‘Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 get new heart rate monitor and U2 UWB chip’

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 get a new heart rate monitor, more accurate sensors and a U2 ultrawideband chip. This is what Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims based on conversations with insiders.

According to Gurman Apple wants to focus on ‘speed, efficiency and accuracy’ for the smartwatches released this year. For this reason, several sensors of both watches have been replaced by more accurate versions and they will receive a new version of Apple’s optical heart rate sensor. Gurman also states that both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Ultra 2 will have a U2 ultrawideband chip. This should also be present in the iPhone 15 series and, due to its improved location detection, should ensure more accurate tracking in the Find My application.

In addition, the Bloomberg reporter claims that the new watches will consist of more recycled materials and that the intention is for the casings of the stainless steel Series 9 watches to be 3D printed. The design of the smartwatches would otherwise look roughly the same as last year’s iterations.

In an earlier rumor Gurman already reported that both watches will have a new S9 processor. It is based on the A15 Bionic SoC of the iPhone 13 and should provide a major performance boost for the smart watches for the first time since the Watch 6. The smartwatches are expected to be officially announced on Tuesday, along with the iPhone 15 series, among others, during Apple’s Wonderlust event.

Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra