Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Series 8: Which model should you buy?

I think it’s safe to say that at this point, the Apple Watch is so good that its only real competition is itself. Case in point, the Apple Watch Series 9, and even the (slightly) older vs Series 8. These watches are both virtually identical, with the primary differences seemingly coming down to a slightly faster processor and brighter display. Are the upgrades simply iterative, or is there some new and compelling feature tempting you to get a new Watch? Which features do you need, and which ones do you safely ignore? More importantly, is the price bump worth it?

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Series 8: The Series 9 is faster

The Apple Watch Series 9 boasts of a faster S9 chip, which is an upgrade from the S8 chip in the Series 8. On paper, the S9 has 60 per cent more transistors which basically means it’s faster and more efficient, and the neural engine is said to be twice as fast.

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In real-world testing, this should lead to a smoother experience on the S9, but not by a significant amount for most day-to-day tasks you’d perform on the watch.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Series 8: Double the storage

Alongside the faster SoC, the Series 9 also comes with double the storage at 64GB, vs the 32GB that comes with the Series 8. Again, this isn’t as big a deal as it might seem as most Apple Watch users don’t really install so many apps or even download media to their Watch. The Watch is almost always used in conjunction with a nearby phone, after all.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Series 8: Double Tap gesture

One new feature, enabled by better sensors and the faster neural engine, is a new Double Tap gesture. This gesture, which can be performed with one hand, allows you to perform basic interactions with your smartwatch. This includes disabling alarms, answering calls, or dismissing notifications. The Series 8 doesn’t have this feature, but the Series 8 and older Apple Watches do support a similar Double Tap gesture via accessibility settings. This version isn’t as responsive or accurate, but it is functional and does a very decent job of emulating the gesture on the Series 9. Is it worth upgrading just for this? That’s for you to decide.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Series 8: Brighter display

Another upgrade the Series 9 gets is a 2000-nit OLED display. The Series 8 hits 1000 nits, which is also very bright. However, 2000 nits means that the Series 9 is more readable and clearer in direct sunlight or in brightly lit environments, which can come in handy if you’re the type of person who spends a lot of time outdoors.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Series 8: Second-gen UWB with HomePod integration

Lastly, the Series 9 has a newer UWB or Ultra-Wide Band chip. This chip allows the Series 9 to communicate with and directly control a nearby HomePod without the use of voice commands or Bluetooth. It’s a nifty feature that, again, while not essential, can be quite nice to have if you have HomePods scattered around the house.

Should you upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 9?

One may think none of these features on their own are a compelling enough reason to upgrade from the Series 8. The rest of the features and capabilities of these watches are largely similar with the Series 9’s improvements best being described as minor quality of life upgrades.

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Still, if you’re buying a new watch it might just be worth splashing out just a little bit more the Series 9 simply because it’s newer and will be supported for just a bit longer than the Series 8 will be. Additionally, the upcoming iOS 18 upgrade is rumoured to have much deeper AI integrations, which means that the Series 9’s more powerful neural engine might prove more useful in the long run.