It’s probably fair to say that the Apple Watch is not prone to radical change. In the eight years and nine standard generations since the first model launched in 2015, the fundamental design has barely altered, and it’s often difficult to differentiate one generation from another. One day, perhaps, this will change. But not today.
The Apple Watch Series 9, launched in autumn 2023, doesn’t mess with the formula that has seen Apple effortlessly dominate the smartwatch market for the best part of a decade, and differs from last year’s Series 8 in only a few respects. But does that mean it’s a bad watch? Of course not! Aside from the Apple Watch Ultra line, which is aimed at a different audience, this is the best smartwatch Apple has ever made, as this in-depth review will explain.
DESIGN
Series 8 owners should look away now because very little has changed in this department. That isn’t the greatest of tragedies, of course, since the Series 8 was already a beautifully designed little object.
Like its predecessors, the Series 9 is a neat, organic-feeling squircle with pleasing curved edges and corners that sits unobtrusively on your wrist; unlike the Apple Watch Ultra, it very rarely gets caught on a sleeve and has never struck me as bulky. There’s a convex bulge on the underside of the watch, which is where the optical sensor presses into your wrist. This looks like it might be uncomfortable but really isn’t. (Although I occasionally worry that long-term use is creating a little divot in my skin, which is probably a
