Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were launched on Tuesday (September 12) during the company’s ‘Wonderlust’ event. The new Apple Watch Series 9 arrives as the tenth iteration in the series of smartwatches launched by the Cupertino giant. The new models look quite similar to the Apple Watch Series 8. However, they do have new hardware features that are touted to deliver better performance. Apple’s new wearables include the Apple S9 SiP (system in package). The Apple Watch Series 9 will be offered in 41mm and 45mm sizes, while the Apple Watch Ultra will launch in 49mm sizes. They also provide support for the WatchOS 10 software version.
Apple Watch Series 9 Price in India, Availability
The Apple Watch Series 9 price starts at Rs. 41,900 in India. It has an initial price tag of $399 (approximately Rs. 33,000) in the US. The wearable is available in five colors: Midnight, Starlight, Silver, (Product) Red and a new pink.
The second generation Apple Watch Ultra 2 costs Rs. 89,900 in India. In the US, it will cost you $799 (approximately Rs. 64,000). It is offered with Alpine Loop, Trail Loop and Ocean tire options.
Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are currently available for pre-order. They will be available for purchase from Friday, September 22.
To recall, the Apple Watch Series 8 GPS was launched with a price tag of $399 (approximately Rs. 31,800) in the US and Rs. 45,900 in India. The Apple Watch Ultra was unveiled last year for Rs. 89,900. It costs $799 (approximately Rs, 63,600) in the US.
Apple Watch Series 9 specifications and features
The Apple Watch Series 9 comes in 41mm and 45mm case variants. Like the previous Watch Series 7 and Watch Series 8 models, they have the always-on Retina display with peak brightness up to 2,000 nits. The battery is claimed to last up to 18 hours on a single charge.
The smartwatch is powered by a new Apple S9 SiP (system in package) with a second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip. Apple claims the new chip is 60 percent faster than the Apple Watch Series 8. The new wearable allows users to access their health data via Siri. It comes with a “Double Tap” gesture that allows users to answer or end a call, stop a timer, set a snooze alarm, control music, access the camera and more by simply tapping their thumb and index finger against tapping each other. Thanks to the Double Tap feature, powered by Digital Crown and Taptic Engine, users can also open the Smart Stack from the watch face and browse widgets in the stack. Furthermore, the wearable also has the ability to ping the user’s iPhone. It also integrates with HomePod.
The Apple Watch Series 9 runs watchOS 10 and the new operating system comes with redesigned apps, a fresh Smart Stack, new watch faces, new cycling and walking features, and tools to support mental health. Furthermore, the smartwatch includes a four-core Neural Engine that can process machine learning tasks faster than previous Watch Series 8 models. Dictation is also said to be up to 25 percent more accurate than the Apple Watch Series 8.
The new model is claimed to be Apple’s first carbon-neutral product.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 specifications and features
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a 49mm case with an enhanced Retina display that offers up to 3000 nits peak brightness. Like the Apple Watch Series 9, the latest Apple Watch Ultra 2 also runs on the company’s custom S9 SiP and has carbon-neutral options. The flagship smartwatch comes with advanced features like on-device Siri processing and enhanced location tracking.
The new high-end, rugged watch runs on watchOS 10 and offers a new gesture called Double Tap. This functionality allows users to operate the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with just one hand, without touching the screen. It gets a new watch face – Modular Ultra – that displays current real-time data, including seconds, altitude or depth. For climbers and hikers, it offers an altitude range ranging from 500 meters below sea level to 9,000 meters above sea level. For water sports enthusiasts, the wearable provides a diving depth of 40 meters.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is said to deliver up to 36 hours of battery life in normal use and up to 72 hours of battery life in Low Power mode.
