Apple Watch Series 9 'Basically Unchanged' Other Than Performance Boost From S9 Chip

The Apple Watch Series 9 will be "basically unchanged" compared to the current model other than a performance improvement, according to Weibo leaker "Instant Digital."

Apple Watch Series 9 Pink Aluminum Feature
In a post shared earlier today, the Weibo user corroborated other reports that the Apple Watch Series 9 will be a minor upgrade. The refresh will apparently focus on updating the cores within the device's S-series chip, delivering a notable performance improvement, but the rest of the device will be effectively the same as the Apple Watch Series 8.

The S6, S7, and S8 chips' CPU in the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, second-generation Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra, are virtually identical. The S6, S7, and S8 chips all feature 32GB of storage and dual-core CPUs with the identifier T8301. When Apple debuted the S6 in the Apple Watch Series 6, the last time it made performance claims about its latest smartwatch lineup, it said that the chip allowed apps to launch 20 percent faster.

The S6, S7, and S8 are based on Apple's A13 Bionic chip from the iPhone 11 lineup and are manufactured using TSMC's 7nm process. Apple transitioned to TSMC's 5nm process starting with the A14 Bionic chip in 2020.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the S9 chip will be based on the A15 Bionic chip. The new chip could bring significantly improved performance and efficiency, boosting app launch speeds and potentially improving battery life. In addition to the Apple Watch Series 9, the S9 chip is expected to be a key upgrade of the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra later this year.

The rumor echoes the essence of last year's Apple Watch Series 8, which was a minor update over the Series 7. It only added a more powerful gyroscope and accelerometer, ‌Crash Detection, and a body temperature sensor compared to its predecessor from 2021.

With performance as the main focus of the Apple Watch Series 9 and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, it seems that 2023's new Apple Watch models could be similarly small refreshes. Apple reportedly plans to introduce a couple of new color options for the product lineup this year, including pink for the Apple Watch Series 9 and black for the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases Firmware Updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday November 11, 2024 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released firmware updates for both AirPods 4 models (version number 7B20) and the AirPods Pro 2 with both Lightning and USB-C charging cases (version number 7B21). All of these AirPods models were previously on firmware version 7B19. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in firmware versions 7B20 and 7B21, but we will update this story if we find...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Camera Modules to Enter Mass Production Next Month

Tuesday November 12, 2024 2:56 am PST by
Apple's camera module supplier for the upcoming iPhone SE 4 is set to begin mass production of the components in December, according to a new report coming out of Korea. Economic newspaper Ajunews reports that LG Innotek will supply the front camera module for the budget-friendly fourth-generation device. Final tests are now said to be underway, with mass production of the module following...
iphone 6 thickness

iPhone 17 'Air' May Not Be Much Thinner Than iPhone 6

Monday November 11, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 17 "Air" model may not be as thin as Apple planned, according to a rumor originating in Korea. According to the news aggregator account "yeux1122" on Naver, citing industry sources, Apple has run into problems making the new iPhone 17 model sufficiently thin. The device's reduced thickness is apparently dependent on manufacturing a battery with a thinner substrate, but...
new mac holiday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Monday November 11, 2024 7:45 am PST by
Black Friday is getting closer, and prices on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini computers have started to drop as the shopping holiday nears. These deals include the latest models of the M4 MacBook Pro and iMac. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site...
iOS 18

Here's Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 3

Monday November 11, 2024 4:53 pm PST by
Apple seeded the third betas of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 to developers for testing today. While the third betas of each update are minor relative to the first two betas, there are still a handful of changes across the Photos app, TV app, and more. A corresponding iOS 18.2 public beta with these changes will likely be released later this week, and Apple previously confirmed that the software...
General Final Cut Pro Feature

Apple Likely to Announce Final Cut Pro Update This Week With These New Features

Sunday November 10, 2024 12:13 pm PST by
In its announcement video for the new Mac mini last month, Apple teased an "upcoming" version of Final Cut Pro for the Mac. Apple will likely announce the update during the annual Final Cut Pro Creative Summit, which begins this Wednesday. The conference is held in association with Apple, and attendees will be visiting Apple Park on the first day. Apple already teased four new features...
iPad iOS 16 WP Display Feature eric edit

Apple to Launch AI-Powered Home 'Command Center' as Soon as March 2025

Tuesday November 12, 2024 1:09 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch an AI-powered smart home display as soon as March 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The display will measure in at approximately six inches, and while it is similar to an iPad, it is square rather than rectangular and it has thick bezels around the edges. There is a camera at the top front so that it can be used for FaceTime, plus there are internal speakers...

Top Rated Comments

Born Again Avatar
17 months ago
Holding out for the new design that’s never coming.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacBird Avatar
17 months ago
I don't find the current AppleWatch models slow, better battery life would be more interesting at this point.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spaceboi Scaphandre Avatar
17 months ago
Looks like I'm sticking with my Series 6, again
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NewUsername Avatar
17 months ago
It makes you wonder why they do yearly updates if there hasn’t been any notable change since Series 4 except for the Always On Display.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheHoffman Avatar
17 months ago
Boo that's a shame :(
I'm still rocking the Series 4 and have been waiting out on a new design.

I think the only thing that would sway me would a *much* better battery, not sure we'll see that though..
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BorisDG Avatar
17 months ago
They are saving up for S10 or "Series X" (like Xbox LOL). Kinda tempted to upgrade from my S8, just for the SoC update, but I'm gonna wait for "10" and iPhone 16 Pro.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)