Daring Fireball: Apple Watch Series 3 to Feature 'All-New Form Factor' [Updated]

[Constable Odo]

Hopefully, the new design will incorporate the use of smart-bands that would plug into some special port. I'd really like a band that can extend battery life a few days or longer. I realize charging a smartwatch every night isn't a terrible thing, but I'm so used to wearing fitness bands that can run for a year on a battery. I'd have to really change my habits as I tend to be rather forgetful.

 

[citysnaps]

Hope the LTE connection is an extra-cost watch option, like with the iPad.

I'd like the next generation watch, but not if it comes with cellular.

 

[kdarling]

If the original wristwatches had been rectangular you'd think a round one looks stupid.

Actually the first clocks were on rectangular towers, and the first personal watches were in boxes.

Mechanical watches were round because the shape made sense for a sweeping hand, not because a circle is an aesthetically superior shape for wristwear.

It wasn't until the pocket watch that round became fashionable, and it was for obvious reasons related to ease of constantly moving an object in/out of a pocket.

Even after watches moved to the wrist, though, several famous and popular wristwatches have been rectangular. Yet round has stayed overwhelmingly popular.

I'd say a primary reason was because millions of servicemen around the world, through several major wars, were given round wristwatches, and that made it popular with civilians as well.

Not to mention that round has the wonderful attribute of allowing a rotating bezel, which is quite popular with divers and pilots, two more groups that people admire.

--
And finally, I'd say that round as a shape is often more popular with jewelry anyway. E.g. I'd bet that far more pendants are roundish than squarish. And a round locket is smoother on a breast. And a round watch is simply a more pleasing shape on a wrist. ESPECIALLY when it's electronic, because people are still amazed by round displays.

In fact, I'd say rectangular smartwatches are even less fashionable than a similar real watch, because with the smartwatch, it looks like you're wearing a cheap-to-design terminal screen on your wrist.

 

[Glideslope]

I'd like to see Apple create a hybrid automatic mechanical / digital Watch. Let the mechanical system provide whatever charging to the battery it can, which would then also push people to be more active with their Watch to generate the rotating charging function. I'd be far more apt to buy a Watch and put my fantastic 12+ year old Seiko Automatic away or pass it along to one of my boys.

Yup. Outstanding post.
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Hope the LTE connection is an extra-cost watch option, like with the iPad.

I'd like the next generation watch, but not if it comes with cellular.

It would be like Duct Taping your iPhone to the side of you're head. Bad Frequency Karma for sure.

 

[Syk]

Like I said the only reason I would want cellular would be to leave my phone in the car while at the gym but I don't want to pay an extra monthly fee to use the watch to that for that very little use.
If carriers would make it so that as long as you had a cellular plan you could have your cell number forwarded/paired to your watch as with no monthly fee but only had to pay their $20-30 activation fee I would be interested. If you didn't have a plan with them you would have to pay a plan price to use it.

I like the new WatchOS is going to allow you to finally let you use a List View instead.

If the new watch had an always on and the cellular option was able to be used without a monthly fee as long as you were already on a plan with your carrier using your same cell number I would would probably go with it.

I'm not sure Apple will go with a round face though. maybe more of a rounded off square and thinner is what we'll probably see.

 

[Mansu944]

With the watch? Seems to me it's still a little on the fat side, like the iPhone was before the 4 (and the iPad before the 2).

There is no way you could use the Apple Watch and think the battery shouldn’t be priority #1

 

[jarman92]

Circle. Please circle.

That is never going to happen.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Give me a round option and I'll finally buy.

I want the Mobius Strip Option.

 

[MacBH928]

Apple watch was almost the only product I have seen new and I knew in the future we will look back at it and laugh at how technologically retarded we were. Kind of like how we look back at CRT tvs now.

 

[djlythium]

Time to buy more AAPL!
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Are the Apple watches made in the US or China?
If US, that might explain the lack of leaks?

Yea, I don’t know. Good question.

 

[robdymondpittman]

Garmin's Fenix 5s has satisfied most of the requirements of commentors. We need better battery life, independence from a handset, true 24/7 heart rate and sleep monitoring instead of "smart intervals" which are useless for athletes or even casually athletic people, and connectivity to external bluetooth devices like footpods and cycling sensors.

 

[Music Ambulance]

Why? Just aesthetics?

Anything stuck to your body needs to look good. I think the current Apple Watch completely lacks style and is something I would not want to be wearing all day. Apple Watch owners look like nerdy dorks in my opinion. Circular makes a lot more sense.

Design needs adapt to humans, not humans adapting to design.

 

[MDePew24]

Anything stuck to your body needs to look good. I think the current Apple Watch completely lacks style and is something I would not want to be wearing all day. Apple Watch watch owners look like nerdy dorks in my opinion. Circular makes a lot more sense.

I think they look as nerdy and dorky as people wearing regular watches so everyone has their own opinion.
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Apple watch was almost the only product I have seen new and I knew in the future we will look back at it and laugh at how technologically retarded we were. Kind of like how we look back at CRT tvs now.

Agree to disagree. They, smartwatches, have really changed a lot about wearable technology. More laughable would be Google Glass in the first iteration but it also opened up what will become solid technology to build on.

 

[jasonklee]

The utility of a round interface far outweighs a 4:5 display. The Apple Watch is just so ugly and gender neutral looking. Round watches automatically look best.

 

[MDePew24]

listening to jonny ive is like listening to someone masturbate to himself.

I'm sorry. the Watch is a good device, But from a design perspective, it really looks like he phoned it in... I mean, he took the iPhone 1 and just shrunk it.

now i'm not saying that's a bad design. I don' tlike it. But it's subjective and to each their own.

But I honestly have a hard time believing Mr Ive's superflous language about how much effort he put into this design


we've all seen this image:

I happen to disagree with it being an easy way out design. Wouldn't a round design (most watches are round) be more of a cop out design than a square?

 

[JosephAW]

We forget so quickly that power could come from the watch band to support LTE.
[doublepost=1501901417][/doublepost]Still waiting for the Apple Watch Lite without all the health hardware.

 

[MDePew24]

We forget so quickly that power could come from the watch band to support LTE.

I'm ok with LTE in a watch but I don't see a need (for me) to pay for LTE on a watch.

 

[bluespark]

Im sure the bands will still be compatible, despite it being Apple. It'll be interesting to see what they do, I think thinner bezels could be likely. It is the one portable product where reducing bezels doesn't take away from usability in any way, so I'd be more than happy for that to happen.

Despite? Apple is better at this sort of thing than nearly any other company. It kept the iPhone dock connector as long as it possibly could and seems to be doing the same thing with the Lightening port even though many (including me) would have welcomed a switch to USB-C. Apple is extremely focused on maintaining this type of compatibility. You can bank on existing watch bands working with the Apple Watch 3.

 

[FactVsOpinion]

I think this is out of context; Steve said that the iPad 2 had an "all-new design" as well--thinner and tapered edges. This new form factor is probably a fancier crown and thinner; no way they will make something that ditches the bands.

Ipad 2 did have an all new design. I have both and they are vey different.

 

[imola.zhp]

Crazy...

I was just about to start making offers on watches to get one for my mom. She has decided she wants to try one.

As I was about to start I thought, hmm, maybe I should flip to MR to see if there is any news about the next series.

We'll wait, if series 3 isn't something we want series 1 and 2 will be cheaper.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I won't buy one until it's a rhombus. Or a trapezoid, at least. Come on Apple!

 

[KPOM]

Is it going to be round

No.
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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.

The Hermes face would look stupid on a round watch.
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Please, finally make it round...

Why? Does your iPhone look like a "regular" phone?
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No it has nothing to do with what's implied, and everything to do with round being the more aesthetically appealing shape for the fashion accessory aspect of a watch. Some very fashionable watches are square, but in general, most watches look better round.

It probably comes down to the original clocks designs and inherent bias towards those having been round. I could be wrong on that, and it is just that many prefer, plain and simple, the look of a rounded watch, over square; which may be contributed to our arms/wrists being round, and therefore a round design looks more pleasing.

The Hermes is the fashion watch and is definitely intended to be square. You can't buy a round Hermes watch.

 

[imnotthewalrus]

I agree, especially as you could only have a full line of text across the centre of the screen. A circular watch suited rotating hands, but a smart watch does so much more, a lot of which benefits from the extra screen space a square gives.

you beat me to it. Text would be next to impossible, especially when considering user experience.

 

[Matt Leaf]

Now would be a good time to diversify and offer a range of watches. There doesn't have to be only one. The current one may be the 'classic' design that they refine over time. Me personally I'd love a much more rugged variant.

 

[lachero23]

this son of a bitch never provides useful information. just **** off jg.