The newest Energy On e-newsletter from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recaps among the expectations for subsequent month’s massive iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Collection 9 reveal occasion. Whereas largely centered on the iPhone, this one line concerning the Apple Watch caught our eye:
All of this yr’s fashions will get a reasonably sizable efficiency bump due to the brand new S9 processor. This marks the primary time because the S6 chip launched in 2020—with the Collection 6 watch—that the lineup will get important velocity enhancements.
Mark Gurman
He’s proper, after all: The final three Apple Watches have had primarily the identical processor. Let’s break down what we learn about them and what enhancements we would anticipate within the S9.
S6, S7, and S8 are 2019 know-how
With the Apple Watch Collection 6, Apple launched a brand new S6 SiP (system-in-package) that it described this fashion: “Utilizing a brand new dual-core processor based mostly on A13 Bionic in iPhone 11, the upgraded S6 SiP runs as much as 20 % sooner, permitting apps to additionally launch 20 % sooner whereas sustaining the identical all-day 18-hour battery life.” In different phrases, it’s made utilizing the effectivity core design and GPU cores of 2019’s iPhone. On the time, it was a reasonably minor replace on the S5, which had itself constructed incrementally on the large enchancment features launched with the S4.
Sadly, not a lot modified the next yr both, or the yr after that. The S7 and S8 have been primarily the identical processor, with the identical cores, clock velocity, caches, and construct utilizing the identical 7nm manufacturing course of. Naturally, an Apple Watch is extra than simply its processor, and Apple has made enhancements to the sensors and show through the years. However the processor itself is principally nonetheless 2019 know-how.
The following step with the S9
The S9, if rumors are to be believed, will leap the Apple Watch know-how ahead a number of years. Most anticipate it to be based mostly on the effectivity cores within the A15, and doubtless that chip’s GPU as effectively. The A15 used the identical LPDDR4x reminiscence because the A13, so we might not see any change there, and the quantity of RAM might or might not enhance—it has been 1GB because the Collection 4.
The 2-year soar from an A13-derived structure to an A15-derived one will doubtless include a change within the manufacturing course of. The A15 is made with TSMC’s second-generation 5nm course of, known as N5P.
If we extrapolate from what we all know of the effectivity cores within the A13 and A15, and the 7nm and 5nm manufacturing processes doubtless used, we will guess that the S9 chip will provide one thing like 40-50 % higher efficiency with 30 % much less energy use. In fact, all of that is extremely variable, and efficiency and battery life are depending on a lot of elements like warmth dissipation, Apple’s decisions round voltages and desired battery drain, and non-processor parts like all of the sensors, wi-fi radios, and show.
In different phrases, don’t be stunned September’s occasion comes round and we hear that the Apple Watch Collection 9 is “as much as 50 % sooner” however Apple nonetheless claims 18 hours of battery life, simply as with each Apple Watch ever.