Design and Build

The Apple Watch Series 9 comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, and is powered by an aluminum/stainless steel chassis with a 10.7mm thickness. The 41mm version has a weight of 31.9g (aluminum, GPS) and 42.3g (stainless steel), while the 45mm model weighs 38.7g (aluminum, GPS) and 51.5g (stainless steel). The colors offered are Midnight, Starlight, Silver, (PRODUCT)RED (aluminum) and Silver, Graphite (stainless steel). The watches are designed for a wrist circumference of 130–200mm (41mm) or 140–245mm (45mm) with a Digital Crown, side button, and band release. The sapphire crystal front and ceramic back provide 50m water resistance and IP6X dust resistance. Users compliment the premium build but find it bulkier compared to the Series 10.

• Aluminum or stainless steel chassis, 10.7mm depth
• Digital Crown, side button, band release
• Sapphire crystal front, ceramic back
• 50m water resistance, IP6X dust resistance
• No titanium option

Apple Watch Series 9 Display

Series 9 is equipped with an LTPO OLED Retina display that has a native resolution of 352 x 430 pixels (41mm, ~904 sq mm) or 396 x 484 pixels (45mm, ~1148 sq mm), at ~326 PPI. The device is able to reach 2000 nits brightness and has a 1Hz–60Hz variable refresh rate for always-on functionality. The display is one of the best in the industry, but it drops 9% lower than what Series 10 offered, and there is no wide-angle OLED. People find the visibility sufficient, but are not happy with the fact that the screen of the Series 10 is 10 percent smaller.

• LTPO OLED Retina, always-on, 1Hz–60Hz
• 41mm: 352 x 430, 45mm: 396 x 484, ~326 PPI
• Up to 2000 nits
• Sapphire crystal protection
• Smaller than Series 10

Performance and Software

Its way of function lies in the S9 SiP, which has a 64-bit dual-core processor and a 4-core Neural Engine. The Series 9 comes with 64GB of storage space and the watchOS 10 software (which can be updated to watchOS 11). The S9 is ~30% faster than the S8 and brings capabilities for on-device Siri and double-tap gestures. Although the device serves fitness tracking and notifications well, and runs the apps quite smoothly, it is noticeably less quick than the S10. The buyers are more than satisfied with the efforts made to make it snappy, but they also point out the limitations saying that the use of the device is less without the iPhone.

• S9 SiP, 64-bit dual-core, 4-core Neural Engine
• 64GB storage
• watchOS 10 (up to watchOS 11)
• Double Tap, on-device Siri
• Apple Intelligence via iPhone

The S9 delivers robust performance, with watchOS 11 adding sleep apnea detection, but it’s marginally slower than Series 10.

Sensors and Health

The inoperable US version after January 18, 2024, is without an O2 sensor, but the third-generation optical heart sensor, an ECG, a temperature sensor, a high-g accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, and an always-on altimeter are all present in the Series 9. It is also capable of diagnosing sleep apnea and still tracks the Cycle, but not as efficient as a Series 10 with no depth gauge for diving and the ability to measure water temperature.

• Blood oxygen (limited regions), ECG, heart rate
• Temperature sensor
• Sleep apnea detection, Cycle Tracking
• High-g accelerometer, gyroscope, compass
• Always-on altimeter

Battery and Charging

The Series 9 provides approximately 18 hours of uptime during the battery life test (the same method as for Series 10) or approximately 36 hours in Low Power Mode, using a 308mAh battery. With a Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable, it is possible to get fast charging (0–80% in ~45min). In actual practice, 14–16 hours are obtained. Although the Series 9’s charging is slower than that of the Series 10, both batteries have similar life spans. People have confirmed that they must charge their devices every day.

• ~308mAh battery
• ~18h (normal), ~36h (Low Power)
• Fast charging: 0–80% in ~45min
• Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C
• No wireless power sharing

Connectivity

The Series 9 is backed by Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Bluetooth 5.3, L1 GPS, LTE (cellular models, $499+), arranged second-generation Ultra Wideband, and be equipped with Apple Pay. The device allows for the execution of features in which the voice is not isolated and the speaker cannot be used for music playback unlike the Series 10. The GPS is solid, it works well with fitness tracking but no Wi-Fi 6 means that the devices are outdated. The LTE and Bluetooth connections are good, but the device is similar to the Series 8. Users report that they have no substantial performance improvements over them.

• Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Bluetooth 5.3
• L1 GPS, LTE (cellular models)
• Second-generation Ultra Wideband
• Apple Pay, GymKit
• No voice isolation or speaker playback

Pricing and Availability

To start with a price of $399 (41mm, GPS, aluminum), the Series 9 was first released on September 22, 2023, by Apple, carriers, and retail stores. If cellular models are to be purchased, they will be $100 more. Stainless steel models are sold at a price of $699. Despite still being available, it’s now being sold at a discounted price of approximately $350 at retail outlets. Users find it a cost-effective alternative to the Series 10, especially for the same performance they get.