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Apple Watch Series 9
The Editor's Choice
The Apple Watch Series 9 features a new, more powerful processor, a brighter display with peak brightness up to 2,000 nits, Apple's U2 chip that enables precise location of your iPhone, better HomePod integration, and a whole host of features and technology you'd expect.
Per- Including temperature sensor
- Double the storage space
- Offline Siri
Disadvantages- Probably not so many discounts will be offered
- No titanium variant
- Fewer degrees
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Apple Watch Series 7
Acceptable alternative
The Apple Watch Series 7 has been discontinued and may cost the same as the Series 9. Only buy it if it is significantly cheaper, as it offers a similar set of core features and health sensors, or if you need a blood oxygen measurement.
Per- There will probably be more discounts
- Other color variants
- Titanium variant
Disadvantages- Outdated processor
- Harder to get
- Dimmer display
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 7 are two of the best smartwatches iPhone users can buy. Not only do they offer seamless interoperability with iOS 17, but they also feature some advanced sensors that help users track their health and fitness.
However, if you already use an Apple Watch Series 7, is it worth upgrading to a Series 9? And if you don't own either of those models, which one should you go for? This question should be simple, but it's complicated by patent issues that make the Series 7 better in some ways than a brand new Series 9.
Price, availability and specifications
Similar retail prices at launch, but Series 7 is likely to be much cheaper
The Apple Watch Series 7 launched in 2021 for $399 but has been officially discontinued. The Apple Watch Series 9 launched in September 2023 for the same price of $399. Both models are also available in a GPS + Cellular variant, which costs extra. Both models also come in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm.
Specifically, the Apple Watch Series 7 offers aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium cases, and you can choose between Midnight, Starlight, Green, Blue, Red, Graphite, Gold, Silver, Space Black, and Titanium color options. The Series 9, on the other hand, does not have a titanium case and offers Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Pink, Red, Graphite, and Gold finishes. Regardless of your color choice, however, you should definitely get a case for the Apple Watch Series 9 to protect it from damage.
Due to patent issues, Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatches sold on or after January 18, 2024 will
not
support blood oxygen monitoring. Smartwatches sold before this date have this feature. All Apple Watch Series 7 models can also use this feature.
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Apple Watch Series 7 Apple Watch Series 9 Heart rate monitor Yes Yes Battery life Up to 18 hours Up to 18 hours Operating system watchOS 10 watchOS 10 Integrated GPS Yes Yes Colors Midnight, Starlight, Green, Blue, Red, Graphite, Gold, Silver, Space Black, Titanium Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Pink, Red, Graphite, Gold CPU Apple S7 Apple S9 Plus storage 32GB 64GB Health sensors Blood oxygen sensor, electrical heart sensor, third generation optical heart sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope Blood oxygen sensor, electrical heart sensor, third generation optical heart sensor, temperature sensor, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope Price 399$ 399$ Weight 32g (41mm), 38.8g (45mm) 31.9g (41mm); 38.7g (45mm) brightness 1,000 nits 2,000 nits Waterproofness 50 meters 50 meters
Related
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Apple Watch Series 9 review: More of the same, but it will be enough
The Apple Watch Series 9 doesn't look particularly exciting, but the included upgrades make it one of the best smartwatches once again.
Design, build and present
Broadly the same, with a few key differences
When you buy a new device, the first thing you have to consider is all the external differences. However, in this case, there is not much to compare as the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 7 share many design elements. First of all, they look the same on the outside and it is practically impossible to tell the two apart. You can choose between 41mm and 45mm sizes in both cases and also opt for an aluminum or stainless steel construction. Unfortunately, the Series 7 exclusively offers a titanium construction and a wider range of colors, as highlighted in the previous section.
Otherwise, both watches are water resistant up to 50 meters and have curved screens that support the always-on display feature. Speaking of the display, the Apple Watch Series 9 has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, double that of the Series 7, so if you often use your watch in direct sunlight, you'll appreciate the brighter screen on the Series 9. Everything else about the screen is the same, though.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 9
Performance and features
Is the Series 7 really better than the Series 9?
In terms of performance, the gap between the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 7 is wider. First of all, with the S9 SiP, Apple has finally boosted CPU performance for the first time in three years. This upgrade comes with twice the storage (64GB vs. 32GB), faster and offline Siri support, a double-tap-pinch gesture for interacting with watchOS 10, more precise iPhone search, and better HomePod integration. Not to mention, the Series 9 also comes with the benefits of the Series 8, such as accident detection, menstrual cycle tracking through a temperature sensor, and more.
While the above sensors and features are nice to have, they likely won't impact how you interact with your watch on a day-to-day basis. After all, both watches offer the same battery life, fast charging, and fitness and health tracking, like ECG, heart rate monitoring, calorie burn, and more. And they're rated for similar battery life—up to 18 hours in normal use, or 36 hours in power saving mode. Plus, the Series 7 also received the upgrade to watchOS 10, so it has the corresponding UI revisions. Ultimately, both the Series 7 and Series 9 will offer similar experiences, but the latter model offers a few additional benefits.
Technically, the Apple Watch Series 7 has one additional feature (blood oxygen monitoring) due to the Series 9's patent issues. However, the Series 9 offers better performance thanks to more advanced hardware as well as two generations of new features.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 9
Overall winner: Apple Watch Series 9
A newer watch with better hardware and more features
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers everything the Series 7 does and more, minus blood oxygen monitoring. The exceptions are the titanium finish and the greater color variety of the Series 7, but those aren't a big deal. So if you don't already have a Series 7 or Series 8, the Series 9 is definitely an excellent choice for $399. However, if you already have a Series 7, you might want to hold onto it, as the upgrades of the Series 9 are arguably not worth the price.
If you're upgrading from a Series 6 or a non-watchOS wearable, the Series 7 is an acceptable choice if you can find it heavily discounted (50% off). You can still come across some great deals, as some retailers haven't sold off their old stock yet. If blood oxygen monitoring is incredibly important to you, you should probably consider a Series 9 instead of the older Series 7, even if the Series 7 supports this feature.
winner
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 features a new, more powerful processor, a brighter display with peak brightness up to 2,000 nits, Apple's U2 chip that enables precise location of your iPhone, better HomePod integration, and a whole host of features and technology you'd expect.
Second
Apple Watch Series 7
The Apple Watch Series 7 has been discontinued and may cost the same as the Series 9. Only buy it if it is significantly cheaper, as it offers a similar set of core features and health sensors, or if you need a blood oxygen measurement.