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Daring Fireball: Apple Watch Series 3 to Feature 'All-New Form Factor' [Updated]
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LTE is soemthing I've wanted for a while now. Depending on cost (monthly rates, mostly) I'd pick one up even if it looked exactly the same as what's out currently. As it stands I either need to micro manage music on my device (no thanks), or bringing phone on runs anyway.
Well Apple is going after the wallet with a vengeance with the iphone 8 this and the home pod. Granted if the Iphone 8 doesnt have the fingerprint touch id i'll pass until it does. For the Watch i expect better battery life, louder speakers/ water resistance and a thinner design
Do you use it to exercise? That is the biggest drain for me.
Aesthetics are a big part of wearing a watch (and also of Apple products). Scrolling lists or text works better on a rectangular form factor, so I get why they originally chose that, but I find a round watch much more beautiful.
I haven't worn a round watch since elementary school. The first watch I bought myself was a CASIO Calculator watch (mid-80s), and actually had some variant of that up until the year before the Apple Watch. I would NOT be buying a S3 Apple Watch if it was only available in round.
Second, I will NOT be buying a watch with cellular. I don't need to pay AT&T $10/mo extra to connect my Watch to the internet. I just don't see the need to have it directly connect to cellular. It's not like my phone is ever really 'out of range'. I also wouldn't pay the 'premium' for the LTE feature I would never use. If this is a must for the S3 revision, they should keep offering a non-LTE version.
Edit: Age clarification
Yes.
It's a fashion accessory and smart watch. If it was just about smart watch capabilities, I would have bought a pebble a long time ago.
No one wants to watch videos, browse instagram, or shop on their Apple Watch. Round display will do just fine to show a few words for weather, time, and messages.
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I would imagine the Series 3 to be available in rectangular and round if they chose to introduce the latter, so they could cater to both tastes.
Regarding LTE I'm with you, I always have my phone with me and I can't see this changing (at least in the foreseeable future), as the Watch doesn't cut it with most tasks. It'll probably be available without LTE as well, just as they do with iPads.
Oh stop being against it
. Next you'll tell us that 4" is the only screen size that makes sense Nine out of ten regular watches sold are round... because of aesthetics. And Apple has emphasized that their watch is greatly about fashion.
Apple will sell a ton if it's round. Especially if they have a petite round version for smaller wrists.
Go round or go home.
For me, the redesign also needs to include a thinner enclosure. Either round, or thinner. Tbh, I'm not exactly hopeful that a cellular radio (known to be bulky) will make either of those two possible. The only redesign that I can think of would be a reduction in the bezels, which are actually fairly decent already, since they blend nicely with the casing (like the iPhone 7).
I shower with mine every day. Didn’t wanna risk long time exposure to deep water.
Ok I get that. I just find the obsession with round interesting considering the only reason for it really is aesthetic (and that it’s the shape of most mechanical watches) and Apple is usually criticized for caring more about looks i.e. form over function.
I understand the reasons Apple went rounded rec but I also think because Jony Ive has such reverence for expensive mechanical watches he didn’t want to design something imitating that. A lot of the photos you see of Android Wear watches they do just that. They’re not unique, they’re just trying to look like every other watch out there.
Yup. Should have been round from day 1.
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They’re trying to look natural.
I'd just be happy if they'd open up and let people design watch faces. It's way too limited. I'd like to have the Nike face on my reg Series 2. i like the font style and layout.
I'd be surprised if they went with a round face... I used to want Apple to do a round face and I like round watch faces but the square screen is probably better as monitors and phones are all square, it flows better for documents.
I think they may add an always one screen like the Samsung watch has and like a poster said maybe get rid of the crown.
I do think that samsung round face that has the rotating bezel is nice also.
Not interested in cellular but I could see why some who would. Be able to leave your phone in the car while you work out or go swimming.
I'd be surprised if they went with a round face... I used to want Apple to do a round face and I like round watch faces but the square screen is probably better as monitors and phones are all square, it flows better for documents.
I think they may add an always one screen like the Samsung watch has and like a poster said maybe get rid of the crown.
I do think that samsung round face that has the rotating bezel is nice also.
Not interested in cellular but I could see why some who would. Be able to leave your phone in the car while you work out or go swimming.
I look at Apple's device history and how they reiterate a lot of the devices having the same physical design. Take for example, the iPhone 6/6S/7, physically, they are nearly the same. Similarly to the iPad line, where the hardware is incrementally upgraded over the years. But If you look at Apples timeline and history of how they treat their products, I see the Apple Watch in the same way. I see the first generation Watch, Series 1/Series 2 and now Series 3 perhaps resembling the other two form factors. I still think this next generation Apple Watch, if one launches in September, will physically almost be identical.
So is it just because we’ve all become accustom to watches being round so that’s what we aesthetically prefer i.e. that’s how a “Watch” is supposed to look? I hadn’t worn a watch for years. I never even think about the fact my Apple Watch isn’t round. I just like that it’s small enough that it doesn’t look ridiculous on my tiny wrists. My fear is a round watch will mean a bigger watch which might be fine for men but not women with tiny wrists.
If the original wristwatches had been rectangular you'd think a round one looks stupid.
Mechanical watches were round because the shape made sense for a sweeping hand, not because a circle is an aesthetically superior shape for wristwear.
