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New Apple Watch to Launch in Fall 2017 With Improved Battery Life But No Major Design Changes
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As someone currently involved in it, I feel as though another form factor would not be positive for the Apple Watch/iOS development community.
Apple is already abusing the agileness of its Developer community in my eyes, the last thing we need is an expansion of WatchOS with a radically different form factor in the next few years. They still have to fix WatchConnectivity communication issues which can randomly cripple apps, so when they start prioritize crap like that, they'll get in better graces.
Most developers aren't jumping at new devices and form factors as an expanded audience anymore, unfortunately.
What if that "radically different form factor" improved the popularity of the product and resulted in a big increase in sales?
Doubtful .. there are already plenty of quality sleep tracking apps and the battery life of the Series 2 is more than sufficient to wear while sleeping. I wear it while sleeping every night and also use it to track a workout of an hour or more each day with GPS.
I only ever charge mine in the morning while taking a shower/getting dressed and every now and then before bed.
Personally, I am glad to give me wrist a break for an hour of so each day without wearing the watch. Not sure what is gained by more battery life unless it is to power more features.
Do people really want to wear a watch for more than a day without taking it off? When you take it off, just drop it on the charger, just as easy as dropping it anywhere else. For the most part it is fully charged an hour later.
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Why? Do you plan to wear it for 3 to 4 consecutive days without ever taking it off? If it last 23 hours a day, that is more than sufficient for sleep tracking. The Series 2 battery lasts much longer than that most of time.
Great sleep tracking data from AutoSleep...
![IMG_1128[1].PNG](https://forums.macrumors.com/data/attachments/596/596667-20b7eaabf2c450439034760cce34aca0.jpg "IMG_1128[1].PNG")
![IMG_1129[1].PNG](https://forums.macrumors.com/data/attachments/596/596668-968ec5afdfe0b5167836f0583d527e50.jpg "IMG_1129[1].PNG")
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Thinner. Just looking at this reminds me of 1st gen iPhone, but if they can focus on improving battery life before they start shaving away at the thing then I'm all for it.
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I'm of the belief that they don't really need to change the design. Current design is really wonderful.
First party - Apple probably feels that it cannot advertise something first party related to sleep tracking when their official battery life claim is around 18 hours. Your usage is nothing more than antecedent.
That sounds like much more than making it round. I moan at the idea of spending time adding support for another resolution instead of working on the direct functionality of an app.
I think we will see this same design as long as Apple offers a watch. There might be other designs to offer along side it, but the current form factor will stay apples signature when it comes to watches.
Well, if only battery life improvement, then I'll pass. I get easily two days with my AW2 Nike+ and at night I always sleep without a watch anyway so it charges overnight. No big deal.
Wow - I'd only really associated one with the other by visualising it in my head. Actually seeing them side by side like that they're far similar to what I imagined.
I'm one of those guys. Too small and too unisex. It's not a look that appeals to me. That's not to say it's bad or wrong. Just doesn't appeal to me. Oddly enough, the unisex design doesn't appeal to my wife either. She likes the look of the Pebble Time Round. I primarily wear chronographs so Sammy's S2/3 appeal to my personal aesthetic.
You have to love that the ONE product everyone wants thinner, they made it thicker in V2... hilarious.
I'd hazard a guess that it makes sense to those who like round watches.
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Sounds like your predictions were off for this thread
I would hazard a guess that people that like round watches will be in for a disappointment.
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I don't get what you want from the watch? New bands are the most radical thing they can do to it for form factor. We all know what a bunch of whining that would cause.
You want a round watch with apps designed for square displays?
No, a round watch with apps reconfigured for a round display.
That's fine if you like the looks of the current models. A lot of people aren't so keen on those looks.
I wear my Apple Watch every night for full sleep tracking. Battery goes from 100% to 95% 8 hours later and I get my full sleep pattern and heart rate information when I wake. I also use a silent alarm.
No big deal here and I hate seeing reports that the Apple Watch needs a better battery if it is going to be used for sleep tracking. I still end the day with 60%+ battery life.
The comparisons to other smart watches needs to stop. They are twice the size or at least huge compared to the Apple Watch. Checking specs, they use a battery twice the size and that is why it is so bulky.
It's just hard to compare a Watch that has is much bigger and bulkier and then say it lasts longer for battery. I get the point though.
I charge my Apple Watch only when I shower and wear the Watch 23+ hours per day. Still finish a week with 60% battery with only the charge when showering. I know I know "we're happy for you".
I like the square/rectangular watch form factor. I really wouldn't want a round one because of the wasted screen real estate and the huge size I'd need to shove the current size screen into the round form so I wouldn't LOSE actual, workable screen real estate.
I might not mind if they made it thinner, but it doesn't need to be. I may not mind if it were more rectangular, because it would still be a good form factor for apps (think smaller iPhone screen).
I think we'll see materials and bands updated, but not the actual form factor this time around.
I might not mind if they made it thinner, but it doesn't need to be. I may not mind if it were more rectangular, because it would still be a good form factor for apps (think smaller iPhone screen).
I think we'll see materials and bands updated, but not the actual form factor this time around.
This response makes no sense. Who would WANT to run with their phone?
Emergency call? How did runners before cellphones survive?
That's for Apple to worry about, not me. Don't think they don't read these forums and see all the calls for round faces and a thinner design. It'll get a redesign when they decide it's time. I'm just happy that my Watch will not look outdated so quickly. I have over $1,000 invested in two apple watches and bands.
WatchConnectivity (WC) issues and a different form factor are wholly unique topics. You're conflating two separate issues into one unified argument as if they can be solved by the same solution. They can't and a round form factor is not going to change any issue with WC. Speaking of... round is the word I think you were looking for since there's nothing radical about it.
Looking at this from the outside, I'm not seeing the issue. I would think (correct me if I'm wrong) a dev has to 1. evaluate whether their app has any value on the AW. 2. What elements of their app will translate to the small form factor. 3. Is there a monetary advantage to having an AW app. If a round form factor is present, the question becomes 4. Is it worth it to develop "round" assets? If it isn't you don't. Same with questions 1-3.
The Apple Watch will probably add LTE this year. My guess. However, I can shop and send text messages and emails with my phone at home and me out shopping. I use Apple Pay and my city has wi-fi and everything works fine. But you are right. LTE is your point basically. Not sure I want to pay even $5 more per month when I bring my phone with me most of the time. Shopping in my city and all coffee shops I visit allows me to skip bringing my phone. AT&T free wi-fi also covers me in many places.