siri control, voice recognition improvements or new gesture control.

The latter is possible – as I already mentioned when analyzing the Apple Watch Ultra 2, with which it shares a processor and some new features – because the gesture detection process now performed through calculations in the new Neural Engine. In previous models, gesture detection in the Accessibility option used the processor and impacted the watch’s battery life. Apple has now improved the power of the Neural Engine S9 (twice as much as the previous generation) so that this gesture detection is decoupled from the watch’s normal processes and is more accurate.

So the battery life is exactly the same as the Series 8, which is about one and a half, almost two days depending on how we use the watch. Always remember that a brighter screen and a more powerful processor require more battery power, but S9 is even more efficient than S8 to curb energy consumption. If, for example, we disable the always-on screen, we can save battery even more.

Gesture detection is useful in everyday life because it frees you from having to touch the screen to use some of watchOS 10’s features, such as navigating between new widgets, answering messages, taking calls… there’s no gesture navigation option to allow you to select an additional option that may come with future software updates, but everyday use makes Apple Watch even more comfortable.

Another new product is adding a new ultra-wideband chip to accurately determine the location of devices. If we had an iPhone 15 with the same chip, the search would be identical to the AirTag search, with which we can find the phone very quickly. It also works with previous generations like the iPhone 14, but doesn’t achieve the same precision as the new chip. Very useful in emergency situations. I hope Apple expands the functionality to find other devices in the future.

Smartwatches worth recommending

This year’s improvements continue to Apple Watch Ultra 2, and this year Apple Watch series 9so we don’t have the new Apple Watch SE, which I still think is a very interesting model for those who want to get into the ecosystem, but without spending a lot of money.

As with Ultra 2, The Series 9 enhancements enhance important parts of the model. but they’re not such drastic changes for those with the previous generation model. The idea is that anyone who doesn’t already own an Apple smartwatch will be more tempted than ever to buy one (the price of which starts from 429 euros for a model with a diameter of 41 mm.).

And it certainly deserves it: Apple Watch is an indispensable device in my daily life, and this Series 9 is an improvement on the undisputed leader of smartwatches, thanks to good ideas and a range of accessories that allow us to personalize it indefinitely. Without a doubt, this is the best device in the range, combining price and features of this type, which can be recommended to anyone who wants to wear it on their wrist.

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