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Most earbud and headphone makers are starting to skip the annual update cycle. Sure, many of them release a new model regularly, but in terms of overhauling a previous product, the timelines are typically more extended. Bose has made an exception, choosing to reveal the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds ($299) alongside its new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones a year after their predecessor. The new earbuds bring a familiar design and the same outstanding active noise cancellation (ANC), but the company is also promising a big boost in sound quality with its new Immersive Audio tech. For the same price as the set they replace, the QC Ultra Earbuds deliver spatial audio without the requirement, or the headache, of having to stream specialized content.DesignBose made minimal changes to the design, retaining basically the same formula from the QuietComfort Earbuds II . One key difference is the touch panel on the outside, which is now silver instead of matching the earbuds (which were black, gray or white). It's still plastic, but it's just a different hue. Second, the company changed the stability bands" or fit wings so they're easier to properly install. That's a welcome update since getting those securely in place was an issue on the QC Earbuds II.With an almost entirely identical design from model to model, Bose didn't reduce the size of the earbuds. This means they're still quite large at a time when a lot of the competition continues to get smaller. However, the trade-off is the outer touch panel is larger than on tinier models from other companies. This translates to more reliable controls on the QC Ultra Earbuds and allows Bose to throw in a dedicated swipe gesture for volume adjustment, which is rare in this category.Software and featuresPhoto by Billy Steele/EngadgetAll of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds' features are accessible from the Bose Music app. Here, the company gives you battery percentages for each bud and a volume control at the top of the main screen. Below, you can access controls to toggle listening modes (ANC, transparency and Immersive Audio), the EQ, detailed settings, earbud seal test and options to reconfigure the shortcut gesture.Under Immersive Audio, the app lets you switch between off, Still and Motion modes. They're pretty self-explanatory, but I will point out that the Motion setting keeps the sound in front of you when you're moving so music, movies and other content doesn't stay in a fixed place or seem like it's coming from behind or your pocket when you leave your desk. And since Bose lets you reconfigure the long press action on the earbuds, you can choose to have one side cycle through Immersive Audio modes while the other is set to shuffle through ANC (Quiet), transparency (Aware) and Immersive.Sound qualityBose's new Immersive Audio is a big leap for sound quality on the company's earbuds. The QuietComfort Earbuds II and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds both sound good right out of the box. But with this Ultra model and its spatial audio tech, Bose finally has the sonic chops to compete with comparable products from Sony and Sennheiser. And the best part is that you don't need specially created content or a specific streaming service to unlock it. Immersive Audio works with everything, no matter where you're playing it from.Like most implementations of spatial audio, Bose's version takes the stock tuning and makes it louder. There's more presence to the sound, and noticeably more volume, but there's also more clarity and detail. The company says it achieves this with virtualization tech that seeks to eliminate the sensation that sound from earbuds is inside your head. Instead, it makes it seem like you're sitting in the acoustic sweet spot" with speakers placed in front of you. The result is not only the feeling that you're not wearing the earbuds at all, but also extremely natural-sounding audio that's immersive without having to be dimensional to have an impact.I noticed the biggest difference between the stock tuning and Immersive Audio on acoustic-driven albums like Zach Bryan's self-titled release, Gregory Alan Isakov's Appaloosa Bones and Noah Kahan's Stick Season. All three are able to harness the effect of Bose's spatial sound to the point that sometimes it seems like Zach Bryan is sitting right in front of you picking his guitar. When it's just strings and a voice, you can really hear what Bose has achieved, but it doesn't just work for folksy country or singer/songwriter ballads. You can clearly hear the influence of Immersive Audio throughout a range of genres, including metal, hip-hop and electronic tunes. At first you notice it's louder, but after the initial jolt, the amplified details like texture in distorted guitars and synths, as well as reverb on the drums and layered instruments, become more apparent.Noise cancellation performancePhoto by Billy Steele/EngadgetThe QuietComfort Earbuds II have been our top pick for pure ANC performance in our best wireless earbuds guide since their debut. Bose has a long history of stellar noise cancellation and it's still at the top of the heap. With the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the company remains the best at blocking distractions, and these buds are especially good at reducing airplane noise to near silence during a flight. This new model struggles with voices, but that's a pitfall of many earbuds and headphones. Still, when you encounter any kind of constant clamor, the QC Ultra Earbuds are likely your best choice if ANC effectiveness is top of mind.Call qualityBose says it made improvements with dynamic microphone mixing and adaptive filters. According to the company, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds can also prioritize which earbud is getting the least wind interference while picking from a number of noise filters to keep you sounding clear - all in real time. During my tests, voice quality wasn't exactly pristine, but the earbuds did a great job of blocking background sounds to reduce distractions. Is it the best? No. Will it get the job done with minimal fuss? Absolutely.Battery lifeThe new Immersive Audio tech will impact battery life, and Bose is upfront about that. The company says that with that spatial sound enabled, you can expect two hours less of playing time per charge. So instead of six hours with ANC, you'll get around four, but that's with noise cancellation and Immersive Audio turned on. During my tests, the QC Ultra Earbuds outperformed those estimates as the Bose Music app was still showing 30 percent left after four hours. What's more, there are three additional charges in the case for a total of 16 to 24 hours of use.The QuietComfort Earbuds II didn't have wireless charging and the new model doesn't either - at least not out of the box. If you want to top them up without a cable, you'll have to buy a silicone cover for the charging case, which will cost an additional $50. Sure, it's better than not offering wireless charging at all, but it would've been nice if the company had just built it into the product without requiring another component and an extra purchase.The competitionPhoto by Billy Steele/EngadgetBose's main competition for full-featured, noise-canceling earbuds is Sony, which debuted its WF-1000XM5 model in July, improving upon what was already a stellar formula. Simply put, no other company packs in as many features as Sony, and it manages to keep top-notch sound quality and ANC performance while doing so. The M5 is more expensive than previous models at $300, but that's on par with the QC Ultra Earbuds. Sony also didn't improve battery life from the M4, which is eight hours, and some of those handy features still need fine tuning.For the Apple faithful, the second-gen AirPods Pro are also worth considering. Apple's earbuds are loaded with features that make them the perfect companion for the iPhone and its other devices. The company has consistently put out the most natural-sounding transparency mode and new tricks enabled by the H2 chip, like Adaptive Audio, have made the year-old model even better. Great sound quality and solid ANC performance are also part of the appeal.Wrap-upThe QuietComfort Earbuds II were already the best true wireless model Bose had ever built, mostly due to their superior active noise cancellation. Add spatial audio that doesn't require you to jump through any extra hoops to use and the QC Ultra Earbuds are immediately a worthwhile upgrade. Sure, there's still work to be done on things like transparency mode, call quality and built-in wireless charging. But perhaps for the first time, Bose has a set of earbuds that can compete with the best sonically and not just purely on its noise-blocking merits.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bose-quietcomfort-ultra-earbuds-review-spatial-audio-makes-all-the-difference-140057701.html?src=rss

So there's a new GoPro in town. Maybe you saw a bunch of new features and wondered if the new camera is worth the upgrade from an older model? Maybe you want to know if it's a better fit than a rival camera like DJI's Action 4? Here we'll go through everything that's new with the Hero 12 and hopefully, by the end of it, you'll feel ready to make an informed decision. There are some useful new tools, some neat hardware tweaks and of course, an important aesthetic update this time around. All of which we'll get to below.Battery lifeOkay, deep breath for this one as there's a bit to unpack. Battery life has always been a bit of a pain point for action cameras. Their smaller form-factor, exposure to different and high performance needs (shooting 4K slow-mo, and so on) means they are constantly battling basic physics. GoPro's claim then, that the Hero 12 offers 2x runtime" will have seen even the most ragged of outdoor filmers crack a smile. But remember, runtime isn't the same as record" time.What we're seeing here is an extension of the amount of time the camera can run at high power drain modes before it reaches its thermal limit and has to stop. So the claim is really that you should get about twice the recording time at the most demanding settings. If you're shooting at good ol' 1080p/30, for example, battery performance is only extended by a few minutes.Photo by James Trew / EngadgetTo test this, I pitted the Hero 12 against the Hero 11 in two scenarios, each at the opposite ends of the intensity" spectrum. On the high end, we set the cameras to record at 4K/120 while walking with the camera on a standard grip. On the other end of the scale we recorded a basic 1080/30 video for as long as the camera could. Both were performed outside to allow for airflow, which is what the camera was optimized for.In the 4K tests, I was surprised to see there was no noticeable difference between the Hero 12 and the Hero 11 with the same settings. I repeated the test a couple of times and the 12 was only able to best the 11 by about five minutes. On one occasion, the Hero 11 actually outlasted the Hero 12. The average duration for one continuous video was 35 minutes. Other outlets and reviews have had more success here, so I'm currently speaking with GoPro to see what might be causing this disparity in results. The 1080p tests were also comparable, with both cameras lasting around an hour and a half which is expected, as GoPro doesn't claim large advances in battery life at these settings.Bluetooth audioI don't think anyone was expecting this one, but it's a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Using a microphone with a GoPro typically involves using the Media Mod, which is usually an $80 additional purchase. Even with that, going wireless requires having a compatible microphone. With the new Bluetooth capability, you can use the AirPods (or other Bluetooth headset) that you may already own.I wouldn't recommend using a microphone over Bluetooth if you can avoid it, as they're typically designed for calls rather than delivering a standup to camera. That said, the quality is good enough for impromptu vlogs and or live commentary as you take part in your activity of choice. Either way, it's a neat new feature that's really easy to set up. I was worried about latency - a common problem with Bluetooth audio generally - but any there might be is barely perceptible.This functionality also allows you to control your GoPro from afar using voice commands. I might wager that this is equally, if not more useful to a lot of people. GoPro's voice commands are fairly reliable, so it's nice to be able to ask the camera to take a photo from a distance so you don't need to set a timer. Likewise, you can end a video without having to record those final seconds of you walking back to the camera to press the button. All these little time saves add up!8:7 everywherePhoto by James Trew / EngadgetThe big news with the Hero 11 Black was a larger sensor that meant you could do cool things like punch out different aspect ratio videos in 4K from the same source material. That source video was also usable on its own, if square-ish 8:7 video was something you needed. With the Hero 12, 8:7 mode is now available everywhere, including TimeWarp, TimeLapse and Night Effects modes.An 8:7 TimeWarp is a fun addition, but the real gain here is the option to shoot in that mode, capture every pixel available to you, and then have the flexibility to do more with it later. For Night Effects, for example, you could output a vertical version for social media, and a 16:9 one for YouTube and both of them would be in full resolution. This is the only new direct video feature this time around, which will disappoint some potential upgraders, but for fans of those specific modes it's good news.Vertical capturePhoto by James Trew / EngadgetNow that 8:7, full-sensor recording is available across the board, GoPro is seeking to make some of its use cases even easier. One such example is vertical capture mode. In short, since the Hero 11 there's no technical reason why you need to rotate or mount the camera vertically as you can achieve full resolution 9:16 videos even with the camera positioned horizontally.Essentially, this feature provides a way to record a video for social media without having to either remount it or to punch it out in 9:16 via the app. Thus, vertical capture greatly smooths the process from shooting on the camera to sharing with your followers. There's not much more to say here other than it works as advertised and should save a fair amount of time for those who use that aspect ratio frequently.HDR video in ultra-high resolutionsDynamic range may sound like a technical setting for pro photographers, but it's important even for casual users. As a camera tries to capture a shot, it will assess the lighting and adjust its exposure to maintain the best balance (unless you're using all manual settings). When there are bright and dark areas in the same shot, the camera has to make a best guess. To improve on that, modern cameras have HDR modes specifically for times when there's a High Dynamic Range (HDR)." In short, the Hero 12 Black claims to be better than its predecessors in these situations.Technically, the Hero 11 is capable of outputting HDR video (the Hero 12 and Hero 11 share the same internal hardware), but you usually had to do some legwork in post to get there. The Hero 12 has HDR" as one of the shooting modes right in the menus making it a simple button push to get those more natural tones.Photo by James Trew / EngadgetIn side by side testing, there's a marked difference between the Hero 12 and last year's camera. In the same, sunny conditions during the day I found the sky was sometimes blown out on the Hero 11 when there were also a lot of shaded areas in shot as the camera tries to expose for both. The Hero 12 was able to handle the same lighting conditions without blowing out bright areas or under exposing the shade giving a more balanced image overall.(Speaking of HDR, the GoPro 12's implementation isn't true HDR in the sense that it captures using the BT.2020 HDR color space - i.e., if you plug it into your Samsung HDR TV you won't see it in HDR, but just regular TV mode. Rather, it takes two images of each frame in quick succession - like bracketing on a photo camera - one exposed for shadows and one for highlights, and combines them into a single image. The end result is more detailed skies, shadowy areas, etc.)Better selfiesBack in the olden days, there was a light hack" for getting the best selfie out of a GoPro: put the camera into Time lapse Photo mode and grab multiple shots just to be sure. In newer GoPros you have to grab a frame from a time lapse via the app as the camera automatically outputs a ready-to-share video. Interval Photo, then, revives some of that old functionality in a new, improved way. The basic gist is that you don't need to use a timer, instead you can capture multiple photos and pick the one you like best, such as the one below where I had all the time in the world to perfectly place my hand on top of the towers.Photo by James Trew / EngadgetTo prevent confusion, Interval Photo is a setting under the Photos menu and not the Time Lapse menu. From there you can set a wide range of intervals - from half a second up to two minutes - and use this with all photo types, including HDR and SuperPhoto (GoPro's auto" mode). This differs from a time lapse where the images are processed in a way that prevents sudden changes in exposure between photos for a smooth video. That's to say, images are optimized for the resulting video. With Interval Photo, they're standard photos for use as photos with no further processing.Night Effects come to photos (kinda)Another feature that builds on something that was introduced in the Hero 11 is the extension of the Night Effects (Star Trails, Vehicle Lights and Light Painting) to create a photo. These three effects use long exposures and witchcraft (maybe) to create videos with these dramatic light-based effects. With the Hero 12, you will now be presented with a photo alongside the video. There's no extra action required to get this, it'll just show up in your gallery automatically.What you won't see are any controls or any way to choose at which point of the video the image will be extracted from, the image appears to be based on the final frame of the video, which makes sense. That said, in our testing it generally produces good results (assuming your video was good in the first place!). Again, you've pretty much always had the option to extract frames from videos and with the Quik app that's easier than ever before, but having one ready for you, is another welcome convenience.LogSteve Dent contributed the following section.GP-Log is designed to give creators more control over images by increasing dynamic range, specifically by allowing more detail in shadows and highlights. That can be combined with 10-bit encoding which boosts the total number of colors to billions, meaning subtle gradients (mainly in skies) will show less banding.Photo by James Trew / EngadgetAs ever with log, it can be a challenge to get a nice image out of it. The LUTs supplied by GoPro do an OK job, but significant tweaking is still required by the editor to gain any major benefits. Plus, it's not a very aggressive log setting, so the boost in dynamic range is small, akin to DJI's D-Log M setting. It does give editors who know what they're doing more options, but if you're unfamiliar with log, HDR is a much easier way to improve dynamic range - with no adjustments required.New mounting optionPhoto by James Trew / EngadgetIf you've been using GoPros for any amount of time, you'll be familiar with the finger" mount system. It's... fine. It's certainly sturdy, which is what you want in an action camera, but it's also fiddly and those thumb screws can get real tight, so tight that sometimes it feels personal. Sometimes you wish you could just use the tripod or selfie pole you already have without having to dip into your bag of adapters. Well, now you can.Flip the GoPro Hero 12 Black over and lo and behold, you'll be presented with a 1/4 inch thread (along with the sound of angels harmonizing, possibly). I have a bunch of the aforementioned GoPro-to-tripod mount adapters, but I can never seem to find them when I need them. I also have a bunch of small tripods that will get a lot more usage now that they are directly compatible with the GoPro. Not to mention, if you use your GoPro as a webcam, it's not a lot easier to use with other streaming mounts and boom arms. I'm not sure what it says about the Hero 12 when this is my personal favorite new feature, but here we are!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gopro-hero-12-review-new-features-143039315.html?src=rss

Have you seen the meme about people who dangle too many things on their fingers for no reason whatsoever? I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm one of those. No matter how big of a bag I'm carrying, I always find my hands full, making it difficult to interact with my phone or smartwatch on the go. And I'm not alone there. Which is why voice controlled assistants and hands-free gestures are so appealing.With the Apple Watch Series 9, the company is introducing two new methods of interaction: Double Tap and Raise to Speak (to Siri). It's also rolling out on-device Siri processing, which will let you ask the assistant for your health data and to log your daily stats. These are enabled by the new S9 system-in-package (SiP) that powers the device, meaning they likely won't be available to older models via watchOS 10.The Series 9 also has a new second-generation ultra wideband (UWB) chip like the one in the iPhone 15 series, which allows for an updated interface when pinging your paired phone. On the outside, the new Apple Watch looks just like its predecessor, but the new gesture alone may be intriguing enough to coax some of you into upgrading this year.Double TapFull disclosure: Due to a series of FedEx mishaps, I wasn't able to receive a separate sample of the Apple Watch with Double Tap enabled until just yesterday. That means I've only spent about a day testing out the new gesture in the real world. To be clear, the feature will not be available on the watches that ship come September 22, and will be activated over the air later in October. Apple sent reviewers supplemental units with Double Tap enabled for our coverage and testing purposes, in addition to the actual devices that will be going to consumers. Not to worry, though, the rest of this review is based on a Series 9 I've had since the Apple event last week. It's only the Double Tap sample that I received late. Still, I already have a better sense for when and how it might be useful.When both hands, or at least my watch hand, are occupied, Double Tap will obviously not be helpful. You'll need to at least have your thumb and index finger available to pinch. But when I'm cleaning my apartment, holding a side plank, raising a single dumbbell or reading a book, the gesture does make my life easier. In fact, I love it just for the pleasure of continuing to scroll Reddit on my phone in my right hand without having to put the device down to swipe something away on my left wrist.Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetThe Series 9 is fairly good at recognizing when I've pinched twice quickly, but it took me a few attempts to figure out the right cadence. You can't tap too quickly or too subtly, or it won't register. I hate when companies tell us we're doing something wrong, but in this case where we're learning a new gesture altogether, I'm inclined to put in the work.Apple uses a combination of data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and optical heart rate monitor to detect movement and blood flow changes. This lets the watch understand the difference between, say, when you're touching your middle finger versus your pointer. I was able to trigger Double Tap by pretending to snap my thumb and forefinger, and also when striking the side of my digit rather than the pad.This is also a good time to clarify that Double Tap is quite different from Assistive Touch, which was brought to watchOS in 2021. The latter is an accessibility-minded feature that was already available for years in iOS, and allows those with different mobility needs to interact with the respective operating systems. You'll have to first go into the settings to enable it on the watch, and then you can use gestures like pinching and clenching to navigate. Clenching twice will activate Assistive Touch,which brings up an outline around items on the screen. Then, pinching will move through individual elements and clenching will act like tapping on them.Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetAssistive Touch is more complete and nuanced than Double Tap, as it has to help users access all of watchOS. Meanwhile, the new feature is more of a convenience and there's only one action available. It also does very specific things. You'll first have to make sure the Series 9 is awake. From the home screen, double tapping pulls up the Smart Stack, and subsequent pinches scrolls through the widgets on that page. You can change the default setting so that follow-up double taps on the Smart Stack enters the top card instead.Everywhere else in watchOS, the Double Tap will trigger the primary button. Start or pause a timer, snooze your alarm, play your music or reply to messages, for example. Apple's programmed some of these applications thoughtfully, too. If you've used Double Tap to reply to a message, it will bring up the voice typing option so you can dictate your response. That's a nice touch, considering you're likely unable to use your other hand to tap out a message if you're already pinching to react to a notification.But Double Tap isn't available in every part of watchOS. When I was looking at the Phone app or my Move rings, for example, the gesture didn't do anything. A small indicator appeared to show that it did register; It just didn't map the action to anything on the page. I like the little indicator bubble, by the way, as it goes a long way in helping me learn the gesture.Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetAll that said, it feels like Double Tap might not be as groundbreaking as it may have seemed from the keynote. But it still is a useful tool that will likely reduce my need to lift my wrist and swipe the screen.A better SiriAnother way Apple is reducing my reliance on the Series 9's display is through voice control. Specifically, Siri requests on the new watches (including the Ultra 2) will be processed on-device. There are quite a few benefits to this - speed of response being the least significant. I compared the Series 9 and Series 8 side by side and this year's watch was only marginally faster at responding to my Hey Siri" requests.Other advantages of on-device processing are more impactful. The ability to still ask Siri for help when offline or disconnected from my iPhone, for example, was a surprisingly simple upgrade. I left my paired iPhone 15 Pro at home when I went to the gym, and was relieved when I could still tell the assistant to record an outdoor walk when I made my way home (since my hands were full, as usual).Since your requests no longer leave your watch, Apple is also able to let you ask Siri for your health data. You can ask the assistant how long you slept, how many steps you've taken that day, or to log a period and more. Some of this is available now, while others will be available in a software update later this year.Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetRight now, the responses aren't great. I asked Siri to tell me how many steps I'd taken or calories I'd burned, and instead of giving me a direct answer, it'd take me to the Move or Exercise ring pages. I asked for my heart rate, and was brought to the Heart Rate app for a reading, which is reasonable. But hopefully, with the software update, I'd get a straightforward answer of how many steps or calories.Since I can't test it just yet, I can't fully evaluate how impactful Siri Health Requests will be, but it's something I suspect will put Apple ahead of its smartwatch competitors. Being able to edit your stats with just your voice could make it much easier for people to input data, which will ultimately improve the insights you'd get from your watch. No other wearable OS offers this yet, either.Finally, with the Series 9, Apple is also adding Raise to Speak." In theory, this means you should be able to just bring the watch to your mouth and ask Siri for things. But in my experience, this barely worked half the time. I wish it were more consistent, because, and pardon my hyperbole here, when it did behave as expected, it felt almost magical. I'd lift my wrist and speak into the watch case, and the Siri icon would appear, along with the words I'd just uttered. No more long pressing the Digital Crown or saying Hey Siri."The good news is, even when Raise To Speak doesn't register, I can still go back to saying Hey Siri." It just got really annoying trying to test this feature, because I quickly grew tired from all the repetitive wrist lifting. Look, it's been arm week at the gym, okay?Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetUWB precision finding, in use and battery lifeOne last hardware-related feature on the Series 9 is its second-generation UWB chip, which enables a new interface for locating your paired iPhone. Currently, all you can do is use your Apple Watch to ping your handset and make it ring. With the Series 9 paired to another device with the new UWB chip, not only can you also see exactly how many feet you are from your misplaced device, you can also see what direction it's in.I nearly panicked after clearing security at the San Francisco airport, when I thought I had lost the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Thankfully, I had a moment of clarity and used the Series 9 to buzz the phone. I was immensely relieved to hear the ringtone, but also amused when the watch told me I was only a foot and a half away from the handset.To see the new interface that tells you which direction your missing item is in, you'll have to be more than five feet away from it. I came home from the gym and used the Series 9 to see where the iPhone was, and the onscreen arcs and distance indicators easily guided me to my couch where I had left it. As I got within five feet, the phone buzzed and rang, which helped in locating it.I didn't have a HomePod to test this with, but the Series 9 will also know when you're within four meters of one, and automatically pull up the Now Playing screen so you can quickly control playback.Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetIf your Series 8 (or older) is a little too dim in sunlight or too bright in your blacked-out bedroom, you might appreciate that the new model's screen can now get up to 2,000 nits and as low as 1 nit. That's double the brightness of the Series 8, which I never had trouble reading, so it makes sense that I found the latest model easy to see on a bright day as well.It's worth noting, though, that, in a dark room, the low-nit display might be hard for some to read. I was wearing both the Series 8 and 9, and the newer watch was noticeably dimmer, to the point where smaller text with low contrast was almost illegible. If this affects you, the good news is you can still adjust the general device brightness to avoid having the screen going as dim.There's not much else drastically different about the Series 9 that you won't get by updating to watchOS 10. That is, unless you like the new pink color option so much that you're willing to buy a whole new device just for it (which I would understand, since I love the pink of my review unit). Springing for the latest hardware will get you the S9 SiP, which is supposed to process machine learning tasks up to twice as fast as the last generation while delivering 25 percent more power efficiency.Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetHonestly, I barely noticed a difference in performance, and battery life felt a little shorter, with the Series 9 needing a charge every evening rather than every night. I'd chalk that up to the fact that the review unit I received is the smaller 41mm size, while the Series 8 I've been using is the larger 44mm version, and understandably has a longer-lasting battery. Apple says you'll still get 18 hours of runtime with the Series 9, and though that's in line with previous generations, I wish it lasted longer. Samsung and Fitbit's smartwatches generally clock about two or more days, and it'd be nice to see Apple give us more.There are a lot of changes coming via watchOS 10, too, but since those will be available to people with older Apple Watches, I won't cover them here. I also won't delve into things we've already tested, like fitness and sleep tracking or fall detection and emergency SOS. They won't affect your decision on whether to get the new watch.One more new thing you can use regardless of the generation of watch you own: FineWoven bands. This is Apple's replacement for leather, which it declared it will stop selling in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. FineWoven is a suede-like material made from recycled material, and is meant to feel premium. I don't mind it, and though I prefer the texture of leather, I'm more than happy to give up a nice tactile sensation in the interest of saving our environment.Photo by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetWrap-upThe fact that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are the company's first carbon neutral products is a significant achievement that's worth calling out. We have to give Apple credit for making an effort to minimize its adverse impact on the earth, despite all the marketing bluster (and the fact that it ironically outlined its 2030 vision at a launch event for new devices it wants people to buy).If you're environmentally conscious, the company's efforts to be net carbon neutral may affect whether you buy the Apple Watch Series 9 over something from a competitor like Fitbit, for example. But if that's not a priority for you, then you're more likely to base your decision over features like Double Tap and Siri, as well as performance and battery life.The Series 9 is a capable, well-rounded smartwatch that remains the best in the category. Double Tap and on-device Siri alone may be reasons enough to trade in your older Apple Watch (yes, even the Series 8), especially if you hate having to swipe or tap a tiny screen on your wrist.What intrigues me more is the vision of the future that's starting to take shape. With gestures like Double Tap and a stronger focus on voice commands, as well as the introduction of the Vision Pro headset earlier this year, it's clear Apple has a direction in mind for the next few years. I'm curious to see where wearables fit in, and I have a strong suspicion the Series 9 is simply laying the groundwork for a more immersive, hands-free ecosystem to come.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-watch-series-9-review-freedom-from-touching-your-screen-130009764.html?src=rss