Gurman: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 to Feature New Heart Rate Monitor, More Accurate Sensors, U2 Chip, and More

The Apple Watch Series 9 and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will offer several previously undisclosed features, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims.

Apple Watch Series 9 Pink Aluminum Feature
In a detailed report outlining his full expectations for Apple's "Wonderlust" event, Gurman said that the Apple Watch Series 9 and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will offer various sensor and component upgrades, with a general "focus on speed, efficiency, and accuracy." These changes will include a new version of Apple's optical heart rate sensor. The Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8 feature Apple's third-generation optical heart rate sensor.

The new Apple Watches will also feature an all-new "U2" ultra wideband chip, the first generational iteration of the component since the U1 chip's 2019 introduction in the iPhone 11 Pro. The new chip will improve the Apple Watch's location capabilities, allowing people and devices to be tracked more precisely in the Find My App. It is apparently set to come to all of the next versions of Apple's major products, including the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro.

The second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will be manufactured with more recycled materials, as well as come in a black color option for the first time. As previously reported, the stainless steel Apple Watch Series 9 will feature a 3D-printed casing. Apple plans to start manufacturing the Apple Watch Ultra with the technology starting next year.

This year's main Apple Watch upgrade will be a new processor, which has to date effectively not been changed throughout three successive generations of the device. Apple apparently plans to "heavily tout major gains in processing speed" during its "Wonderlust" event.

The new Apple Watch models will otherwise be largely unchanged compared to their predecessors. The company also plans to shift away from some of its leather watch bands, and there are signs that Apple may finally update or discontinue the Link Bracelet introduced alongside the original Apple Watch.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

wanha Avatar
21 months ago
Here we go again with Apple forcing U2 on its users
Score: 128 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
21 months ago

It would be nice is we went into the event with someone new we haven’t heard from the leaks
You visit a site called MacRumors, so you are kinda doing it to yourself.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fatTribble Avatar
21 months ago
Well this may be the year I retire my trusty Series 4! ??
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rychiar Avatar
21 months ago
I was laughing last night when I pressed play on my moms phone and that U2 album is the only thing in there so it played
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
21 months ago

It would be nice is we went into the event with someone new we haven’t heard from the leaks
I'm someone new, would you like to go into the event with me? ;)
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
solq Avatar
21 months ago
Give it something like a 1-week battery life to make it actually useful...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)