At a virtual event today, Apple unveiled its latest wearable, the Apple Watch Series 9, designed to provide users with improved access to and tracking of their healthcare data. Notable features include the ability to control the Watch using finger and thumb gestures via blood flow sensors.
The Series 9 allows users to access health data through Siri health queries. Users can inquire about their previous night’s sleep duration or average walking heart rate. Moreover, users can log health-related information using voice commands, such as weight, menstrual cycle data, and medication intake.
Initially available in English and Mandarin, Apple plans to expand language support for health queries in the future. Siri’s performance has also been enhanced, with on-device processing leading to a 25% improvement in dictation accuracy compared to previous versions, bypassing cloud-based processing.
The Apple Watch Series 9 boasts a display with double the brightness of its predecessor, the Series 8. It is powered by the S9 SiP chip, delivering twice the speed in processing machine learning tasks and ensuring an 18-hour battery life.
An intriguing addition to the Series 9 is the “double tap” gesture, enabling users to interact with the Watch by tapping their thumb and index finger together. This feature facilitates actions like answering or ending phone calls, controlling app functions, launching the smart stack from the watch face, and scrolling through widgets.
The implementation of the double tap gesture leverages Apple’s new 4-core Neural Engine, which employs a machine learning algorithm to detect subtle finger movements and changes in blood flow when the user performs a double tap with their thumb and index finger.
In an eco-friendly move, Apple highlighted its commitment to becoming entirely carbon-neutral by 2030. The Series 9 incorporates recycled and renewable materials throughout its development and shipping process, including 100% recycled cobalt in the battery, marking Apple’s first carbon-neutral product.
Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, emphasized, “[The Series 9] features a magical new way to control your Watch with double tap, faster on-device Siri that lets you securely access health data, precision finding for iPhone, and a brighter display, all enabled by the S9 SiP, our most powerful chip ever in Apple Watch. And it’s Apple’s first-ever carbon-neutral product.”
Alongside the Series 9, Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 2, equipped with a cycling feature for users to connect Bluetooth accessories to measure cadence, speed, and power during cycling workouts, which will appear as live activities on their iPhones.
The Series 9 starts at $399, while the Ultra 2 is priced at $799. Both products are available for order today, with availability set for September 22. Apple also announced its new iPhone 15 series, though no specific health-related features were disclosed for these products.
