Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Reportedly Get New Heart Rate Sensor, Upgraded Sensors, and U2 Chip

Same design on the outside, new sensors and a new chip within
Gurman's reported picture of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 ahead of Apple's Tuesday event.
Mark

So what's actually new here, if the design barely changes?

Mimi

The insides. A new optical heart rate sensor, upgraded existing sensors for more accurate health readings, and a U2 ultra-wideband chip replacing the U1 from 2019.

Mark

And the S9 chip?

Mimi

That was reported earlier, based on the A15 Bionic, for faster computing and graphics. This report adds to it rather than replacing it.

Luke

Worth being clear on sourcing, though. All of this is Gurman's account of what Apple will announce. Nothing is confirmed until Tuesday.

Mark

Does the report say how much more accurate the sensors will be?

Mimi

No. It says accuracy is a focus, along with speed and efficiency, but gives no figures.

Luke

Right, so "upgraded sensors" is a direction, not a measurement. Same with "enhanced location tracking" for the U2. We don't know how much better, or in what situations.

Mark

What about the look of the watches?

Mimi

Series 9 stays the same, with a 3D-printed casing reported. Ultra 2 adds a black option and recycled material, plus titanium finishes.

Luke

And the pink Series 9 and dark gray titanium Ultra 2 come from earlier rumors, not this report.

  • A late-breaking report landed on the Friday before Apple's event, pushing new hardware details into the final days of speculation.
  • Gurman's account of a new optical heart rate sensor and upgraded health sensors raises the stakes for accuracy in the Series 9 and Ultra 2.
  • The U2 ultra-wideband chip, replacing the 2019 U1, promises sharper location tracking, though its real-world gains remain unproven.
  • Everything hangs on Tuesday's official specifications, when Apple must show whether these reported upgrades truly deliver.

On the eve of Apple's September event, a fresh set of rumors arrived about the next Apple Watch models, carried by Wccftech from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The reported changes are quiet ones: a new optical heart rate sensor, sharper health sensing, and a successor to the ultra-wideband chip that first appeared in 2019. Such details matter because they describe how a device learns about the body and the places it moves through, though none of it is yet confirmed. What is known is that the next official specifications, due at Tuesday's event, will decide which of these expectations were true.

On the Friday before Apple's September event, a late batch of details about the next Apple Watch models surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported them, and Wccftech passed them along. The event, which the outlet calls Wonderlust, is set for the following Tuesday, where Apple is expected to unveil the Series 9 and Ultra 2 alongside the iPhone 15 lineup.

Until now, information about the two watches had been thin. Earlier rumors suggested the Series 9 would keep its design while gaining an S9 chip and a pink option, and that the Ultra 2 would come in dark gray titanium. Gurman's report adds the health hardware. Both watches are said to carry a new optical heart rate sensor and upgraded sensors for more accurate health readings, reflecting Apple's stated priorities of speed, accuracy and efficiency.

Both models are also said to include a U2 ultra-wideband chip, succeeding the U1 from 2019, for better location tracking. Design changes are modest: the Series 9 is said to use a 3D-printed casing, and the Ultra 2 a recycled material and a new black finish.

Everything here is still expectation, drawn from one analyst's account. Apple's own specifications on Tuesday will reveal what the heart rate sensor actually does and how much the U2 really improves location tracking.

On the Friday before Apple's September event, a late batch of details about the next Apple Watch models surfaced, attributed to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and relayed by Wccftech. The event, which the outlet calls Wonderlust, is set for the following Tuesday. Apple is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 there, alongside the iPhone 15 lineup.

Until now, information about the two watches had been thin. Earlier rumors held that the Series 9 would keep the Series 8 design while adding a new S9 chip and a pink color option, and that the Ultra 2 would arrive in a dark gray titanium finish. Gurman's report adds the health hardware and internals.

According to the report, both watches will carry a new optical heart rate sensor, and Apple will upgrade its existing sensors so that health metrics can be read more accurately. Wccftech notes this is the first it has heard of new sensors for the Series 9 ahead of the announcement. Gurman describes Apple's priorities for the watch this year as speed, accuracy and efficiency.

The report also says both models will include a U2 chip. It is an ultra-wideband chip that succeeds the U1, which debuted in 2019, and is expected to bring improved location tracking. Separately, earlier reporting had said both watches would use the S9 chip, based on the A15 Bionic, for faster computational and graphical performance.

On design, Gurman suggests the Series 9 will look the same as before but will use a 3D-printed casing. The Ultra 2 is said to be manufactured with recycled material and to come in a new black color option. Apple is also expected to offer titanium finishes in different colors. Otherwise, the Ultra's design is expected to remain unchanged.

All of this is reported expectation rather than confirmed specification. The details come from one analyst's account of what Apple will announce, and Wccftech presents them as such. Apple's own specifications, published at the Tuesday event, will show which of these claims hold up, including what the new heart rate sensor actually does and how much the U2 chip changes location tracking.

Apple's focus for the watch this year is speed, accuracy and efficiency (paraphrased).
— Mark Gurman, Bloomberg, as relayed by Wccftech
Quer a matéria completa? Leia o original em Wccftech ↗
Fale Conosco FAQ