Apple Watch Series 9 Review

I don’t go anywhere without my Apple Watch 9. It’s how I stay connected to everything, including incoming calls, messages, and calendar reminders. It’s also great for tracking my activities since I tend to spend a lot of time walking outside. I’ve worn it so much since it was released in September 2023 that I’m not sure I’d know how to function without it.

What I’ve learned after all this time is that the Apple Watch Series 9 is a great buy, with an excellent battery, cool features, and a comfortable fit.

I’ve used a number of different smartwatches and trackers throughout the years, and some of them have a battery life that just won’t last throughout the day. Even two years later, the Apple Watch 9 keeps me connected all day long, and sometimes for a couple of days if I happen to be traveling without my charger.

It offers conveniences, too, not just “nice to haves,” the top one being using Apple Pay at the register. (No fumbling around for my phone or wallet.) And using it to unlock my front door or swipe onto the subway feels like a luxury.

Apple Watch Series 9 Review

Pricing and What’s New

The Apple Watch Series 9 is currently less than $300 for Wi-Fi only, and adding GPS + Cellular doesn’t really bump the price up that much—you’re still in the $300 range.  (I have the Apple Watch Series 9 GPS + Cellular 45mm.)

The last few models have had the same processor, but the Series 9 gets the S9 chip, which promises 30 percent more speed and all-day battery life.

The display has double the brightness of the Series 8 and comes in a new pink color.

Apple released a new Double Tap gesture on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 that controls the primary button in an app without touching your watch. Tap your index finger and thumb twice to snooze alarms, stop timers, answer calls, and more.

It’s a cool feature, though I often forget it’s an option. Some people have found it essential, while others see it as a cute gimmick. The only way to know which camp you live in is to spend some time with it.

Finally, if you lose your iPhone, you can ping it from your watch. It will show you which direction to go and emit haptic feedback when you get close.

Theater Mode

One of my favorite features is Theater Mode, which prevents the screen from lighting up when you glance at it or receive a notification. Of course, it’s perfect for movies and theater, but it also came in handy when I was on jury duty and needed to keep distractions to a minimum during testimony.

It turns on silent mode and makes your Walkie-Talkie status unavailable, but you’ll receive haptic notifications.

Fitness Tracking

I use the watch for fitness tracking and try to “close my rings” daily. After a few bike rides where my average speed was skewed because I forgot to pause or unpause the workout during or after a break, I was pleased to find that you can enable automatic pausing (auto-pause) for biking and running.

In my experience, the watch was quick to pause when I stopped at traffic lights and resume once I started moving again. (This is also helpful if you forget to end a workout.)

Besides typical workout tracking, the Apple Watch Series 9 also allows you to set up intervals such as if you want to run/walk on a run or switch between different repetitions and breaks when lifting weights.

Who Should Buy It?

If you have a Series 6 or older, it’s worth moving up to the Series 9 as you’re likely dealing with declining performance and a more easily depleted battery. The Series 9 prices have dropped since the Apple Watch Series 10 release, so there’s little financial reason to purchase the older model unless you find an incredible sale.

You can use your old watch bands and cases on a newer model, which is convenient.

If you have an Apple Watch Series 7 or later that works well and has a good battery, there’s little reason to upgrade. (The Series 4 and newer watches are eligible for watchOS 10 if you have an iPhone XS or more recent.)

However, the Apple Watch Series 10 launched in September 2024. It has some design upgrades, but you can get many of the same software updates in the Series 9 (including the ability to use Apple Intelligence with either the Series 9 or Series 10 Watches). It’s worth doing some price comparison before making your purchase.

Whatever your plans, one thing to know is that if you get an Apple Watch, you should have an iPhone too. It doesn’t play well with Android smartphones and won’t pair over Bluetooth.