Anyone Else Getting Bored With The Watch Faces?

[JohnApples]

I was going to say how we have so many options and customization choices, that there is no reason to get bored. How say how we already have tons of more choices than a regular watch, which of course, only has one face. But when I thought about it, I am kinda bored with the faces. That's a personal opinion of course.

Sure, theres TONS of different combinations when you factor in the complications and colors. But in reality, I rotate between about 4 different faces, and that's it. There's no need for me to create dozens of possible combinations when I simply don't need them.

It's just the fact that we have this super cool smart watch, with the possibly of having a near limitless amount of watch faces. Yet, if you don't count complication and colors as separate faces, theres a very low amount. I'm hoping that Apple releases more faces, and releases them more frequently. I just don't want to have to wait every 6-12 months for a new face or two. There are so many more possibilities out there!

 

[Mac 128]

No.

It looks like an Apple Watch, in the same way that my diver looks like a Seiko diver, or my Citizen looks like a Citizen, etc.

Why do I need to make the Apple Watch look like something else?

You mean an Watch that Looks like a Hermes Cape Cod? I guess if a partner with enough prestige, or cash, wants to turn the Watch into something it's not, then Apple will happily let their product look like somebody else's, maybe even let them put their name on it despite having nothing to do with the design of the watch.

Complications on photos:

I want to see pictures of my wife, not pictures of my wife with the weather, moon phase, date, laundry timer, and activity rings blocking my view.

So because that's what you want, you figure everyone else shouldn't have the choice?

The smartwatch faces I've seen that try to imitate complex dials with shimmering textures end up looking terrible and cheap. A flat electronic display just isn't going to get the same depth that a traditional dial can achieve.

Just before Steve Jobs died, he approved these 18 watch faces for iPod nano below, because people were wearing them as watches, and he wanted to give them more choice. I'm always surprised by anyone who wants to argue against choice on these forums, which is almost always based on their personal preferences being superior to anyone else's.

This is quite a bit more variety than Apple currently offers for the Watch. Had Apple not redesigned the nano a year later so that it could no longer be used as a watch in anticipation of launching the Watch, who knows how many more choices of watch faces Apple would have offered to the delight of all customers? Or who knows, maybe the fun died with Steve.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHqEkEqtm...gYW0x2C6g/s1600/new-ipod-nano-watch-faces.jpg

 

[Appl3FTW]

I want a Roman numeral face

 

[Roller]

I'm not bored, but I'd like more customization options.

 

[Mac2me]

Those are interesting Mac128, don't think I've ever seen those before. I wasn't into wearing the nano as a watch but remember when people were and saw displays I think at Best Buy. Some of those faces look very familiar to some of the ones we have now. Micky for sure. The date/time in Row 2, #1 looks like one of the faces with those complications set up. Row 3, #2 look kind of Hermes-like to me with the type face but it's done in a circular design.

Now I'd love to have Row 1, #5; Row 2, #5; Row 4, #2. Not sure I would care to have a white background. I do like the faces to be more rectangular as you can tell from my picks. Definitely classic clean looks and sure some don't see as exciting but that's what I love about the Apple Watch. From the photos on here of people's watches, it's clear that we are all very different and still enjoying the same product.

 

[BarracksSi]

I've got that Nano and tried it as a watch a few times.

Speaking of just the faces -- most of them just looked bad. The faux "open heart", in the green case in the second row, was a particularly cheap attempt to emulate a mechanical watch.

I still own it and use it often, just not as a watch. The faces have little to do with why it's not a good wristwatch (more about zero water resistance and having to press a button to see the time).

 

[Mac 128]

I've got that Nano and tried it as a watch a few times.

Speaking of just the faces -- most of them just looked bad. The faux "open heart", in the green case in the second row, was a particularly cheap attempt to emulate a mechanical watch.

I still own it and use it often, just not as a watch. The faces have little to do with why it's not a good wristwatch (more about zero water resistance and having to press a button to see the time).

And yet Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, and Time Cook, presumably all thought they were a good idea at the time. Perhaps they all just got better taste after Steve died. Or just more arrogant.

So the reasons the nano didn't work as a good watch was the same reason the Watch doesn't?

Are you sure you're not a sock puppet of Rogifan? ;-)

 

[BarracksSi]

And yet Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, and Time Cook, presumably all thought they were a good idea at the time. Perhaps they all just got better taste after Steve died. Or just more arrogant.

Who's to say that Forstall didn't have a hand in the old Nano as well?

So the reasons the nano didn't work as a good watch was the same reason the Watch doesn't?

Uh…. I don't think you read what I wrote.

Just the two knocks against the iPod Nano-as-a-watch idea—no water resistance, have to press a button for the time—are fixed for the Watch.

What's your problem?

 

[mellofello]

I am seriously considering grabbing a moot 360 just for this issue alone. The paltry amount of faces is killing me. Day one there were a million creative faces for the 360 that were useful, or beautiful. Put on a classy Rolex face for a night on the town, and then do a full screen readout for sports with the same watch.

I know apple is just finding a way to monetize this. Super annoying that they didn't get around it by at least letting you add complications over photos to roll your own faces.

If the model is like the Hermes watch that you need to buy a whole new watch I am jumping ship. I want a round watch anyway.

 

[jasie02]

If the model is like the Hermes watch that you need to buy a whole new watch I am jumping ship. I want a round watch anyway.

If you jump ship on smart watch, you will likely need to do the same on smart phone also. Not sure any iOS 3rd party app synced well with M360, if any?

By the way, wondering how many meaningful non-watch face related Android watch are out there right now, compared with watchOS 3rd party app?

For the long term, smart watch will be like smart phone, it takes both great HW and tons of good 3rd party SW to become useful.

 

[mellofello]

If you jump ship on smart watch, you will likely need to do the same on smart phone also. Not sure any iOS 3rd party app synced well with M360, if any?

By the way, wondering how many meaningful non-watch face related Android watch are out there right now, compared with watchOS 3rd party app?

For the long term, smart watch will be like smart phone, it takes both great HW and tons of good 3rd party SW to become useful.

Moto 360 can talk to iOS now. It can display notifications, and does fitness tracking. I have never used any 3rd party apps on my Apple Watch. I just need notifications and fitness.

Aesthetically I am growing less and less fond of the square Apple Watch. At least if I could jazz it up with a creative face I could grow to love it.

I am hoping they come out with a LTE Moto 360. I would really like access to Google now cards since they are very useful.

 

[Armen]

Moto 360 can talk to iOS now. It can display notifications, and does fitness tracking. I have never used any 3rd party apps on my Apple Watch. I just need notifications and fitness.

Aesthetically I am growing less and less fond of the square Apple Watch. At least if I could jazz it up with a creative face I could grow to love it.

I am hoping they come out with a LTE Moto 360. I would really like access to Google now cards since they are very useful.

I have to warn you that you need to prepare yourself for connectivity issues because NO 3rd party watch app like Pebble or Moto will have the type of special treatment the Apple watch app gets because it's baked into iOS as a system app.

My Pebble watch would disconnect occasionally because the pebble watch app wasn't running in the background for some reason. That doesn't happen with the apple watch app for the reasons I stated above.

 

[Mac 128]

Just the two knocks against the iPod Nano-as-a-watch idea—no water resistance, have to press a button for the time—are fixed for the Watch.

I wouldn't say they're fixed. Improved maybe. I have raise to activate turned off, as do many people I know, since it's both annoying and power wasteful. We all still have to push the button. And water resistance isn't officially more than washing your hands and getting caught in the rain. There was a company that would sell you an actual IPX 8 level nano that made it water-resistant for swimming, and other major water exposure.

I saw a guy on the plane last week with his earbuds plugged into the nano on his wrist. At first I thought it was an Watch it looked so nice, until I saw the wire. Oddly enough, it didn't seem strange at all, and the wires didn't restrict his movements in any way.

Good point about Forestall, but even so, they would have all had to agree on those faces for them to end up in a shipping product. And at one point, a very short few years ago, the powers that be at Apple thought those watch faces looked good, and their customers would enjoy them.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

And water resistance isn't officially more than washing your hands and getting caught in the rain. There was a company that would sell you an actual IPX 8 level nano that made it water-resistant for swimming, and other major water exposure.

Officially, it's waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes, which is considered a bit more than a simple handwashing. A nano would most certainly croak under this condition unless encased for such use, as you pointed out.

 

[jasie02]

Moto 360 can talk to iOS now. It can display notifications, and does fitness tracking. I have never used any 3rd party apps on my Apple Watch. I just need notifications and fitness.

Aesthetically I am growing less and less fond of the square Apple Watch. At least if I could jazz it up with a creative face I could grow to love it.

I am hoping they come out with a LTE Moto 360. I would really like access to Google now cards since they are very useful.

Is it connected with iPhone all the time as AW without disconnected, when in BT/Wifi range and able to pick back up right away, automatically without any manual process, if out of range and back to range?
Could it receive phone call or reply text with wifi without BT with iPhone?
Also, is it as reliable as AW with iPhone, which I never missed any phone/text/app -notification/email-notification?

Any one of above not working reliably all the time as my AW right now, would be a deal breaker for me with any Smart Watch for iPhone.

I need, not just want, my smart watch to be 99.9% reliable with above function with iPhone, so I don't have to rely on my iPhone as notification device. If I still have to rely on iPhone as notification device, I will just not wear smart watch. Nothing worse than something work intermittently.

I would rather have a world's ugliest smart watch with only modular watch face work reliably with iPhone, than a Rolex of smart watch with thousand watch face but work only intermittently with iPhone.

 

[cosmogs]

One million watch faces

 

[maflynn]

I am really disappointed in that Apple (or anyone else) have provided more watch face choices. Maybe the rumored March event will have some info on new watch faces.

I'd also like to see complications being added to the custom watch face

 

[vintimus]

I would love for Apple to release more faces and an SDK for a watchface store or something. More choice is never bad.

 

[Mac 128]

I would love for Apple to release more faces and an SDK for a watchface store or something. More choice is never bad.

The reality is that Apple is leaving money on the table if they don't. So it's hard to believe they won't. There are a lot of apologists who make claims about how Apple is trying to protect the integrity of the design, but honestly the watch face is the most personal of all with respect to the outward appearance -- as its mainly seen by the owner, and few others. There's only one rebuttal necessary here -- third party bands. If Apple really wanted to control the look, they wouldn't allow third party band makers access to their lugs.

What's funny here is that the average consumer, whom Apple seems to be trying to reach by its rapid roll-out into Target and Wal-Mart, bypassing outlets like Macy's, is that those types of consumers are going to balk at high high prices, and something as simple as a customizable watch face will count significantly toward that customers appreciation of the device, maybe even more than a rainbow of plastic bands selection. These things are gadgets first to most, and then become indispensable.

But I'm with you, there's nothing wrong with choice, despite some on this forum would deny you that, under the guise of saving you from your own bad taste, which they think is the sole reason Apple isn't offering custom faces.

The reality is a lot more simple, chief among them, it was released with "beta" software that was corrected within 4 months of wide release, combined with the complexities of setting up a store and process to sell them. I am a bit surprised we haven't seen an sdk yet, but perhaps that's on tap for Watch 2 -- they crammed so much into the first watch, I'm actually not sure what they can realistically add that will be more compelling to most, that it doesn't already do (another mistake in my book -- it does too much). So custom watch faces may be the "killer app" many have been waiting for ...

 

[BlueMoon63]

The reality is that Apple is leaving money on the table if they don't. So it's hard to believe they won't. There are a lot of apologists who make claims about how Apple is trying to protect the integrity of the design, but honestly the watch face is the most personal of all with respect to the outward appearance -- as its mainly seen by the owner, and few others. There's only one rebuttal necessary here -- third party bands. If Apple really wanted to control the look, they wouldn't allow third party band makers access to their lugs.

What's funny here is that the average consumer, whom Apple seems to be trying to reach by its rapid roll-out into Target and Wal-Mart, bypassing outlets like Macy's, is that those types of consumers are going to balk at high high prices, and something as simple as a customizable watch face will count significantly toward that customers appreciation of the device, maybe even more than a rainbow of plastic bands selection. These things are gadgets first to most, and then become indispensable.

But I'm with you, there's nothing wrong with choice, despite some on this forum would deny you that, under the guise of saving you from your own bad taste, which they think is the sole reason Apple isn't offering custom faces.

The reality is a lot more simple, chief among them, it was released with "beta" software that was corrected within 4 months of wide release, combined with the complexities of setting up a store and process to sell them. I am a bit surprised we haven't seen an sdk yet, but perhaps that's on tap for Watch 2 -- they crammed so much into the first watch, I'm actually not sure what they can realistically add that will be more compelling to most, that it doesn't already do (another mistake in my book -- it does too much). So custom watch faces may be the "killer app" many have been waiting for ...

All great points and true. I'm not even what killer features on version 2 would get me to buy. GPS wouldn't be it because I am not that into running seriously and if I was, I would have a dedicated device meant for athletes. This version of the watch lets me run with just the watch and Bluetooth head phones. Not sure any other dedicated device does that without another device for music.

I'm hoping for software enhancements and more watch faces just because. I like the photos face but no complications? I like this watch for complications and weather. With that photo face, I would have to swipe up and then left or right just to find it. I like having exercise rings and weather and calendar and to dos on my home screen. Of course, this is just my "likes" and wants. Definitely others feel differently.

 

[mellofello]

Classic Apple it should have been the headline feature in watch os1

 

[C7 POWER]

I am seriously considering grabbing a moot 360 just for this issue alone. The paltry amount of faces is killing me. Day one there were a million creative faces for the 360 that were useful, or beautiful. Put on a classy Rolex face for a night on the town, and then do a full screen readout for sports with the same watch.

I know apple is just finding a way to monetize this. Super annoying that they didn't get around it by at least letting you add complications over photos to roll your own faces.

If the model is like the Hermes watch that you need to buy a whole new watch I am jumping ship. I want a round watch anyway.

I had the Huawai watch for 24 hours a couple of weeks ago, I bought it for 2 reasons... Wanted a round watch for days I wanted to have that look verse my Apple Watch and the beautiful watch faces that at least on that watch looked amazing and very realistic.

The bad part which made me return it 24 hours later.... The watch dropped connection at least 10 times in a matter of hours which I realized if I closed the Android Wear app from running in the background, the watch lost connection until I opened the app back up.

I am hoping that issue is improved on, if so I will go back to having a second watch since Apple does not feel a need to open the faces up to developers.

 

[MacCubed]

A Watchface store sounds like a really promising idea! This would then enable devs go get their hands on Watchface designing software, which may be made available to the public. I like the faces that are there now, but they get a bit repetitive. I will switch between Utility(striped down to the least detailed, no complications, and just the date), chronograph, and simple(stripped down). To change things up I switch the color of the seconds hand to match my shirt that I wear that day

 

[Armen]

I am hoping that issue is improved on, if so I will go back to having a second watch since Apple does not feel a need to open the faces up to developers.

The truth is the 10-12 watch faces that come with the Apple watch are good enough for most people. You seem to obsess over it for some reason. I wouldn't mind some new watch faces but am perfectly fine without them considering I run Modular 99% of the time. It's a watch. I expect it to the look the same every time I look at it.

There is no issue to be fixed since Apple never promised 3rd party watch faces to begin with. Apple may or may not open up the API for developers. If the lack of custom watch faces is a show stopper for you then maybe you bought the Apple watch for the wrong reasons?

 

[MacCubed]

The truth is the 10-12 watch faces that come with the Apple watch are good enough for most people. You seem to obsess over it for some reason. I wouldn't mind some new watch faces but am perfectly fine without them considering I run Modular 99% of the time. It's a watch. I expect it to the look the same every time I look at it.

There is no issue to be fixed since Apple never promised 3rd party watch faces to begin with. Apple may or may not open up the API for developers. If the lack of custom watch faces is a show stopper for you then maybe you bought the Apple watch for the wrong reasons?

I feel like some people find them too basic or digital looking, I would personally like to see more industrial looking watch faces