While we already hear a lot about the iPhone 15 and several other upcoming Apple gadgets, there is very little concrete news about the Apple Watch 9 so far – but we’ve heard a few rumors.
An early leak suggests it could be the same size as the Apple Watch 8, for example, but since we still don’t know much about it, that could turn out to be wrong.
Anyway, below is everything we’ve heard about the Apple Watch 9, followed by a list of things we’d like it to offer. We’ll also be updating this article when there’s news about Apple’s upcoming wearable, so check back soon to stay up to date.
To the point
- What is this? Another Apple Watch
- when is it coming out? Probably September 2023
- How much does it cost? Probably at least $399 / £419 / AU$629
Apple Watch 9: price and release date
Apple Watch 9 is likely to hit the market in September. After all, the Apple Watch 8 was announced in September 2022, and with two exceptions, every previous model also landed in September of their launch year.
More specifically, the Apple Watch 9 will likely be announced on a Tuesday or Wednesday in early or mid-September based on the previous form of September 5, 6, 12 or 13. It will likely be announced alongside the iPhone 15 series and will likely go on sale around 10 days later.
As for the price, there’s no news there, but it’s likely to cost at least as much as the Apple Watch 8, which starts at $399 / £419 / AU$629, taking into account rising parts, fuel and labor costs.
Apple Watch 9 news and leaks
Apple Watch 9:
The main Apple Watch 9 leak so far comes from an analyst at tech firm Omdia MacRumors (opens in a new tab) article and simply states that the Apple Watch 9 will likely be the same size as the Apple Watch 8. This means it will be available in both a 1.89-inch and a 2.04-inch screen, with likely respectively 41mm and 45mm housing.
Then there’s a sketchy leak that suggests the Apple Watch 9 could be called Apple Watch X instead, omitting the number nine altogether. That’s what a supply chain source says iPhoneSoft (opens in a new tab).
They suggest that this wearable will still land in 2023, so it would be a simple name change, but since the X is the Roman numeral for 10, it seems unnecessarily confusing. Also, we’ve heard from a MacRumors leak that we’re expecting an Apple Watch X in 2024 alongside the SE 3, so there are conflicting accounts here. The SE 2 was released alongside the Watch 8 and the first iteration of the Apple Watch Ultra, but there’s no news of the Ultra 2 coming in 2024 to complete the trifecta.
What we want to see
The Apple Watch 8 scored four stars in our review, so for the Apple Watch 9 to score five stars, we want to see the following.
1. Better battery life
One of our main complaints about the Apple Watch 8 – and indeed every Apple Watch before it – was the battery life. While it’s not terrible, it’s a wearable that you’ll likely need to charge every day, or at least every two days.
That’s not ideal, especially for a device designed to continuously track aspects of your health, exercise, and sleep. So we’d like the Apple Watch 9 to last for at least three days between charges, but given that we ask for it every year, that’s probably not going to happen.
2. Major chipset update
The Apple Watch 8 technically has the new Apple S8 chipset, but there are very few improvements here. In fact, it uses the same processor as the S7 and even the S6 with the Apple Watch 6.
Now, in fairness, the Apple Watch 8 is a fast device, so it doesn’t feel particularly lacking in power. But it could always be faster. Or Apple may be working on significant performance improvements to extend battery life.
3. Action button
One of the key features of the Apple Watch Ultra is an extra button called the action button. This can be customized for a variety of things, so it’s basically a shortcut to an app or feature of your choice.
This is an extremely useful addition and we wish it would make its way to the Apple Watch 9 as well, as we don’t seem to have to spend on the Ultra model.
4. Improved design
The Apple Watch 8 looks good, so we don’t think the design needs a drastic overhaul, but it also looks the same as the Apple Watch 7, so a few tweaks to freshen it up would be nice.
This could take the form of even smaller bezels, a new case material, a thinner body, or something similar to give it a new and modern look.
5. Lower price
With a starting price of $399 / £419 / AU$629, which goes up if you want a larger size or cellular connectivity, the Apple Watch 8 is quite an expensive wearable despite not offering much more than the much cheaper Apple Watch SE 2.
So we’d love to see Apple drop the price of the Apple Watch 9. Either that or make a major upgrade anyway. This would help ensure a high ranking among the best Apple watches and best smartwatches.