ReviewFinder Smartwatches

Apple Watch Series 9

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24 Verified Hands-On Reviews

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Expert reviews [24]

86
Total expert reviews: 24
  • with a score: 10
  • without a score: 14
Highest score by Tom's Guide
100
Average score based on 24 reviews
86
Lowest score by Stuff.tv
80

Score distribution:

80-100
60-80
40-60
20-40
0-20
ReviewFinder: authentic product reviews summarized by a powerful AI engine.

Expert consensus

The Apple Watch Series 9 receives positive reviews for its fitness tracking features, heart rate monitoring, GPS, smart assistant integration, sleep tracking capabilities, and cycling updates, although its battery life is average.

The Apple Watch Series 9 has received positive reviews from experts for its wide range of fitness tracking features, accurate heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS, and smart assistant integration. It offers advanced sleep tracking capabilities, blood oxygen level monitoring, and an ECG app for electrocardiograms.

The watch encourages users to stay active with its activity rings and features fall detection for added safety. The Series 9 also introduces cycling updates, making it suitable for serious athletes and cycling enthusiasts.

The battery life of the Series 9 is average, lasting around 18 hours with standard daily usage. However, individual usage patterns and settings can affect battery life. Some reviewers have reported getting about a day of battery life with normal usage, while others have found that the battery can last up to two days if no workouts or sleep tracking are performed.

The Series 9 has a power-saving mode that can double the battery life to 36 hours by disabling certain features.

The design of the Series 9 has been praised for its solid construction, refined aesthetics, and comfort. It is described as the most wearable smartwatch available, even more comfortable than many traditional non-smartwatches. The watch is available in aluminum or stainless steel materials, with options for different display sizes.

It offers a wide range of bands and straps for customization.

The Apple Watch Series 9 offers a wide range of popular apps that enhance its functionality, including meditation and relaxation apps, music streaming apps, workout apps, and fitness tracking apps. The Apple Watch app allows users to customize and control various settings on their watch from their iPhone, providing seamless integration between the two devices.

The Series 9 offers a range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, allowing users to access apps, receive notifications, and stream music or videos directly from their watch. It can also connect to other devices such as headphones or speakers, enabling users to make calls, send messages, access Siri, and control media playback.

The Apple Watch Series 9 is compatible with iPhones running iOS 17 or later, making it a great option for iPhone users who want to stay connected and enjoy a seamless user experience. However, it is not compatible with Android devices.

Overall, the Apple Watch Series 9 offers a comprehensive set of features, accurate tracking capabilities, a sleek design, and seamless integration with iPhones. It is suitable for individuals looking to track their health and fitness, monitor heart rate accurately, navigate with GPS, and enjoy convenient and responsive interactions with their smart assistant.

Features

The Apple Watch Series 9 offers a wide range of fitness tracking features, advanced heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS and compass, on-device Siri support, and unique enhancements, making it a comprehensive and convenient smartwatch for health and fitness enthusiasts.

The Apple Watch Series 9 offers a wide range of fitness tracking features that cater to various health and fitness needs. It can monitor heart rate continuously, track blood oxygen levels, and provide advanced sleep tracking capabilities. The watch also has an ECG app for taking electrocardiograms and can accurately track various exercises and workouts.

It encourages users to stay active with its activity rings and features fall detection for added safety. The Series 9 introduces cycling updates, enhancing health metrics for serious athletes and cycling enthusiasts.

In terms of heart rate monitoring, the Series 9 has advanced sensors that provide accurate and real-time readings. It can detect rapid pulse changes during intense workouts without any noticeable lag. The watch also supports ECG functionality, allowing users to perform an electrocardiogram right from their wrist.

The Series 9 has built-in GPS, eliminating the need to rely on a phone for tracking purposes. It also has a built-in compass, making it well-equipped for location tracking and navigation.

Smart assistant integration on the Series 9 is powered by the new S9 chipset, enabling on-device Siri processing. This means that certain voice commands can be processed directly on the watch, resulting in faster responses and interactions. The watch can handle simple Siri commands without an internet connection, improving privacy and responsiveness.

The Series 9 also introduces a double-tap gesture for convenient one-handed use, allowing users to perform various actions without actively touching the display or controls.

Unique features of the Series 9 include a brighter display for enhanced visibility, double-tap gesture controls for quick access to functions, on-device Siri support for improved responsiveness, and Precision Finding to help locate your iPhone (requires iPhone 15 for full functionality).

Overall, the Apple Watch Series 9 offers a comprehensive set of features that cater to fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring, GPS functionality, smart assistant integration, and unique enhancements. It is suitable for individuals looking to track their health and fitness, monitor heart rate accurately, navigate with GPS, and enjoy convenient and responsive interactions with their smart assistant.

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Battery life

The Apple Watch Series 9 has an average battery life of around 18 hours, but individual usage patterns and settings can affect this estimate.

The Apple Watch Series 9 has an average battery life of around 18 hours, according to expert reviews. This estimate is based on standard daily usage, including notifications, workouts, and other tasks. However, individual usage patterns and settings can affect battery life. Some reviewers have reported getting about a day of battery life with normal usage, while others have found that the battery can last up to two days if no workouts or sleep tracking are performed.

The Series 9 no longer relies on the GPS of your phone during workouts, which can impact battery life. Energy-intensive apps like Maps and having the screen brightness set to the highest level may reduce battery life. The Series 9 offers a typical battery life for smartwatches in its category. The charging time for the Series 9 is relatively fast, taking a little over an hour to go from dead to fully charged.

It reaches 80% charge in around 45 minutes. The Series 9 has a power-saving mode called "Low Power Mode" that can double the battery life to 36 hours by disabling certain features. GPS usage, energy-intensive apps like Maps, the always-on display, and background fitness-tracking features can significantly drain the battery faster.

The battery life can vary depending on the type of activities or workouts being tracked, with GPS usage and energy-intensive apps further depleting the battery. Overall, the Series 9's battery life is similar to its predecessor, the Series 8.

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Design

The Apple Watch Series 9 has received positive reviews for its design, comfort, customization options, and sustainability.

The Apple Watch Series 9 has received positive reviews for its design and aesthetics. It features a solid design with refined aesthetics that have been developed over the years. The display of the Series 9 expands into the surrounding bezels, making more use of the available space.

The watch is available in aluminum or stainless steel materials, with options for 41mm or 45mm displays. The Series 9 introduces a new color, pink, to its lineup, along with the existing color options. Stainless steel models have sapphire displays, while aluminum models have Ion-X displays.

Experts have praised the comfort and wearability of the Apple Watch Series 9, stating that it is exceptionally comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. It is described as the most wearable smartwatch available, even more comfortable and wearable than many traditional non-smartwatches.

The Series 9 also offers a diverse selection of bands and straps, allowing users to customize the watch to their liking. The Apple Sports Band, Apple Watch Nike bands, and Sport Loop are praised for their comfort and ease of use. The Modern Buckle and Magnetic Link bands offer a more sophisticated look.

Leather bands and third-party options provide more variety in terms of materials and styles.

In terms of durability and overall quality, the Series 9 is constructed using a combination of materials, including recycled materials, to enhance its sustainability. The aluminum used in the watch's casing and the cobalt in its batteries are examples of such recycled materials. The use of clean electricity during manufacturing also contributes to its sustainability.

The Series 9 incorporates recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine and rare earth elements in the watch's magnets.

Overall, the Apple Watch Series 9 offers a sleek and stylish design, exceptional comfort, and a wide range of customization options. It is praised for its durability and sustainability, making it a popular choice among users.

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Apps

The Apple Watch Series 9 offers a wide range of popular apps and a dedicated phone app that enhance its functionality and provide a seamless integration between the iPhone and Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch Series 9 offers a wide range of popular apps that enhance its functionality and make it a versatile smartwatch. Some of the most popular apps available on the Apple Watch Series 9 include Calm, Pandora, Spotify, Peloton, Shazam, Starbucks, and Strava.

These apps cater to various needs and preferences, such as meditation and relaxation, music streaming, workout classes, music identification, ordering drinks, and fitness tracking.

The Apple Watch Series 9 also has a dedicated phone app called the Apple Watch app, which allows users to customize and control various settings on their watch from their iPhone. The app is highly regarded, with features like on-device Siri being noticeably snappier and more responsive than any other smartwatch.

It also allows users to download and manage third-party watch apps directly from their iPhone to their Apple Watch, providing a wide range of options for customization and personalization. Overall, the Apple Watch app enhances the smartwatch experience and offers seamless integration between the iPhone and Apple Watch.

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Connectivity

The Apple Watch Series 9 offers a wide range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB, enhancing the user experience and allowing for seamless integration with other devices.

The Apple Watch Series 9 offers a range of connectivity options to enhance the user experience. It can be easily connected to a smartphone by following a simple setup process. The watch is equipped with Wi-Fi 4, allowing it to connect to Wi-Fi networks for tasks that require internet access.

It can also connect to other devices such as headphones or speakers, enabling users to make calls, send messages, access Siri, and control media playback. The watch's UWB chip allows for integration with the HomePod, providing seamless control over audio playback. However, the reliability of the connection can vary, with Bluetooth connections sometimes experiencing delays or issues.

Overall, the Apple Watch Series 9 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity features, making it a suitable choice for iPhone users.

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Compatibility

The Apple Watch Series 9 is only compatible with iPhones running iOS 17 or later, making it a great option for iPhone users but not for Android users.

The Apple Watch Series 9 is compatible with iPhones, specifically the iPhone Xs or later models, running iOS 17 or later. It does not work with Android handsets. This means that if you are an iPhone user, the Apple Watch Series 9 is a great option for you. It seamlessly connects to your iPhone, allowing you to receive notifications, make and receive calls, send and receive messages, and access Siri directly from your wrist.

You can also use various apps and access the internet through the watch when it is connected to your iPhone. However, if you are an Android user, the Apple Watch Series 9 is not compatible with your device.

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Position in ranking

We maintain a monthly ranking that sums up expert recommendations for all smartwatches.

Rank Change Price Smartwatch
Wareable
TechRadar
10Beasts
Trusted Reviews
Tom's Guide
Popular Science
PCMag
Ars Technica
Android Authority
Reviewed
1
- Check price
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 receives positive reviews for its fitness tracking features, heart rate monitoring, GPS, smart assistant integration, sleep tracking capabilities, and cycling updates, although its battery life is average.
1
-
-
1
1
-
1
-
1
1
2
- Check price
Apple Watch Ultra 2
8
1
-
8
7
-
6
-
-
6
3
- $331
Google Pixel Watch 2
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is a highly capable smartwatch that excels in fitness tracking and health monitoring, with features such as temperature sensors, accurate heart rate monitoring, and integration with Fitbit, making it a top choice for those looking to track their workouts and overall well-being.
2
4
-
-
3
-
8
-
5
4
4
+1 $225
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is a feature-packed smartwatch with extensive fitness tracking capabilities, advanced heart rate monitoring, and a stylish design, making it ideal for fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals.
-
3
-
-
2
-
2
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3
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Apple Watch Series 9 ranks #1 out of 16 in this month's ranking:
Best overall smartwatch
28 Jun 2024 (29 days ago)
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The best smartwatch
26 Jun 2024 (1 month ago)
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The best smartwatch overall
8 Jul 2024 (19 days ago)
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Best Overall / Editors' Choice
10 Jul 2024 (17 days ago)
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Editors Choice
10 Jul 2024 (17 days ago)
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Best Overall / Editors' Choice
9 Jul 2024 (18 days ago)
Read article

Highest recommended smartwatches this month

ReviewFinder ranks based on a combination of customer reviews, expert reviews / mentions and popularity. Expert recommendations carry the highest weight in the ranking. We do not rank based on price, our commission or brand. smartwatches below are at the top of our ranking this July.

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Apple Watch Series 9 (this item) Apple Watch Ultra 2 Google Pixel Watch 2 Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Reviews
We don't yet have enough review information for Apple Watch Series 9
Reviews
We don't yet have enough review information for Apple Watch Ultra 2
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We don't yet have enough review information for Google Pixel Watch 2
Reviews
We don't yet have enough review information for Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Price
The Apple Watch Series 9 receives positive reviews for its fitness tracking features, heart rate monitoring, GPS, smart assistant integration, sleep tracking capabilities, and cycling updates, although its battery life is average.
Expert consensus not yet generated.
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is a highly capable smartwatch that excels in fitness tracking and health monitoring, with features such as temperature sensors, accurate heart rate monitoring, and integration with Fitbit, making it a top choice for those looking to track their workouts and overall well-being. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is a feature-packed smartwatch with extensive fitness tracking capabilities, advanced heart rate monitoring, and a stylish design, making it ideal for fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals.
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