All the New Watch Faces in watchOS 5

[MacRumors]

The watchOS 5 update, introduced yesterday, brought several new watch faces that weren't available during the beta testing period. These faces are designed to work with the Apple Watch Series 4 and were shown off when the device launched, but they are available on existing Apple Watch models as well.

There's a new Breathe face that's designed to let you launch into quick relaxation breathing sessions by following the motion of the icon on the watch face. The Breathe watch face features three styles: Classic, Calm, and Focus, each with a unique look.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

As with the Breathe app on the Apple Watch, the Breathe face uses the same rhythm and 8.5 second timing to invoke relaxation. The Breathe app can be outfitted with three complications, one at the top left, one at the top right, and one at the bottom.

Along with the Breathe watch face, there are three new watch faces that are designed to take advantage of the larger screen on the Apple Watch Series 4 with fluctuating materials that move and shift when you raise your wrist.

The new watch faces include Fire and Water, Liquid Metal, and Vapor. Fire and Water, as the name suggests, lets you select either fire or water animations, while the Liquid Metal face features liquid metal in silver, gold, black, and an option to cycle through the colors.

The Vapor face features a vapor-like substance that shifts around on the wrist in colors that include Blue/Green, Black/White, and Pink/Orange. With all of the watch faces, you can choose to have them switch between the various options when your wrist is in motion.

Fire & Water, Vapor, and Liquid Metal all support three complications, two at the top and one at the bottom.

Apple has other watch faces in store that are going to be exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 4 models, but we'll need to wait until the new devices launch this Friday to see those faces.

What do you think of the new watch faces Apple has added in watchOS 5? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: All the New Watch Faces in watchOS 5

 

[Blackstick]

I still think we should be able to have tastefully designed 3rd party faces... I realize it's a slippery slope - but there's an opportunity here.

 

[AlliFlowers]

I was really hoping the face with 8 complications would come to the S3.

 

[212rikanmofo]

I dont' understand why we can't get the new watch faces with the older watches. Makes no sense why they wouldn't include it, yet they make it exclusive only to series 4. Why does Apple always do this. It's not like you need special hardware for these new faces.

 

[carbonrain]

How come the new watch faces don't fully fill the screen?

 

[steeevo]

I liked the look of the fire and vapour watch faces but in the demo it shows it going to the edge of the screen. I downloaded the fire one and it doesnt cover the screen. It looks crap in a circle

 

[Bornee35]

I dont' understand why we can't get the new watch faces with the older watches. Makes no sense why they wouldn't include it, yet they make it exclusive only to series 4. Why does Apple always do this. It's not like you need special hardware for these new faces.

because the exclusive face is jam packed with complications, made viewable by the larger screen and higher resolution of the series 4, so yes you do need special hardware.

 

[cknibbs]

Looking forward to trying out the series 4 sport that I ordered... although it’s possible that if the screen doesn’t feel bigger or if I don’t feel much difference I may ebay a series 3 stainless for around the same price. Coming from a series 0 stainless either will feel like an improvement... I just can’t afford the series 4 stainless!

 

[macduke]

I liked the look of the fire and vapour watch faces but in the demo it shows it going to the edge of the screen. I downloaded the fire one and it doesnt cover the screen. It looks crap in a circle

Yeah I think only the new Series 4 does edge to edge. That display has rounded corners and the old, smaller one has sharp corners. Probably made it look cheaper to go edge to edge on that older display with all the clipping. Yes, Apple does care about small details like that.

 

[christarp]

I was really hoping the face with 8 complications would come to the S3.

The screen space just isn't there for it IMO.

 

[newtestleper]

How come the new watch faces don't fully fill the screen?

They do on the S4 only.

 

[steeevo]

They do on the S4 only.

I will have to buy a series 4 for that feature. Dam you apple

 

[MrGuder]

Where can I get that leather band in the video?

 

[Mac 128]

because the exclusive face is jam packed with complications, made viewable by the larger screen and higher resolution of the series 4, so yes you do need special hardware.

I think it has more to do with allowing 8 complications to update and animate in real time, so it has more to do with the processor than the screen size or resolution.

The screen space just isn't there for it IMO.

As you can see from the graphic below, the 40mm display area is not much larger than the 42mm display area. They could have mask rounded the corners and made it available on the 42mm. The 38mm would have been a significant reduction over the 40mm, but still viable. So it's not really the screen space. Aesthetically, the rounded corners of the new display area would not match the corners of the 42mm case, so there would be an inelegant mismatch, and that's the type of thing Apple would not allow. But more likely it has to do with the power of the new processor and graphics engine to display all those complications.

 

[Spendlove]

I still think we should be able to have tastefully designed 3rd party faces... I realize it's a slippery slope - but there's an opportunity here.

I couldn’t agree more. Perhaps Apple could “invite” designers to create a face and then sell those in the store?

 

[Kaibelf]

I was really hoping the face with 8 complications would come to the S3.

Agreed, or at least some variation thereof!

 

[Bornee35]

I think it has more to do with allowing 8 complications to update and animate in real time, so it has more to do with the processor than the screen size or resolution.



As you can see from the graphic below, the 40mm display area is not much larger than the 42mm display area. They could have mask rounded the corners and made it available on the 42mm. The 38mm would have been a significant reduction over the 40mm, but still viable. So it's not really the screen space. Aesthetically, the rounded corners of the new display area would not match the corners of the 42mm case, so there would be an inelegant mismatch, and that's the type of thing Apple would not allow. But more likely it has to do with the power of the new processor and graphics engine to display all those complications.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/09/05/42mm-apple-watch-series-4-resolution/
screen size is compounded by resolution

 

[123]

Yeah I think only the new Series 4 does edge to edge. That display has rounded corners and the old, smaller one has sharp corners. Probably made it look cheaper to go edge to edge on that older display with all the clipping. Yes, Apple does care about small details like that.

Yeah, like you can't just create rounded corners instead of a circle in software. Apple cares about money only.

 

[tfigs]

I found the Breathe faces to be nice. If you really want to try and incorporate that into you life, its helpful. I didn't care much for the others. Though looking forward to trying them out on my Series 4 when I get it Friday.

 

[B4U]

And in order to get Watch OS 5, I need iOS 12...
Since both just came out yesterday and I am not courageous enough to be guinea pig, these can wait...

 

[technole]

I still think we should be able to have tastefully designed 3rd party faces... I realize it's a slippery slope - but there's an opportunity here.

...and ruin their partnerships with Nike and Hermes? Fat chance.

 

[Mac 128]

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/09/05/42mm-apple-watch-series-4-resolution/
screen size is compounded by resolution

Not sure I follow. The 38mm and 42mm have different resolution, yet all of the 42mm watch faces scale to the 38mm watch. The 44mm obviously scale to the 40mm resolution, so I"m not sure why they couldn't scale it to whatever size they wanted?

 

[Bornee35]

Not sure I follow. The 38mm and 42mm have different resolution, yet all of the 42mm watch faces scale to the 38mm watch. The 44mm obviously scale to the 40mm resolution, so I"m not sure why they couldn't scale it to whatever size they wanted?

switch a pc's display output from 1440x900 to 800x600 and watch all the icons, UI and background ballon up in size. Although my example is exaggerated, the same thing happens to a watch face designed for the higher resolution of the series 4 if its released to previous models. I don't disagree with your original statement, it could be possible to have the same watch face. But it would have to be separately made for previous models, and be potentially claustrophobic.

 

[Mac 128]

switch a pc's display output from 1440x900 to 800x600 and watch all the icons, UI and background ballon up in size. Although my example is exaggerated, the same thing happens to a watch face designed for the higher resolution of the series 4 if its released to previous models. I don't disagree with your original statement, it could be possible to have the same watch face. But it would have to be separately made for previous models, and be potentially claustrophobic.

Right, but Apple is scaling the graphics and text to the applicable resolution.

Here's the 42mm watch with the new watch face inserted into the original active display area. And next to it, the 40mm watch with the new watch face in the new active display area. I don't know that it feels that claustrophobic, nor is it that much smaller. Though it's not optimal, but it's not that bad either. It's certainly not as bad as the downscaling difference between the original 42 and 38mm displays.

 

[Bornee35]

Right, but Apple is scaling the graphics and text to the applicable resolution.

Here's the 42mm watch with the new watch face inserted into the original active display area. And next to it, the 40mm watch with the new watch face in the new active display area. I don't know that it feels that claustrophobic, nor is it that much smaller. Though it's not optimal, but it's not that bad either. It's certainly not as bad as the downscaling difference between the original 42 and 38mm displays.

overlap the photos, the UI is the same size, just less negative space around he boarders. scaling down to a lower ppi wouldn't fit.

edit: a lower ppi calling the same UI graphics from the watch face for the series 4 would be drawn out over a larger area.

If they made a specialized face then i could see it working, but that lower resolution could affect the complications in a negative way i.e. your finger selecting multiple complications per press