Request a product

Apple Watch Series 1 vs Apple Watch Series 9

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleWatch Series 1AppleWatch Series 9
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2016September 2023
Display
Case sizes38 mm or 42 mm41 mm or 45 mm
PanelOLEDLTPO OLED
Peak brightness450 nits2,000 nits
Always-on displayNoYes
Display detailRetina OLED with Force Touch; 272 x 340 pixels (38mm) or 312 x 390 pixels (42mm)Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display, edge to edge; 326 ppi; up to 2,000 nits maximum and 1 nit minimum brightness
Screen protectionStrengthened Ion-X glassIon-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 sensorElectrical 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; Activity rings and Breathe app in watchOS 3ECG 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; outdoor route tracking uses a paired iPhone's GPS (PhoneArena)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
ChipS1PS9
Storage8 GB64 GB
Battery life detailBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteryBuilt-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 4.2; Apple support's updated compatibility requirement is iPhone 5s with iOS 11 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
StorageS1P dual-core processor name reported by Wareable; Apple specifications confirm a dual-core processor and 8 GB capacity–
Design
Weight (lightest version)25 g31.9 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materialsAnodised aluminium case and composite back; IPX7 under IEC 60529, splash and water resistant but submersion is not recommendedAluminium or stainless steel case; water resistant to 50 m (swimproof); IP6X dust resistant
Size38mm is 38.6 x 33.3 x 10.5 mm and 25 g; 42mm is 42.5 x 36.4 x 10.5 mm and 30 g; weights exclude the band41mm 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
BandsSold with Sport Band; compatible with Sport, Woven Nylon, stainless steel and leather bandsFits 130–200 mm wrists (41mm) or 140–245 mm wrists (45mm)
ColoursSilver, Space Grey, Gold and Rose Gold aluminiumAluminium in Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Silver and (PRODUCT)RED; stainless steel in Gold, Silver and Graphite
In the box–Apple Watch Series 9, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)

More comparisons