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Apple Watch (1st generation) vs Apple Watch Series 9

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleWatch (1st generation)AppleWatch Series 9
Overview
ReleasedApril 2015September 2023
Display
Case sizes38 mm or 42 mm41 mm or 45 mm
PanelOLEDLTPO OLED
Peak brightness–2,000 nits
Always-on displayNoYes
Display detailRetina display with Force Touch; OLED panel, 272 x 340 pixels on 38mm or 312 x 390 pixels on 42mm (iFixit)Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display, edge to edge; 326 ppi; up to 2,000 nits maximum and 1 nit minimum brightness
Screen protectionIon-X glass on Sport; sapphire crystal on stainless steel, Hermès and EditionIon-X front glass (aluminium cases); sapphire front crystal (stainless steel cases)
Health and fitness
ECGNoYes
Blood oxygenNoYes
Skin temperatureNoYes
Sleep apnoea alertsNoYes
High blood pressure alertsNoYes
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoYes
Crash detectionNoYes
GPSNoneSingle-band
Water resistance–50 m
SensorsOptical heart-rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and ambient light sensor; Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, speaker and microphoneElectrical heart sensor; third-generation optical heart sensor; temperature sensing; compass; always-on altimeter; high-g accelerometer; high dynamic range gyroscope; ambient light sensor
Health featuresHeart-rate monitoring and Activity ringsECG app; Blood Oxygen app; sleep apnoea notifications and hypertension notifications (added in later watchOS updates); irregular rhythm notifications; high and low heart rate notifications; sleep stages; Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates; Medications; Mindfulness; Noise
Fitness featuresWorkout tracking; route and distance measurements use the paired iPhone's GPS (TechRadar)Custom interval workouts; Heart Rate Zones; Race Route; stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation; automatic track detection; multisport workouts; Backtrack; pool and open-water swimming with SWOLF and automatic stroke detection; cycling Functional Threshold Power, power zones and cadence with Bluetooth accessories; GymKit
Safety features–Emergency SOS; international emergency calling; Crash Detection; Fall Detection
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
In low-power mode–Up to 36 hours
Mobile data optionNoYes
Works withiPhoneiPhone
ChipS1S9
Storage8 GB64 GB
Battery life detailRechargeable battery; maker's up-to-18-hour rating varies with use and configurationBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
ChargingMagnetic charging cableFast charging to 80% in about 45 minutes
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz; Bluetooth 4.0; Apple Pay; requires iPhone 5 or laterL1 GPS, GNSS, Galileo and BeiDou; 4G LTE and UMTS (GPS + Cellular models); Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n); Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip with Precision Finding for iPhone 15 and later; Apple Pay
Storage8 GB onboard storage and S1 system-in-package identified by iFixit–
Design
Weight (lightest version)25 g31.9 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materialsAnodised aluminium with composite back (Sport), stainless steel with ceramic back (including Hermès), or 18-carat yellow/rose gold with ceramic back (Edition); IPX7 splash and water resistance under IEC 60529, not for submersionAluminium or stainless steel case; water resistant to 50 m (swimproof); IP6X dust resistant
Size38mm case is 38.6 x 33.3 x 10.5 mm; 42mm is 42.0 x 35.9 x 10.5 mm. Case weights are 25/30 g (Sport), 40/50 g (stainless steel), 55/69 g (yellow-gold Edition) or 54/67 g (rose-gold Edition), for 38/42mm respectively41mm is 41 x 35 x 10.7 mm, 31.9 g (aluminium, GPS), 32.1 g (aluminium, GPS + Cellular) or 42.3 g (stainless steel); 45mm is 45 x 38 x 10.7 mm, 38.7 g (aluminium, GPS), 39.0 g (aluminium, GPS + Cellular) or 51.5 g (stainless steel); lightest is the 41mm aluminium GPS
BandsSport Band, leather straps, Link Bracelet and Milanese Loop; Hermès Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff joined the range in 2015Fits 130–200 mm wrists (41mm) or 140–245 mm wrists (45mm)
ColoursSport in Silver, Space Grey, Gold or Rose Gold; stainless steel in polished steel or Space Black; Edition in yellow or rose goldAluminium in Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Silver and (PRODUCT)RED; stainless steel in Gold, Silver and Graphite
In the boxWatch, band, 2 m magnetic charging cable, 5W USB power adapter and quick start guide; Edition also includes a magnetic charging case and Lightning to USB cableApple Watch Series 9, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)

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