Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 with S9 SiP, double tap gesture launched in India: Details

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were unveiled at the company’s “Wonderlust” event on Tuesday (September 12). The new Apple Watch Series 9 is the tenth version of the Cupertino giant’s smartwatch series. The new models look very similar to the Apple Watch Series 8. However, they have new hardware features that promise improved performance. Apple’s new wearables include the Apple S9 SiP (System in Package). The Apple Watch Series 9 is offered in 41mm and 45mm sizes, while the Apple Watch Ultra comes in 49mm size. This also includes 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. The initial price is $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 is priced at Rs. 89,900 in India. In the US, it costs $799 (approximately Rs. 64,000). It is offered with Alpine Loop, Trail Loop and Ocean band options.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are currently available for pre-order. Sales begin on Friday, September 22nd.

To recall, the Apple Watch Series 8 GPS was launched at a price of $399 (approximately Rs 31,800) in the US and Rs 31,800 in the US. 45,900 in India. The Apple Watch Ultra was launched last year for Rs. 89,900. It is priced at $799 (approximately Rs. 63,600) in the US.

Apple Watch Series 9 specifications and features

The Apple Watch Series 9 is available in 41mm and 45mm case sizes. Like the previous Watch Series 7 and Watch Series 8 models, they feature the always-on Retina display with up to 2,000 nits peak brightness. It is claimed to provide up to 18 hours of battery life 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 features a “double-tap” gesture that allows users to answer or end a call, stop a timer, activate a snooze alarm, control music, access the camera, and more by simply tapping their thumb and index finger together. Powered by Digital Crown and Taptic Engine, the Double Tap feature also allows users to open the Smart Stack from the watch face and scroll through the widgets in the stack. Additionally, the wearable also offers the ability to ping the user’s iPhone. It can also be integrated into the HomePod.

Apple Watch Series 9 runs watchOS 10, and the new operating system features redesigned apps, a new Smart Stack, new watch faces, new cycling and walking features, and tools to support mental health. In addition, the smartwatch has a four-core Neural Engine that can process machine learning tasks faster than previous Watch Series 8 models. It is also said to make dictation up to 25 percent more accurate than the Apple Watch Series 8.

The new model is said to be Apple’s first climate-neutral product.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 specifications and features

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a 49mm body with an enhanced Retina display that offers peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. Like the Apple Watch Series 9, the latest Apple Watch Ultra 2 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 improved location tracking.

The new robust high-end watch runs on watchOS 10 and brings a new gesture called Double Tap. With this functionality, users can control the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with just one hand without touching the display. It gets a new watch face – Modular Ultra – which displays current real-time data such as seconds, altitude or depth. For climbers and hikers, it offers an altitude range from 500 meters below sea level to 9,000 meters above sea level. For water sports enthusiasts, the wearable offers a diving depth of 40 meters.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is said to offer a battery life of up to 36 hours under normal use and a maximum battery life of 72 hours in energy saving mode.