Apple Watch Series 9 and the second generation Apple Watch Ultra are expected to go official on September 12 during the ‘Wonderlust’ event. It is believed that the new Watch Series 9 will bring a number of improvements over Apple Watch Series 8. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now claims that the upcoming smartwatches will use a new version of Apple’s optical heart rate sensor. The Apple Watch Series 9 would be available in 42mm and 45mm sizes, while the Apple Watch Ultra could be offered in 49mm sizes.
In his latest weekly Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman says that Apple’s Watch Series 9 and the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will come equipped with a new optical heart rate sensor. This would be a significant upgrade over the third-generation heart rate sensor on the Watch Series 8 and last year’s Watch Ultra. Furthermore, the smartwatches will reportedly get various sensors and other internal component upgrades.
Gurman states that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra will resemble its predecessors. The former will reportedly debut in 42mm and 45mm sizes. The Apple Watch Ultra, on the other hand, could be available in a 49mm size and is expected to be made with more recycled materials and have a black color option.
Like the iPhone 15 series, the new wearables will reportedly feature the U2 ultrawide-band chip for improved Find My capabilities. Additionally, Gurman says the new models will get their first new chip since 2020’s Series 6.
As part of an environmental policy, the materials for the stainless steel models of Apple Watch Series 9 will reportedly be made using a new manufacturing process based on 3D printing. The second-generation Ultra could be switched to this process next year. Additionally, the Cupertino-based company is reportedly moving away from some of its leather watch straps and could update or discontinue its stainless steel link bracelets from the 2015 watch.
Apple is hosting its ‘Wonderlust’ launch event on Tuesday, September 12. The event will kick off at 10:30 PM IST at Apple Park in California and will be streamed live via the company’s YouTube channel and Apple.com website. The iPhone 15 series and second-generation AirPods Pro model are also expected to be unveiled alongside the new Apple Watch Ultra (2nd generation) and Apple Watch Series 9 models.
