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The new Apple Watch Series 9 gets a new processor and new features
Photo: Apple Inc.
The hall is packed again. There is room for around 800 people in the Steve Jobs Theater, the largely underground magnificent building that Apple has built for events such as the annual iPhone event. None of the comfortable leather armchairs remain reoccupied. Tim Cook sets the bar very high right from the start. For example, Apple first shows a video with Apple Watch customers whose lives have been saved by the smartwatch's security features.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is powered by the new S9 chip. Its 5.6 billion transistors are supposed to make the smartwatch not only faster, but also more enduring. Apple promises 18 hours of battery life. Voice commands are now processed offline on the watch, the detour via the cloud is saved, which should significantly speed up the handling of Siri. This is intended to motivate users to trust Siri with more health information. For example, you can ask the voice assistant about your own pulse or keep a medication diary.
New kind of gesture control
The new generation of smartwatch introduces new ways of interacting. Doubletap is what Apple calls a new way to control the watch finger gestures of the hand on the joint of which the watch hangs without touching the screen. For example, you can tap your thumb and index finger together to answer a call, stop an alarm clock, or end a call. A new ultra-wideband chip (UWB) is supposed to improve the ability to find a lost iPhone or transfer music to a HomePod.
The Series 9 will again be available in both aluminum and stainless steel in a variety of colors. The display has been significantly improved, is now always on and can shine brightly up to 2000 nits. In order not to disturb sleep, the display should be darkened to 1 nit if necessary.
More accurate localization possible
The new Ultra 2 also gets the new UWB chip as well as the S9. Apple has taken the display up a notch and increased the brightness to 3000 nits. A new watch face is supposed to ensure that more information can be displayed on it than before. In addition, the innovations in the Apple Watch Ultra 2 seem to be primarily due to the new watchOS 10.
For environmental protection, the proportion of recycled material in the titanium housing has been controlled to 95 percent. In combination with a matching bracelet, the UItra 2 should also be CO2-neutral.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is available from 449 euros and the Apple Watch SE from 279 euros, the Apple Watch Ultra costs 899 euros, they are to be delivered from 22 September.
iPhones finally get USB-C
For the iPhone 15, Apple has slightly changed the design. For example, even the smallest model now has the so-called "Dynamic Island", the info bar at the top of the screen, which was previously reserved for the Pro models. The edges of the case are now gently rounded. iPhone 15 and 15 Plus get significantly brighter screens with 6.1 inches (approx. 15 cm) or 6.7 inches (approx. 17 cm), which are now up to 2000 nits bright. The manufacturer also advertises with recycled materials. For example, the battery contains 100 percent recycled tungsten.
The photo quality is supposed to be improved by creating a 24-megapixel photo by combining two differently resolved shots. As a pseudozoom, Apple uses the option of magnifying the middle 12 megapixels of the 48-megapixel sensor. Sony uses a similar technology in the Xperia 5 V.
Apple uses the A15 chip known from the iPhone 15 Pro as a drive for the iPhone 14 and 16 Plus. However, it will also be equipped with the new UWB chip, which is supposed to improve the range and accuracy of the location function. During phone calls, AI technology is supposed to help filter out disturbing background noise.
The switch from the Lightning socket to USB-C is presented as completely natural, because "many other Apple products" already use the standard connector. There will also be new EarPods and a new charging case for AirPods with USB-C. The requirements of the EU are not mentioned by Apple.
This article will be updated on an ongoing basis.