MacMusic  |  PcMusic  |  440 Software  |  440 Forums  |  440TV  |  Zicos
apple
Recherche

2023 Apple Watch Guide: Double Tap and Siri on-device come to Apple Watch 9 and Ultra

mardi 31 janvier 2023, 13:15 , par Macworld Reviews
Macworld

The Apple Watch has been a huge success for the company, pretty much tying up the wearables sector at the first attempt. Now, eight years after the first Apple Watch launched, the Apple Watch Series 9 has arrived alongside a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra, which launched last year.

At an event on September 12, Apple revealed that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will feature the S9 SiP and a 4-core Neural Engine that enables new features like Siri on-device, so that the Watch doesn’t have to connect to the internet to fulfill Siri queries, and because Siri is ‘on-device’ Apple Watch owners can also ask Siri Health related questions and give instructions, such as to query your average walking heart rate or so you can log data with your voice.

But the big new feature is likely to be the Double Tap feature that happens when you tap your index and thumb together. Double tap controls the primary button in the app, so you can launch smart stack, scroll through widgets, and so on. It’s powered by the neural engine and draws on data from the sensors that help to determine when you perform a double tap.

Follow along with us as the news breaks in our Live Blog of the Apple Event.

We are updating this story as the news breaks, so please refresh for the latest information. 

Apple Watch Series 9: Release date

Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 9 will be available for pre-order on September 12, before going on sale on Friday, September 22.

Apple Watch Ultra 2: Release date

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 will also be available for pre-order on September 12, before going on sale on Friday, September 22.

Apple Watch Series 9: Price

The Apple Watch Series 9 will start at $399, the same price as the Apple Watch Series 8. The Apple Watch Series 8 was £419 in the U.K., and lucky U.K. shoppers will see a price drop to £399. Apple has clearly addressed the price rises in Europe that were put in place last year.

The Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) starts at $249/£219 for the 40mm version, which is the same as previously in the U.S. but, again, lower than the previous £259 in the U.K. So some good news for cash-strapped U.K. shoppers.

Apple Watch Ultra 2: Price

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799/£799 – this is great news for U.K. shoppers as the predecessor was £849. The price hasn’t changed in the U.S.

If you want a new Apple Watch it could be a good time to sell your old one. Read: You should sell your old Apple Watch right now–here’s how.

2023 Apple Watch: Specs

Apple

The new Apple Watches for 2023 feature the biggest chip upgrade in years, a neural engine and a brighter screen.

S9 SiP

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 both feature the S9 SiP. This is the biggest chip upgrade in years. The S8 chip in 2022’s Series 8 Apple Watch didn’t offer a significant power boost over the S7, which itself wasn’t a lot better than the S6. While the S6 delivered just a 20 percent boost in performance over the Series 5.

Apple claims that there are 60% more transistors, a total of 5.6 billion, than there were in the S8, and that the GPU is 30% faster than previously.

The rumors also suggested that a Neural Engine would be built into the chip, as is the case.

Neural Engine

There’s also a new 4-core Neural Engine that processes machine learning tasks “up to twice as fast, when compared with Apple Watch Series 8,” according to Apple.

This neural engine and a machine learning algorithm combine with the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor in the Watch to power features such as the double tap gesture.

Battery life

The S9 was rumored to be based on a new A15 design that brings a boost in performance and battery life. Despite being more powerful the S9 is so power efficient that the Apple Watch 9 matches the 18-hour battery life of its predecessor.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers the same 36-hour battery life as its predecessor (and the same 72 hours in Low Power Mode).

Brighter screen

Apple

The Apple Watch Series 9 has a brighter screen than the predecessor, double the brightness at up to 2,000 nites.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 goes a step further, with the brightest ever Apple Watch display, at up to 3,000 nits. Apple says this is 50% brighter than the first Apple Watch Ultra.

These changes should make it easier to read the text on the screen in bright sunlight.

The screen brightness can also be lowered to just 1 nit so as not to disturb others.

The new Apple Watch Ultra offers a new Modular Ultra watch face that takes advantage of the large display extending right to the edge and allowing the user to add even more complications (information like seconds, altitude, depth etc.)

U2 ultra-wideband chip

The new Series 9 and Ultra 2 will feature an upgraded ultra-wideband chip that will enhance their ability to track the location of an object. This Precision Finding feature will be particularly useful when trying to locate a misplaced iPhone, a popular Apple Watch feature no doubt. The user will be able to track the iPhone 15 (which will have the same U2 chip) with even more precise onscreen data about its location. It is possible to see distance and direction and receive visual and haptic guidance to help you locate an iPhone 15.

2023 Apple Watch: Features

The tech specs are impressive, but the big news is the new features that are coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

Double Tap

`To trigger a Double Tap press the thumb and index finger together twice.Apple

For those times when you don’t have a hand available to tap the screen of your watch, Apple has introduced Double Tap. The Apple Watch user just taps their finger and thumb together twice and thanks to the sensors inside the Apple Watch, and the power of the Neural Engine, the Watch will react as if the user had interacted with the Apple Watch and respond as if the primary button in the app had been tapped.

So, for example, a user can use Double Tap to stop a timer, snooze an alarm, or answer a phone call. Double Tap will also open a Smart Stack from the Apple Watch face and users can then scroll through widgets in a stack without ever touching the screen of the Watch.

Double Tap will arrive as a software update in October 2023.

On-Device Siri and Health Queries

Siri queries will no longer need to be sent over the internet, so Siri won’t require Wi-Fi or cellular connection. This will speed up the process, but also allow users to use Siri to both provide and input information that might otherwise have been impossible. For example, users will be able to log data with their voice, such as whether they have taken their medication.

It will also be possible to ask Siri to start a new workout, or for details of the wearer’s heart rate.

Apple says that Siri Health Queries will be coming later this year.

2023 Apple Watch: Design

Apple

There are no changes to Apple Watch Series 9 design, as expected. The 41mm or 45mm sizes remain. The colour choices are as follows:

Aluminum (Midnight, Pink Starlight, Silver, or Product (Red).

Stainless steel (Gold, Graphite, or Silver).

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still available in just the 49mm size. It is now made from titanium.

Apple

A report by Gurman in July raised the possibility of a new “dark titanium” color for the Apple Watch Ultra, but this titanium shade couldn’t be described as dark.

In July 2023, a Webo post claimed that the Apple Watch Ultra would weigh less than the current model.

2023 Apple Watch software: watchOS 10

The Apple Watch Series 9 will ship with watchOS 10.

Following WWDC on June 5 we got a preview of a number of new features and apps coming in the Apple Watch software, from a new way to navigate and redesigned apps across watchOS 10. There will be new Clocks to choose from and new Watch faces as well as new apps and updates to existing apps, including the Compass and Maps app and new Health features. Read about watchOS 10 in our separate story.

watchOS 10 will be available for download on September 18. It will be available to install on Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.

Apple Watch Series 9: Who should upgrade?

If you own a Series 8 or Series 7, you should probably hold off on upgrading. But there are a variety of reasons why owners of older watches would want to upgrade, including watchOS 10 support and the new chip.

Also read: Every new Apple product coming in 2023 and When is the next Apple Event?

Apple Watch
https://www.macworld.com/article/1472709/apple-watch-series-9-rumors-specs-features-price-release.ht
News copyright owned by their original publishers | Copyright © 2004 - 2024 Zicos / 440Network
Date Actuelle
ven. 29 mars - 08:23 CET