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Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Series 9 Buyer's Guide: 10+ Upgrades Compared
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Literally nothing much changed. 2000-3000 nits brightness, S9, and HR sensor. I can confirm, my Ultra is plenty bright always easy to see outside at 2000 nits, the modified S6 chip in it still blazes, and the HR sensor is not anything I was concerned with be inaccurate to begin with. This was a very incremental year for the Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Series 9 has this amazing NEW feature:
Oh, wait!
From Apple's Newsroom last September 2022 on Watch OS 9!
It's worth noting that Apple also indicated that Quick Actions and Double Pinch (Tap) Gestures are available on Apple Watches going back to Series 4!
support.apple.com
And, from our very own MacRumors back on October 7, 2022:
www.macrumors.com
There are questions, however. How well does it actually work on earlier models? Is it actually useful?! Does it work better or differently on a Watch 9?
”Double Tap gesture to stop a timer, play and pause music, snooze an alarm, answer and end a phone call, take a photo with the Camera Remote, open the Smart Stack, and scroll through widgets in the stack, all without touching the display”
‼️ 👍🏼 🚀 💕 ‼️
A huge ➕➕ over the Series 8.Oh, wait!
From Apple's Newsroom last September 2022 on Watch OS 9!
- With new Quick Actions on Apple Watch, users … can do even more with a double-pinch gesture, including answer or end a phone call, take a photo, play or pause media in the Now Playing app, and start, pause, or resume a workout.
watchOS 9 is available today
Apple today launched watchOS 9, which brings new features and enhanced experiences to the world’s leading wearable operating system.
www.apple.com
It's worth noting that Apple also indicated that Quick Actions and Double Pinch (Tap) Gestures are available on Apple Watches going back to Series 4!
”watchOS 9 is available as a free software update starting today for Apple Watch Series 4 or later paired with iPhone 8 or later and iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later, running iOS 16.”
See also “Use AssistiveTouch on your Apple Watch”“With the default actions, you can navigate your Apple Watch with these hand gestures:
- Move to the next item: Pinch (Tap your pointer finger to your thumb)
- Move back one item: Double pinch (Tap your pointer finger to your thumb twice quickly)
- Tap an item: Clench (Close your hand into a fist)
- Bring up the action menu: Double clench (Close your hand into a fist twice quickly). The action menu lets you perform a number of actions via AssistiveTouch, such as scrolling, pressing the Digital Crown, and more.”
Use AssistiveTouch on your Apple Watch
With AssistiveTouch, you can use hand gestures to navigate and use your Apple Watch.
And, from our very own MacRumors back on October 7, 2022:
“How to Use Hand Gestures to Control Your Apple Watch“
“With watchOS 9, Apple has built on the technology behind Assistive Touch with Quick Actions.
With new Quick Actions, users … can now do even more with a double-pinch gesture to respond to alerts on their Apple Watch, including answer or end a phone call, take a photo when the viewfinder and shutter button are showing in the Camera app, play or pause media in the Now Playing app, and start, pause, or resume a workout.
You can also use quick actions to snooze an alarm or stop a timer.
In fact, Quick Actions can be useful to just about anybody. For example, if you're holding something in your other hand and can't touch the screen of your Apple Watch to answer or end a phone call, you can perform a double-pinch gesture with your watch hand to do exactly that.”
How to Use Hand Gestures to Control Your Apple Watch
As part of Apple's accessibility push in watchOS 9, Assistive Touch now includes Quick Actions that let you respond to Apple Watch alerts with...
www.macrumors.com
All that is innovative and cool, but it's definitely not new — or a major distinguishing feature of the Apple Watch 9 over the 8!There are questions, however. How well does it actually work on earlier models? Is it actually useful?! Does it work better or differently on a Watch 9?
You may very well be right. But other sources claim the heart sensor is new in the Series 9, such as this one:
Apple Watch Series 9 vs Apple Watch Series 8 - compared
At Apple's iPhone 15 event, the Apple Watch Series 9 got some updates. Here's how it compares on paper to the Apple Watch Series 8.
appleinsider.com
On the website page it is wrong Series 8 has the second generation optical heart sensor. It has the third generation optical heart sensor too. You can check it out on Apple’s website.You may very well be right. But other sources claim the heart sensor is new in the Series 9, such as this one:
Apple Watch Series 9 vs Apple Watch Series 8 - compared
At Apple's iPhone 15 event, the Apple Watch Series 9 got some updates. Here's how it compares on paper to the Apple Watch Series 8.
I've never been much interested in sleep tracking - so I get "all day" battery by putting my watch on the charger on my nightstand at bedtime, and if I've done a long run or ride I'll put it on the charger while I jump in the shower.
With sleep tracking it seems Apple intends for folks to put it on fast charge while getting ready for bed, and again while getting ready in the morning or something similar as you surmise by the charge times.
Or Apple would rather you buy two watches.
Don't get me wrong - more battery would be great - but when I had a garmin watch I still kinda did the same charge every night thing just for consistency sake and not to get caught out if I forgot to charge it. Though I also know what bed I'm gonna be in every night - if there were routine uncertainty as to whose bed I'd end up in then my charging methodology wouldn't work so well.
Thanks for the correction. Also, for possibly saving me money. I’m on the fence about upgrading from S7, now I’m less likely to do so.
It seems to be a feature of the second generation wideband Bluetooth chip. It’s like how the first generation chip is required for the “pointing at HomePods to AirPlay” type features.
I think I paid $79. The Space Black Stainless Steel w/ DLC is not available anymore. So, the $79 was far below the watch's value.
Ah well that makes sense. I wish i had black stainless one and i wouldn’t pay for a current stainless one without that color offered.
So this will be useable for a few years?
I saw this ^ article with the article saying that VisionPro users need AirPodPro 2nd gen USBC version, and the two articles together were a little too "apple wants you to replace everything you own every two minutes for the best experience! Oh and we're super environmentally responsible so we come on replace everything again!".
I’d much prefer a double clockwise flick of my wrist ↩️↩️ then double tap. Something about pinching your fingers doesn’t seem really manly imo.. how does pinching your fingers activate the gyro and accelerometer like actually moving the whole watch over and again twice would? I feel this feature will non activate frequently. Just doesn’t make sense???
I was all set to buy an S8 stainless off the back off this release to take advantage of the price drop. However, coming from an S5 I have had quite a bit of advise telling me to get the S9 due to the better chip and future advancements. So my dilemma came down to getting the S8 stainless or an S9 aluminium.
I’m going to keep my S5 a bit longer it seems. I didn’t want another aluminium model and there’s no way I’m forking out £699 for an Apple Watch just to have this years model. I appreciate being put off for now.
I’m going to keep my S5 a bit longer it seems. I didn’t want another aluminium model and there’s no way I’m forking out £699 for an Apple Watch just to have this years model. I appreciate being put off for now.
Manly??
Apple picked a gesture they could detect and wouldn't likely be performed accidentally.I agree with the conclusions in the article that the AW9 is a minor upgrade and those with older watches might prefer a discounted AW8. I’ll take it a step further. Since the AW8 was a minor upgrade over the AW7 too, those with older watches should be on the lookout over the next couple of months for heavily discounted AW7’s and 8’s.
I’ve got a SS AW7 and I‘m holding on to it until at least the AW10. My guess is the AW10 will have a fresh new design but will otherwise be a minor update over the 9…but should be a nice overall package. I’m guessing also that we’ll have to wait till the AW11 to get any meaningful new sensors (ie glucose?).
Since I typically wait until at least the spring of the year following the AW release to upgrade (ie to get big discounts), I’ve got a good long wait on my hands before my next upgrade. At least till the spring of Spring of 95.
I’ve got a SS AW7 and I‘m holding on to it until at least the AW10. My guess is the AW10 will have a fresh new design but will otherwise be a minor update over the 9…but should be a nice overall package. I’m guessing also that we’ll have to wait till the AW11 to get any meaningful new sensors (ie glucose?).
Since I typically wait until at least the spring of the year following the AW release to upgrade (ie to get big discounts), I’ve got a good long wait on my hands before my next upgrade. At least till the spring of Spring of 95.
This is exactly where I am.
There's another element in the equation. Supposedly Apple offers "up to" $90 trade-in value on a S5. Assuming you could get the full $90 for that, and Apple's $80 battery replacement cost, now you're almost half way to the new S9.
Big advantages for me with S9 are a) the fresh battery, b) the faster charging modes (that arrived after S5 or even after S6). I'd probably upgrade to the larger (49mm) model which might give a little more battery. And I'm wondering if the brightness range of the S9 will allow for some slightly improved battery life too. I feel like all I need are some small tweaks to be able to use all day, charge a short amount and still use for sleep tracking.
Definitely not a "slam dunk" decision to upgrade to the S9 though.
I have an S5 now and while the battery is still good, I want the other features like pulse ox and the like. I'm hoping for the full $90 trade in.
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I think even Series 11 is too early for blood glucose measurement sensor. But blood pressure monitoring may come by 2025
