APPLE WATCH ULTRA 2 & SERIES 9

Apple's mastery in the smartwatch category has led to incremental updates, and this year's releases, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9, continue this trend. While not revolutionary, there are subtle yet compelling features.

- KENNY YEO

Reflecting on eight years of Apple Watch evolution brings a mix of nostalgia and anticipation. Having witnessed its journey from announcement to now, the feeling of time passing is undeniable. Apple's mastery in the smartwatch category has led to incremental updates, and this year's releases, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9, continue this trend. While not revolutionary, there are subtle yet compelling features.

The underlying powerhouse of this year's watches lies hidden - the S9 SIP, Apple's latest system-in-package chipset. The significance here is that Apple hadn't updated its watch chips since the Series 6 in 2020. The S9 SIP emerges as the most powerful Apple Watch chip to date, boasting a 60% increase in transistors and a 30% faster GPU. While Apple remains coy about exact speed improvements, the watches noticeably feel faster in daily use, with quicker app launches and smoother animations.