Adam Kos Is there anything to criticize? With the Series, we've gotten used to slight evolutionary changes that improve but don't add anything we'd need considering owning the previous generation. Ultras are still new enough for Apple to experiment too much with them. Abroad, the new gesture, the pink color and the response of Siri are most liked.
Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2nd generation go on sale tomorrow. So they will not only be on store shelves, but Apple will also start delivering their pre-orders. Abroad, the local editors were already able to properly test them, and here are their observations.
Gallery
Apple Watch Series 9
Double tap
WSJ mentions how controlling the watch with one hand is a surprisingly useful thing, especially when you're holding on to a pole with one hand on public transport, or just walking down a busy city street with a cup of coffee in hand. It is certainly interesting that it works even with gloves. It also compares the feature to AssistiveTouch, which is available on the Apple Watch Series 3 and later. But in tests it was never as sensitive and accurate as the double tap in the Apple Watch 9.
Crab
Thanks to the S9 chip, the voice assistant Siri already processes all commands directly in the watch, so the response should be faster. According to CNBC this is so drastic that during testing, practically all commands directed to Siri were moved to the Apple Watch instead of using other products, such as the HomePod.
It could be interest you
Display design and brightness
According to The Verge pink is easily the best new color Apple has introduced to its watch in a while. It is, of course, a point of view, because men will certainly not prefer this color. But the review mentions that the pink is really pink, not like green, which is only green at a certain angle of incident light. And yes, there's a mention of "the year of Barbie" here, too. Regarding the brightness of the display, it is mentioned that it is very difficult to see the difference even in a direct comparison with the older generation.
V TechCrunch comes across with the same design over and over again, which can be a little annoying to bored users. On the other hand, carbon neutrality is highlighted, which may appeal to ecologically minded users. It's not just about looks.
It could be interest you
Exact search
The Verge he also mentions the experience of exact search. It's a nice feature, but it comes with a few limitations. The main thing is that it can only be used with iPhones 15, not AirTags, and it won't work for you either if you buy a new watch for your old iPhone.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
TechCrunch complains about how the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is actually too similar to its first generation. While it mentions how the new S9 chip offers increased speed and efficiency, thanks in part to a 4-core Neural Engine that speeds up machine learning processing, it's still the same. The verdict then does not sound too flattering: “Neither of the new watches is ultimately a huge upgrade over its predecessor, and in both cases it's hard to recommend switching if you currently own the previous generation. This is even more true with the Ultra model.”
But he clearly hit the nail on the head with his conclusion The Verge: “Honestly, Apple didn't make this watch for people who want to upgrade. He made them for people who don't have an Apple Watch yet. Still, the majority of people buying an Apple Watch are new to the platform, not those who are upgrading from an older model. For those people, it's clearly the latest and greatest Apple watch.”
And they got it right. I'm a first timer to AW and straight to Ultra 2.