The importance of the S9 SIP

[Supermallet]

I’ve seen a lot of posts here, and a lot of sentiment in reviews coming out that the S9 SIP isn’t much of an upgrade because the series 7/8 and AWU1 are fast enough. I’ve seen a lot of the reviews put the two Ultras side by side and open apps and the speed looks identical. I think this is a myopic way of viewing the SIP, although understandable because most people “see” chip upgrades in the form of UI enhancements.

The other prevailing sentiment I’ve seen is that the Ultra 2 is nearly identical to the Ultra 1, which is a reasonable observation in this moment. I think what people are missing is what the S9 SIP will enable for the Series 9 and Ultra 2: Longevity. The previous chip wasn’t upgraded for years, meaning aside from new hardware features, the older series watches using the same SIP could take advantage of virtually all of the software features that have been added in those years. Going forward, that will not be the case.

We’re seeing this already. On device Siri and Double Tap are not new hardware features—they don’t rely on new sensors for example—they are new software features that could only be achieved with the S9 SIP. As we go through the Series 10, 11, maybe 12, we’ll see more software updates that require the power of the S9 chip.

I don’t think it makes sense for a Series 8 (probably even 7) or Ultra 1 owner to upgrade to the new models today, but I do think this is a bad time to buy a used Series 7/8 or Ultra 1 because those watches will be unable to use new software features more and more with each WatchOS release. And I’m sure the 10, 11, and 12 watches will add new hardware that the 9/Ultra 2 can’t take advantage of, but the 9/Ultra 2 won’t be left behind in terms of software.

 

[OrenLindsey]

The S9 sip is needed, because watchOS will get more and more heavy as time goes on. For example, my series 5 is struggling to keep up with watchOS 10. Eventually the S8/7/6 sip will get to that point, too.

 

[BenGoren]

Meh.

WatchOS 10 still runs on the S4. It’s a pretty safe bet that WOS 11 will, and I won’t at all be surprised if WOS 12 does, as well. Which will mean that anybody with an S4 will have gotten seven years of OS updates. And, after that, Apple will still provide security updates for at least a few more years.

Do I really need a smart watch to last more than a decade?

Do I really expect the battery to last more than a decade?

You might be thinking in terms of mechanical watches which, properly cared for, have the potential to last centuries. But they only tell the time (and maybe the date).

I use my Ultra the way I used my first iPhone, and about as much. (My 13 mini is a pocket tablet, mostly used for reading / newspapers / DuoLingo.) I wouldn’t expect to still be using any smartphone today in a decade, and my Ultra is, for all intents and purposes, a smartphone. So why do I care that I might “only” have several more years out of it, as opposed to a decade if I upgrade to the Ultra 2?

Not to mention … long before then (even if still years off), Apple will be selling watches that do blood glucose and / or blood pressure monitoring. And why would I not upgrade then?

Honestly, it’s a lot like gearheads obsessing about a new model year whose engine makes 540 HP over the previous year’s “measly” 515 HP. Outside of competitive racing, nobody can tell the difference … and that’s ignoring the fact that there’s so much that could be done to the car with the smaller engine that could leave the bigger one in the dust. Starting, of course, with the person behind the wheel …

b&

 

[srknpower]

As a Series 8 user I completely agree with the OP. Series 9 will have much more longevity than Series 8 because of the old SiP in Series 8. And I am worried if both Series 6 and Series 8 stop at the same watchOS because of the same CPUs.
And unlike BenGoren I am pretty sure this is the last update of Series 4, and even of Series 5.

 

[Supermallet]

Meh.

WatchOS 10 still runs on the S4. It’s a pretty safe bet that WOS 11 will, and I won’t at all be surprised if WOS 12 does, as well. Which will mean that anybody with an S4 will have gotten seven years of OS updates. And, after that, Apple will still provide security updates for at least a few more years.

Do I really need a smart watch to last more than a decade?

Do I really expect the battery to last more than a decade?

You might be thinking in terms of mechanical watches which, properly cared for, have the potential to last centuries. But they only tell the time (and maybe the date).

I use my Ultra the way I used my first iPhone, and about as much. (My 13 mini is a pocket tablet, mostly used for reading / newspapers / DuoLingo.) I wouldn’t expect to still be using any smartphone today in a decade, and my Ultra is, for all intents and purposes, a smartphone. So why do I care that I might “only” have several more years out of it, as opposed to a decade if I upgrade to the Ultra 2?

Not to mention … long before then (even if still years off), Apple will be selling watches that do blood glucose and / or blood pressure monitoring. And why would I not upgrade then?

Honestly, it’s a lot like gearheads obsessing about a new model year whose engine makes 540 HP over the previous year’s “measly” 515 HP. Outside of competitive racing, nobody can tell the difference … and that’s ignoring the fact that there’s so much that could be done to the car with the smaller engine that could leave the bigger one in the dust. Starting, of course, with the person behind the wheel …

b&

Yes, Apple is very generous in their device support for OS updates. That wasn’t what I was talking about. If you buy a series 8 or AW Ultra now, you’ll be buying a chip that has already been supported for four years (watches 6, 7, 8 all have had functionally the same SIP, and now the 8 is a year old, so four years). And every watchOS release from 10 on will leave those watches further and further behind. It’s not about needing to use the watch for a decade, it’s about losing out on features starting this year and even more in following years, because those features require the S9 SIP.

Of course it all depends on what your use case is. If all you need is the time, a few notifications, and maybe a timer or weather update, then a series 4 will be all you need and this post isn’t relevant to you anyway. If you’re someone who wants to take advantage of all the capabilities of the watch, the 6/7/8 and AWU1 now are much worse buys.