Apple Watch Series 8 Vs Series 9 Differences: Should You Upgrade?

Apple recently updated its smartwatch lineup with the brand new Apple Watch Series 9 models. Like most of Apple's recent product updates, the newest Apple Watch model mostly features subtle updates over the Apple Watch Series 8, its predecessor from 2022.

If you are stuck with an Apple Watch model that is a couple of years old, now is perhaps a good time to get yourselves the new Series 9 model, given the sheer number of updates that have come to successive Apple Watch generations over the past few years.

However, does this logic apply to those who own the Apple Watch Series 8, which is still fairly new given that it was only launched last year? Are the changes on the Apple Watch Series 9 models significant enough to warrant an update if you already have a Series 8 edition?

Well, that's precisely what we set out to find out.

The Apple Watch Series 9 may look and feel identical to its predecessor, but there are several significant changes worth noting. To begin with, the display used on the Series 9 is much brighter — at 2000 nits — compared to the Series 8's 1000-nit panel. It also performs better in dark environments with the brightness level dipping to just 1 nit, thereby causing less annoyance in places like theaters and auditoriums.

Aside from the brighter display, the Series 9 also gets a newer, faster processor — the new Apple S9 chip which packs 60% more transistors than the older S8 chip used on the Apple Watch Series 8, essentially giving the Series 9 a significant performance boost over its predecessor.

This chip also integrates a new four-core Neural Engine, which is twice as fast as the one on the outgoing model and lets the Apple Watch Series 9 process machine learning tasks up to two times faster. In fact, it is this very neural engine that enables a new gesture mode called double tap on the Series 9. For those using Siri, it may be heartening to know that Siri commands are processed locally on the Apple Watch Series 9.

These improvements to the chipset have a direct bearing on the Series 9's dictation capabilities, which are claimed to have gotten 25% more accurate over the Series 8 models. Apple has also integrated a new Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip on the Series 9 that promises better integration with Apple HomePod.

Another major hardware upgrade on the Apple Watch Series 9 is a much-needed increase in storage space to 64GB, double that of the 32GB Series 8.

While the new feature additions on the Apple Watch Series 9 are certainly welcome, the changes on the newer model are not significant enough to warrant an upgrade for existing Series 8 owners. This is primarily because most of the feature additions to the Apple Watch Series 9 fall into the category of incremental upgrades over the Series 8. Additionally, if you are already happy with the performance of your Series 8, you'd be better off sticking with it for the next couple of years and saving some money in the process.

On the flip side, if you do not mind spending again to experience all the new features that the Apple Watch Series 9 has to offer, well, do not hesitate to get yourself one. This is also true for folks who were desperately seeking some of the Series 9-specific updates — like the brighter display and higher storage capacity. For folks who are on older Apple Watch models like the Apple Watch Series 6 or the Series 7, upgrading to the latest model is not a bad idea at all.

At the end of the day, the decision to upgrade to the new Apple Watch Series 9 depends on your budget, specific requirements, and personal preferences.