Scheduled to be officially revealed next month, the Apple Watch Series 9 appears to be “essentially identical” to its forerunner, the Watch Series 8, according to Weibo user Instant Digital. This claim reasserts previous reports suggesting the upcoming Watch Series 9 will be a minimal upgrade from the Series 8. Essentially, the Watch Series 9 is expected to be an updated Series 8, housing a different chip expected to enhance the smartwatch’s performance and efficiency. As per a statement from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman a few months ago, it’s speculated that the Watch Series 9 will be powered by a novel chip derived from Apple’s A15 SoC initially introduced in the iPhone 13 models.

In addition to the chip upgrade, the aluminum variant of the Apple Watch Series 9 is rumoured to be available in a fresh pink color. Furthermore, the Series 9 lineup is expected to be packaged in a smaller retail box compared to the Series 8 models.