According to Weibo user Instant Digital, Apple Watch Series 9 will be “basically unchanged” compared to its predecessor Watch Series 8, corroborating previous reports that the Watch Series 9 is a minor upgrade.


This Weibo user echoed other reports that the Apple Watch Series 9 will be a minor upgrade in a post earlier today. Apple Watch Series 9 will apparently focus on updating the cores within the S-series chip, resulting in notable improvements in performance, but the rest of the watch will remain the same.

In Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, second-generation Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra, the S6, S7, and S8 chips have virtually identical CPUs. Identified as T8301, the S6, S7, and S8 chips all feature 32GB of storage and dual-core CPUs. In its last performance claim about its latest smartwatch lineup, Apple said the S6 chip made apps launch 20 percent faster.

The Watch Series 9 will be the Watch Series 8 with a new chip, bringing significant performance and efficiency improvements. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported a few months ago that Apple’s A15 SoC would power the Watch Series 9.

Along with a new chip, the Apple Watch Series 9’s aluminum version is rumored to get a new pink color and a more compact retail box than Series 8.