Despite Apple launching a new Apple Watch every year, the company's been running its wearables on the same A13 Bionic-based processor since the Apple Watch Series 6. But things might be changing with the Apple Watch Series 9, with reports that it's getting a new processor.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg noted in his "Power On" Discord channel (via Engadget) that he thinks the upcoming watch will feature a chip based on the A15 Bionic, which made its debut in 2021 with the iPhone 13 series. To put this into perspective, the current chip, the S8, is based on Apple's A13 Bionic, which was first released back in 2019. While it featured a new temperature sensor, some new features like crash detection, and a couple of other tweaks, it was otherwise the same as the S6.
Gurman is unclear on what improvements the S9 chip will bring. A new SoC will obviously mean more power, but he doesn't believe there will be any major feature changes. In addition, there's also the chance that the new processor will be more efficient, providing users with more battery life. A new SoC will also keep the watch feeling fresher for longer, extending the life of upcoming watches when new software updates are released. Otherwise, he seems to confirm rumors that the Series 9 will be yet another iterative upgrade.
Apple has been making changes to its smartwatches in other areas. While the company rolled out its Apple Watch Series 8 last year, it also released the Apple Watch Ultra, which is the first new model the company has released in a while. The beefier Apple Watch Ultra offered completely new features that set it apart from its standard line, including a more durable design, an always-on display, longer battery life, and the addition of a Depth Gauge. Otherwise, the watches were similar, with the same S8 chip.
It's unclear what kind of new features, if any, Apple will deliver with future smartwatches. But if it's going to use its year-end event to debut them, we still have quite some time to wait, which means we could start seeing new leaks or rumors over the next few months.
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