the $399-plus Apple Watch Series 9 and the $799 Ultra 2

It makes sense that 2023’s updates are quiet compared to last year when Apple effectively kicked down the door with not one, not two, but three new smartwatches. This year, the Series 9 and Ultra 2 are nearly identical in design to their predecessors, save new colors, strap options, and carbon-neutral packaging. Instead, the big updates this year are the S9 SiP, the addition of a second-generation ultra wideband chip, and watchOS 10. The former promises a 30 percent faster GPU and a four-core Neural Engine with twice the performance of the Series 8. That, in turn, enables onboard Siri processing, greater power efficiency, and the handy double-tap gesture. The upgraded UWB chip enables Precision Finding, much like AirTags. Meanwhile, watchOS 10 reintroduces widgets to Apple’s smartwatch landscape.