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Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Reviews: Small Steps Forward

spcopsmac21 said:
Three Apple Watches. These are the people keeping Apple in business lol
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Honestly more than other Apple products, the AW can be considered a fashion device.

The AW Ultra, as good as it is, isn't as appropriate for certain settings as the regular Apple Watch. If I am wearing a navy suit to a meeting, for example, and I want to wear and AW for some reason, good to have the option of the Series 6 SS, or even something like a Midnight aluminum watch.
 
I have a Series 3 and I am more than happy with it. It's still perfect for tracking my runs, checking the weather, telling me the time and setting a timer for my eggs. It even has a two day battery life. So yeah, absolutely no need for me to upgrade. :)
 
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Was ready to upgrade my S7 SS graphite to an ultra 2 but meh.

Had the S7 replaced via AC+ so have a new 100% health battery to keep me going in the hope of a more significant update next year.
 
2025

A video is shown of a horrific accident... then... they show two outcomes

Can you tell which person had iPhone Pro and Apple Watch Ultra

Audience rises and applauds

While I appreciate apple including more and more health and safety features... I find it a little morbid that their website now carries images of what appears to be accidents in progress.

Where is the positive Apple of the past.. why did they start targeting our mortality to sell a phone/watch
 
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DMG35 said:
Lol every year its "Next year will be the big one."

All next year will be is another incremental update with maybe some new colors. There will be some minor updates and nothing else. The watch has peaked. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but there just isn't much else Apple is going to accomplish year over year.
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So has the iPhone. People are carrying around super-computers in their pocket and on their wrists, and they still want more-more-more. The computing power of the devices has exceeded what the average consumer needs.
 
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  • Siri‌ processed on-device for requests that do not need information from the internet, resulting in quicker and more reliable responses
  • ‌Siri‌ can access health and fitness data
  • 25% more accurate dictation
  • Retina display with up to 2,000 nits of brightness up from 1,000 nits, useful in the sunlight
  • Display can get dimmer in dark rooms and at night (down to 1 nit of brightness)

www.macrumors.com

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Series 9 Buyer's Guide: 10+ Upgrades Compared

The Apple Watch Series 9 replaces the Apple Watch Series 8 in Apple's smartwatch lineup, so how different are the two successive smartwatch...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
I have an aluminum Apple Watch 8 that has been great for me. But I have always been tempted to get the Ultra and am just concerned that it won't work out for me because I have smaller wrists. The height of my wrist is approximately 2.25 inches and the circumference is 167mm. I think that I'll go to an Apple store and try one on. Best Buy has a display where you can slip it over your wrist and see what it looks like, but that really isn't the same thing as trying it on. I have also been tempted by the stainless steel one but can't see spending that much extra for a SS case and sapphire crystal. My current AW has cellular but as I haven't used it even once in a year, I am dropping $10/month plan. I gave passing consideration to trading this one in on a newer aluminum one but nah. It's either Ultra 2 or keep this one for another year and seeing what happens next year. :)
 
surfzen21 said:
I think the series 10 will be significant in terms of a new housing but I don't think they will change the Ultra. I think the Ultra body style will stick around for at least 3-4 years.
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I just wonder how far they can really go. The thing is all screen and I can’t see the form factor really changing much other than what they did with the ultra already. If this is the last year of standard bands i def wanna upgrade this year cus I love one of my custom third party bands and don’t want it to become useless.
 
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I'll wait for the redesign Apple Watch X and then straight up buying a second hand Series 8 Stainless Steel. Whenever a brand new design comes out the existing model will depreciate even further, which is truly a steal.
 
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roland.g said:
AFAIK the Hermes Series 8 and Series 9 (maybe even Series 7) Space Black DLC Apple Watch is not the same true black that the original DLC Space Black Stainless Steel was through I believe Series 6.

I truly can't tell where the casing ends and the screen begins when the screen is off.
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Same here, I love the seamless blend from screen to case. I will let you know on Friday. Can maybe take some side-by-side comparison shots. I love the black link band so have to stay with black for as long as possible.
 
Small steps forward, in other words, we'll charge you a premium for no new features when you upgrade from the Ultra.
 
erikkfi said:
The battery life is unchanged. It’s still the same “🤡 great all-day battery life.”
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Sorry, did not realize you’ve tested them both, beyond Apple’s standard (and often conservative) claims. Maybe just let people upgrade if they want to; it really shouldn’t ruin your day. I’m upgrading a 4 year old watch and paying myself, since my entire portfolio is in AAPL going back 20 years. 🤡
 
sw1tcher said:
Wait a minute. Compared to the Apple Watch series 8, the series 9 is just a small step forward and buyers will only see iterative upgrades therefore it likely isn't worth upgrading, but when it comes to the iPhone 15, it's a "major upgrade"... offering a "significant update" to the iPhone 14??? 🤣
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To be fair, 14 to 15 is huge (not to be confused with 14 Pro to 15 Pro which isn’t a big update).

Upgrades get Dynamic Island, USB-C, action button, and upgrade to 48MP camera (from 12MP).
 
B-Mc-C said:
Same here, I love the seamless blend from screen to case. I will let you know on Friday. Can maybe take some side-by-side comparison shots. I love the black link band so have to stay with black for as long as possible.
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Please do. The online photos of the Hermes don't show a true black.
In fact I ordered a Series 7 Apple Watch Space Black from eBay right when Series 8 came out and sent it back because it was a brushed titanium "space black" with a matte look.

That and the eBay seller listed it as new and it was opened, scratched, and when I contacted Apple, the serial was reported as missing and potentially stolen. eBay/PayPal made me whole and I sent it back.
 
Rychiar said:
I just wonder how far they can really go. The thing is all screen and I can’t see the form factor really changing much other than what they did with the ultra already. If this is the last year of standard bands i def wanna upgrade this year cus I love one of my custom third party bands and don’t want it to become useless.
Click to expand...
Personally, I want the next iteration of the Watch to be expanded along the X-axis (Y-axis referenced as the sides with buttons). Expanding up to 1.5x the current X-axis form could be useful for visibility, and complications (AKA Watch Widgets).
 
Timo_Existencia said:
How do you possibly get 2 days of battery life from the Series 3? I'm down to about 12 hours on mine. I have a series 7 and a series 3. Nowhere near 2 days of battery life on the 3 :)
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I’m finally upgrading my 3. Battery I can ‘just’ get through a day but it’s more about the apps not being good enough Amy more when running.

Podcasts are tough to get on (space and errors syncing)
Nike Run app (it takes soooooo long to load)
 
Thought about upgrading my series 6, that is absolutely beat to death and with a screen scratched to hell, to a Ultra 2....but, I'm going to hold off another year. I just use it for fitness, and barely use the smart features.

Maybe next year...I'm not too worried about new features, other than maybe connecting to ANT+ devices, but that's owned by Garmin now. The low-hanging fruit has been picked, same as with the (all) smartphones.

Hint: Don't wear your non-ultra rock climbing....
 
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oneMadRssn said:
I expect nothing more from CNET, but this is the dumbest take. A freaking $20 keychain flashlight will ultimately be brighter, spookier, and illuminate more of a cave than a $1000 Apple Watch.
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You’ll never forget to bring your $1000 Apple Watch to show off though.
 
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