Why is that such a big deal, when the stainless steel version of the watch has always cost nearly that much?
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What do you make of the AW 9 vs. the AW 7 or 8? Are you going to upgrade — and why?
- Thread starter Saturn007
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Wait, it's not ready at launch?
And yes, I know there are major differences, but it's not completely new. Like, the iPhone was a breakthrough improvement in the smartphone category, but it didn't create the category, right? The way Apple is talking about the double-tap feature as totally new makes me feel like if they were claiming the iPhone was the first smartphone.
Nope, not ready yet.
PSA: One of the only new Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 features won’t be available at launch - 9to5Mac
One of the biggest (and one of the only) new features for Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra...
9to5mac.com
I think it might be surprisingly different from the accessibility feature, which I have used.
👀Nope, not ready yet.
PSA: One of the only new Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 features won’t be available at launch - 9to5Mac
One of the biggest (and one of the only) new features for Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra...
I'm sure it will be quite different, yes.
I'm going to keep my Hermes Series 7 (and attempt to get a battery swap at some point soon) and will instead get an Ultra 2.
I've tried on the Ultra before and it seemed ok -- upper limit of acceptable -- so we'll see. If I have to return it, I will. If I do, I will probably replace it with a graphite stainless S9. I've had silver stainless Apple watches since the very first model, so if not the ultra, then something at least a little different.
I've tried on the Ultra before and it seemed ok -- upper limit of acceptable -- so we'll see. If I have to return it, I will. If I do, I will probably replace it with a graphite stainless S9. I've had silver stainless Apple watches since the very first model, so if not the ultra, then something at least a little different.
I think it’ll be extremely similar to the existing quick actions from the user perspective (yet better), but I‘m guessing there are radical changes underneath on how it detects the triggering gesture.
It doesn’t seem to be as large of a project to do the absolute minimum changes to trigger the default action, which really doesn’t seem that hard to change but is a significant improvement in utility.
Yet either or both could end up being completely new code (complete rewrites) for all we would know.
It doesn’t seem to be as large of a project to do the absolute minimum changes to trigger the default action, which really doesn’t seem that hard to change but is a significant improvement in utility.
Yet either or both could end up being completely new code (complete rewrites) for all we would know.
Yes, it appears there's overlap and similarity, but the new feature is by no means "just like" the old.
DC Rainmaker writes:
Though need to remember the $100 premium for Ti over SS also gained you a second Ti-specific sport band and an extra year of warranty (2yr vs 1yr)
Oh, that’s interesting, thanks for the context, @deeddawg.
I wonder what practical difference that will make in the end…for example, it could mean triggering without having to glance to activate the screen (doubt it), or it can merely mean it can trigger faster since it doesn’t have to activate on raise. That alone would be nice because quick action does seem to take a second or two before it will trigger for me.
I wonder what practical difference that will make in the end…for example, it could mean triggering without having to glance to activate the screen (doubt it), or it can merely mean it can trigger faster since it doesn’t have to activate on raise. That alone would be nice because quick action does seem to take a second or two before it will trigger for me.
That’s true, forgot about that band, looked at it and put it back in the box as I did t like it
I have always purchased the Aluminum watches, but when the Series 6 came out, I found a great deal on here from someone selling a Series 5 Titanium watch & upgraded. Then same thing with the Titanium Series 6 a year later. Those are fantastic watches & I'm hesitant to go back to aluminum, but I don't care for the Ultras or the Stainless models. Still using the 6 today, but the on board Siri will be fantastic for when I'm cycling or running. I live in an edge area for T Mobile & can't use Siri for a good portion of my regular routes. This will solve that problem. Also, I think the double tap will be nice to answer calls, etc while cycling, as I won't have to take one hand off the bars. Leaning towards upgrading to an aluminum 9, but I'm going to wait to hear how the initial buyers like the upgrades. My ideal buy would have been a Titanium Series 9.
S9 chip has 60 percent more transistors than S6, S7 and S8 chips. Also A12 chip had 60 percent more transistors than A11, and it got 40 percent higher scores in tests. So I think our latest Watch is 40 percent more powerful than Series 7 and Series 8 and it is not a small difference but I still think it won’t make any big differences in near future.
I have Watchla, then when Tesla released their own Siri Shortcuts, I set that up as well. Sometimes I just can't be bothered waiting for Siri. Hopefully this will be better on the new Series 9 watch.
AW9 looks lovely and Double Tap is a cool feature, but not lovely enough to make me quit my AW SE2 which is still in AppleCare. Could we not just go for a 2 yearly cycle on hardware and maybe see some real innovation? Processor bump, a brighter screen, new colours and a smattering of new features? My money stays in the bank…
After mulling over the pros and cons of a series 8 vs a series 9 for the past few days, I’m going to keep my series 5 another year. It still works pretty well for its age and the battery lasts a day with AOD turned off. I’ll see what the series 10 offers next year and decide from there. Never thought I’d be keeping my watch for 5 years but it’s all been rather dull these last few years hadn’t it?
I don't think Apple expects all watch users to upgrade every year. It's like with the Mac computers -- there's upgrades every year or two, but most users are on an upgrade cycle that's much longer than that.
It's surprising how quickly the product has matured, and the upgrades became incremental. Well, we all want more sensors, but it seems that technology isn't advancing so fast, so the watch is kind of stuck until the sensors catch up.
I did love the Ultra's large bright screen when I tried that. It made me feel like I might do more with my watch -- actually read ebooks on it, for instance. I think eventually the Ultra might become some people's only phone, if Apple let it be a stand-alone device. The Ultra is, in my opinion, a leap forward. Too bad it's size and aesthetics isn't a fit for many people.
I think it’s a good thing though as people generally aren’t upgrading watches as often as they would a phone so the environment wins. My series 5 still looks like a current watch too and most people wouldn’t have a clue that it’s 4 years old.
The Ultra isn’t my cup of tea to be honest. Too big for my tastes and not really keen on the aesthetics. It’s got some nice features, but I do think the longer battery life should be offered across the range now, not just on the ultra. It’s the one thing people have been asking for for the last few years and Apple should really have invested more into the standard Apple Watches in this regard. I have no internet in paying 800 quid on a smartwatch either and know very few who do. Hopefully the series 10 brings something good and I have the choice next year of an aluminium 10 or a stainless 9.
I’m on a 1st gen SE which is at 82% battery health and cannot last a full day anymore, so I’m definitely upgrading. I waffled between taking a deal on the 8 or getting a new 9 and I’m going for a 9 for these reasons:
1 nit-2000 nit display. Being in direct sunlight with the 14 Pro really made me appreciate the 2000 nit brightness for those situations. Going down to 1 nit will be brilliant for movie theaters and bed time and will help save on battery life.
On device Siri. I use Siri on the watch more than on my phone. It’s just so convenient to raise my wrist and start talking. But it’s a pain waiting for Siri to process those commands. On device Siri will be a big upgrade for me.
Double tap. I’ve used the accessibility feature and it wasn’t for me, but Double Tap is designed for more specific contextual actions with one hand and according to Apple will be more accurate than using the accessibility feature on the older watches. I think it will make the experience of using the watch feel far more seamless.
The S9 chip. I’m surprised at how many people are downplaying the significance of the first AW processor upgrade in years. My SE works well enough with the older chip but the efficiency gains and most importantly the longevity will be the real benefit of this new chip. I bet the watch next year gets a splashy new case design and has this exact same chip at the heart of it. Considering I tend to upgrade my watch every 3-4 years, having the newest chip ensures I can successfully do that.
1 nit-2000 nit display. Being in direct sunlight with the 14 Pro really made me appreciate the 2000 nit brightness for those situations. Going down to 1 nit will be brilliant for movie theaters and bed time and will help save on battery life.
On device Siri. I use Siri on the watch more than on my phone. It’s just so convenient to raise my wrist and start talking. But it’s a pain waiting for Siri to process those commands. On device Siri will be a big upgrade for me.
Double tap. I’ve used the accessibility feature and it wasn’t for me, but Double Tap is designed for more specific contextual actions with one hand and according to Apple will be more accurate than using the accessibility feature on the older watches. I think it will make the experience of using the watch feel far more seamless.
The S9 chip. I’m surprised at how many people are downplaying the significance of the first AW processor upgrade in years. My SE works well enough with the older chip but the efficiency gains and most importantly the longevity will be the real benefit of this new chip. I bet the watch next year gets a splashy new case design and has this exact same chip at the heart of it. Considering I tend to upgrade my watch every 3-4 years, having the newest chip ensures I can successfully do that.
Absolutely, I appreciate that Apple doesn’t anticipate year on year upgrades but it does sometimes feel like drip feed at least in the regular consumer tier(s). The Ultra does push the envelope.
That being said, I started out with wearables over 10 years so originally as an alerting device (I’m hard of hearing) and there is no comparison in terms of functionality.
I’d love to see functionality like the iPhone/iPad’s ability to listen for sounds and alert accordingly, which would be seriously useful. Or at least, mirror the alert on iPhone for such. Likely this needs more onboard processing power (and corresponding battery hit).
I have a S6. I got so tired of running out of battery that I switched to a normal watch. I just did a search to see how the S6 and S9 match up on battery time: they're exactly the same. I don't think I'll be coming back to Apple Watches until I don't need to charge them every day.
I'm hard of hearing too, and if you mean the Sound Recognition alerts, those are absolutely mirrored on the watch from the iPhone. I go to wash my hands and my wrist vibrates because the phone detects the sound of water running -- I'm like hey, I don't need to be alerted when I turned on the water, lol. This function has been there for a while, I can't remember exactly when it became available, but it works on my S8, and I think it worked on the S6 before that, but my memory is kind of unclear.
Then I doubt you'll be back to Apple Watches at any time in the forseeable future -- Apple's made it pretty clear that 18-hour/all-day is their design target - likely founded on extensive market research for their primary target audience - and they will throw additional batter and CPU efficiency into UI/UX stuff rather than longer battery life.
Macrumors forum: What the hell Apple? Same CPU from S6 to S8? Come on, we need some improvements.
Apple: Releases S9 with new CPU.
Macrumours forum: CPU upgrades don't mean anything. Come one Apple, we need some improvements.