The first reviews of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 have been released. There are few changes, but they are useful

The first reviews of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 have appeared on Western websites.

This year, the watch has received a subtle and sometimes unnoticeable improvement. But the journalists did not find any serious shortcomings.

By tradition, we have collected all the most interesting things that are written about the new Apple Watch abroad.

1. Edge

This watch is designed for people who don’t already have an Apple Watch.

This year’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 are virtually identical in design to their predecessors, save for new colors, band options, and carbon-neutral products.

The Series 9 gets a new pink color as part of all the design changes this year.

Ultra 2 is an even more complex circuit from Ultra. When I was looking at the watch at Apple Park, a company representative advised me to put my Ultras in my bag so that I wouldn’t accidentally mix them up or forget them. Even the rear window of the Ultra 2 simply says Ultra, unlike the Series, which always uses a generation number.

Apple also sent me their FineWoven strap, which is made from 68% recycled material and serves as an alternative to leather. Because Apple no longer makes shrouds.

FineWoven looks like suede. If you scratch it with your feet, a scratch will be visible on it, like on suede.

This texture caused much more controversy among my colleagues. Most said they weren’t, but couldn’t explain why. If you are planning to purchase a FineWoven band, I would suggest going to the Apple Store first and spending it before purchasing.

2. Engadget

Double tap and Siri could be big reasons for new Apple Watch purchases.

New gesture Double tap will be out of stock on September 22 when the watch goes on sale. The function will be activated in October.

Apple sent reporters an Apple Watch with Double tapso we had the opportunity to protest it.

When both hands, or, in extreme cases, the one on which the clock is observed, are occupied, double tap will be useless. You want your thumb and index finger to be free.

So when I clean my apartment, read or exercise, this gesture really limits my life.

The Series 9 recognizes quickly when I tap with two fingers, but it took me a few tests to figure out how fast it should be done. Do not touch too quickly or weakly, otherwise the watch will not recognize the gesture.

Apple uses data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and heart rate monitor to detect movement and changes in blood circulation. This allows the difference between the touch of a small finger and the pointer to be taken into account. At the same time I was able to activate Double tapby flicking your thumb and index finger and hitting the side of your finger rather than the pad.

Double tap very different from Assistive Touch. The latter is more advanced and designed because it should allow people to control all watchOS 10 features.

The new gesture only works when the Apple Watch is active. On the watch face, tapping your fingers opens widgets and allows you to scroll through them.

In applications Double tap activates the main button. For example, a timer gesture starts and stops the countdown. You can also pause music, have messages and open alarms.

Siri requests on Series 9 and Ultra 2 are processed on the device. This has a significant advantage: the speed of response is constant. I compared the Series 9 and Series 8, and the new watch was slightly faster at responding to “Hey Siri.”

Much more important is the fact that you can now access Siri when there is no network or iPhone nearby.

Since we’re no longer taking out your watch, Siri can take care of your health questions. For example, you can ask her how long you slept or how many steps you took per day.

Right now the answers are not very good. I asked her how many steps I took and how many calories I burned, and instead of answering directly, Siri opened the Geometry app.

The new watch has a Raise to Speak function. In theory, this means you can simply put the watch to your mouth and call Siri about anything. But last week this feature is not working.

3. Tom’s Guide

Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the best Apple Watch.

In terms of performance, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 have a lot in common. It’s powered by the S9 processor, which delivers the first real performance boost since the Apple Watch Series 6.

Apple claims the S9 is 25% more power efficient, 30% faster in graphics processing, and twice as fast in machine learning operations.

The screen in Ultra 2 is brighter. Its brightness has increased from 2000 nits to 3000 nits. It’s not very noticeable under sunlight, but the picture is clearer than on the Series 9. This can make a big difference if you spend a lot of time in bright light or outdoors.

Even with a brighter display, the watch has 36 hours of battery life under normal use. In energy saving mode, Ultra 2 lasts up to 72 hours, which is 12 hours more than the first class.

However, as an Apple Watch Ultra owner, all these changes haven’t convinced me to upgrade to the new generation.