Apple Watch Series 9 announced: specifications, prices, release date

The Apple Watch Series 9 is here and it is carbon neutral.

At Apple’s “Wonderlust” event on Tuesday, the company introduced the new generation of Apple Watch. The Series 9 has been updated with an S9 chip for faster computing power and a U2 Ultra Wideband chip for improved location accuracy for features like Find My tracking. The ultra-wideband chip can also be integrated into the HomePod. It is based on WatchOS 10, which was released at WWDC 2023 in June.

New to the Series 9 is a gesture that uses a clock hand called “double tap.” By tapping your finger and thumb at the same time, you can activate your smartwatch with one hand. You can use it to stop a timer, start the Smart Stack, and answer and end calls. Double Tap will be available next month.

Siri also got an upgrade with the Series 9. It fires on the device, so there’s no need to ping the cloud to get a response. Siri is also integrated into the Health app and will be available later this year.

Citing Mother Nature in the form of Octavia Spencer, Apple emphasized its pursuit of greener manufacturing. The Series 9 casing is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum and the sport loop watch band is made from recycled materials. This year, all Apple Watch production will be powered by clean electricity, and packaging will be fiber-based, allowing for more compact and lower-carbon shipping methods. Thanks to these initiatives, Series 9 has a net zero carbon footprint.

Apple is also moving away from leather watch bands and introducing a leather-like material called “fine weave” for its watch bands. Apple continues to work with Nike and has added new watch bands with Hermes.

The Apple Watch Series 9 starts at $399 and is available for pre-order today. The release will take place on September 22nd.

This story develops…