Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Regarding GPS, the current implementation is a bit wonky if you are surrounded by tall buildings or trees. So it could be improved, provided it is possible to squeeze in additional hardware.

5G can be useful not necessarily for the throughput, but for coverage. And there's satellite-based texting service. T-Mobile will be implementing it late 2023, but it will require 5G. I suspect many carriers will be implementing a similar service.
either it’s satellite or it’s 5G. It’s not both. T-Mobile may be making the feature free with 5G plans but I can’t see why there would be a technical requirement for 5G.
 
either it’s satellite or it’s 5G. It’s not both. T-Mobile may be making the feature free with 5G plans but I can’t see why there would be a technical requirement for 5G.
T-Mobile will be leveraging 10 MHz "G block" from their mid-band n25 5G NR frequency band. 5G offers significant spectral efficiency over 4G, as in less energy and higher throughput over weaker signal.

The company also announced that the feature will be free only for certain plans (I am guessing Magenta and Magenta Max, and possibly One and One Plus). It will be an paid add-on for the rest.

As for 5G on Apple Watch, when it gets Apple designed cellular modem, you can bet that it will be 5G. I have no idea how bulky satellite SOS hardware is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Howard2k
My guess would be a few trickle-down features from the Ultra, and not a lot else.
S9 Chip
Dual-band GPS
Optical Heart Sensor, Fourth Generation
Bluetooth 5.3
1200 nits

If wishes were fishes...all of those, plus:
Blood glucose monitor
Improved body temperature sensor
Louder microphone
36 hour battery
Satellite communication
Any groundbreaking features will prob end up on the Ultra now, the ‘Series’ watches are mid tier from now on
 
  • Sad
Reactions: JM
T-Mobile will be leveraging 10 MHz "G block" from their mid-band n25 5G NR frequency band. 5G offers significant spectral efficiency over 4G, as in less energy and higher throughput over weaker signal.

The company also announced that the feature will be free only for certain plans (I am guessing Magenta and Magenta Max, and possibly One and One Plus). It will be an paid add-on for the rest.

As for 5G on Apple Watch, when it gets Apple designed cellular modem, you can bet that it will be 5G. I have no idea how bulky satellite SOS hardware is.


Thanks. So same frequency but it's not traversing the 5G network.
 
Any groundbreaking features will prob end up on the Ultra now, the ‘Series’ watches are mid tier from now on

I hope that I will be not the case.

The steel series is around the same price than the Ultra, and the Hermes edition is even more pricer.
If I am wrong and in the future new features will be only for Ultra, then Apple should differentiate more the price, why to pay the same price for less features ?

I like the Ultra, but not for everyday life; for me, Series (in particular the steel one) and Ultra are on the same tier, but for different purpose/public. Series is more all around, everyday and elegant watch, also suited for all wrist sizes.

However, if a new feature is too power hungry, for sure it will come only on Ultra, not because it is top tier, but because it is bigger and it has a bigger battery.
 
For sure this year the Series 8 is a disappointment: no new chip, no new screen, no new design, no new features (well, at least for men), no more titanium, less colours for aluminium versions and moreover, at least in Europe... 100 euros more than last year Series 7!

I just bought a steel Series 7 at 300 euros less than Series 8, what bargain! And it was the very first time in my life that I bought a 'old' Apple product, when the new one is available...

I hope that the cause of this was simply the budget allocation: maybe Apple has keep the same amount of $ invested in R&D for watches than previous years, but they have spent all in R&D for Ultra and not invested at all for Series. We will see the next year!
 
  • Like
Reactions: xDKP and addamas
For sure this year the Series 8 is a disappointment: no new chip, no new screen, no new design, no new features (well, at least for men), no more titanium, less colours for aluminium versions and moreover, at least in Europe... 100 euros more than last year Series 7!

I just bought a steel Series 7 at 300 euros less than Series 8, what bargain! And it was the very first time in my life that I bought a 'old' Apple product, when the new one is available...

I hope that the cause of this was simply the budget allocation: maybe Apple has keep the same amount of $ invested in R&D for watches than previous years, but they have spent all in R&D for Ultra and not invested at all for Series. We will see the next year!


They've all been the same since S0.
 
They've all been the same since S0.
I dont fully agree. For sure, Apple Watches have only small evolutions year after year (less than an iPhone, for e.g.). However, this year is smaller than ever!

For e.g. Series 7 bigger screen (and brighter) was a significant change for everybody (and also fast charging is useful if you use sleep tracking then you need fast recharge at morning when you take your shower and you must go out immediately). Series 6 has introduced less visibile changes, but a lot of them (new SIP… not upgraded yet 2 generation later, o2 sensor, other sensor all improved, brighter screen,…), Series 5 has introduced a game changer always on screen, the compass…

But the Series 8 new sensor is useful only for women (and not for all women); maybe in the future it will detect fever (with software update) but without measuring how much is high… so not so useful (I don’t know you, but usually I know without any tool that I have fever… when I measure what I want know is how much is high!
 
  • Like
Reactions: xDKP
I dont fully agree. For sure, Apple Watches
But the Series 8 new sensor is useful only for women (and not for all women); maybe in the future it will detect fever (with software update) but without measuring how much is high… so not so useful (I don’t know you, but usually I know without any tool that I have fever… when I measure what I want know is how much is high!
Much like the U1 chip, it will probably be a few years before there is much real world everyday use from it.

Nice selling point (only selling point actually for s8, unless you are expecting a car accident), but will probably be standard in the SE4 by the the time there is any interesting stuff going on with it.
 
I dont fully agree. For sure, Apple Watches have only small evolutions year after year (less than an iPhone, for e.g.). However, this year is smaller than ever!

For e.g. Series 7 bigger screen (and brighter) was a significant change for everybody (and also fast charging is useful if you use sleep tracking then you need fast recharge at morning when you take your shower and you must go out immediately). Series 6 has introduced less visibile changes, but a lot of them (new SIP… not upgraded yet 2 generation later, o2 sensor, other sensor all improved, brighter screen,…), Series 5 has introduced a game changer always on screen, the compass…

But the Series 8 new sensor is useful only for women (and not for all women); maybe in the future it will detect fever (with software update) but without measuring how much is high… so not so useful (I don’t know you, but usually I know without any tool that I have fever… when I measure what I want know is how much is high!

Right. That was my point :) They're obviously not the same. Even the S8 vs S7 - as well as the temperature sensor, which may or may not become more useful, it has car crash detection, BT 5.3, and silver for aluminium. They're small updates, certainly, but they're updates.
 
I expect the S9 chip which is based on A15 efficiency cores to be about %40 faster than S8. Also, I expect the first battery life improvement in an Apple Watch Series device which will be about 24-hour battery life. I guess there will be no new sensors or any improvements on the existing sensors. Apple might bring 1 or 2 minor improvements such as better speakers.
 
Do not want to be “Debbie Downer” but I can not see a huge leap in technology in the Apple Watch. The battery size is limiting how many more features you can be using. As far as satellite use, the antenna would be so small and the amount of power required, I am doubting we will see satellite service on the Watch. They might be able to do something to get the GPS more accurate but my current AW is pretty accurate now.

I wish they would bring back the Edition series instead of just aluminum and stainless. Love my SBTi.
 
I also agree that after 3+ years we will finally get a significant CPU update that while also allowing for 30-40% jumps in speed which may or may not be noticeable in daily use, will more significantly use much less power allowing the watch to last longer. I think the regular watch will get true 24+ hour battery life. when they put it in an ultra I expect that battery life to approach 4-5 days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: srknpower
To me the only new update worth buying another watch for would be a camera.
Just for curiosity, why you need a camera?

IMHO, a camera would be of abysmal quality because small size (lens + sensor must need some space, it is a physical limit, not technological... it is the same reason because iPhone camera grown every year: people demand quality in smartphone camera, quality means bigger sensor and bigger sensor means bigger lens...) and it would be pitiful to framing.

Maybe you think about FaceTime video (quality is less important here) but even if possible it will discharge battery faster and I dont see the need of anytime video calls (in fact, I avoid video call most of time when possible including work meetings ah ah ah ah ah).

The only useful use case for me is reading QR codes, but IMHO I prefers to use this space inside the watch, instead of a camera, by adding sensors, or battery, or... for making Apple Watch smaller.
 
  • Like
Reactions: srknpower and 3Rock
Maybe also a redesign for standard Apple
Watch, with flat screen like the Ultra?

Watch sizes are:
  • Series 1, 2, 3 == 38 and 42 mm
  • Series 4, 5, 6 == 40 and 44 mm
  • Series 7, 8 == 41 and 45 mm
I believe that Apple Watch Series 9 will use the same external design as 7 and 8. There is no need to break the "three iterations with one design" rule at this point. Redesign will happen for Series 10 and will last again three years.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: the future
Not sure why there’s such a big misconception here but the regular Series 8 already has Bluetooth 5.3 (check the Apple.com specifications)!

It was a major reason why I upgraded to the regular S8 from my earlier S7.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.