"Killer App" = 3rd Party Watchfaces

[samiznaetekto]

I see "Killer App" mentioned a lot here. "Some developer will develop some pink unicorn Killer App and we will all say "How have I lived without i⌚️ all my life?"" Yet no one has any idea what this Killer App might be. And this is after we've been 8 years with iPhone and have seen millions of apps in the app store. We've seen it all and yet expect some pink unicorn app.

Well, after getting an awesome round smartwatch (not the flat tire one), I can't stop changing and downloading more and more beautiful and functional watchfaces. And it just struck me this moment: This *IS* the mythical Killer App! All these notifications, health, Unicorn Vibrator (aka "Taptic Engine"), etc. are just gimmicks and the novelty of them will wear off very quickly (2 months at most). Your wrist is not a home for all this digital scruff. It's home for beautiful watchfaces.

Take any beautiful traditional watch (Rolex, Omega, whatever) and replace its watchface with a black screen. All of a sudden, they lose 99% of their beauty. Watchface is 99% of watch's beauty and usefullness. Not the apps. Not notifications. Watchfaces. And it MUST be always ON. The smartwatch MUST have the Ambient Mode! Because it must be beautiful at all times, not just when you look at it.

If Apple doesn't allow 3rd party and user-designable watchfaces and Ambient Mode, they'll kill the i⌚️ very quickly (it doesn't help that it already has a chubby, ugly as hell case).

That's all folks. Here we go. The search for the mythical Killer App is over.

Now, if you excuse me, I'll return back to to oozing over and downloading new watchfaces. Do I want this one right now?

How about this?

More dressy?

I've worn this for the whole two minutes!

Time to change to somethig different:

Etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. .......

You get the idea.

Tim, are you listening? Get out of your damn shower and start working on what users want. If water can't kill the i⌚️, the denial of 3rd party watchfaces and the ugly, boring BLANK screen will.

 

[Trius]

Looks cool. I agree with a lot of what you said except for one point..

The Taptic Engine is no gimmick. It's a game changer. Once you use it for a while you get that "Ah HA!" moment and realize that this has set the standard for future wearables.

 

[Randizzledante]

I agree that custom watchfaces are an eventual must - I've seen too many cool, nerdy ones on Android Watches to think otherwise.

I also support your passion, sir or madam.

 

[sdallnct2]

I agree, in general.

My one very minor knock w/my 42mm SG Sport is the black on black on black on black look. Black band, black watch, black face (when off which is most of the time) even black crown. Not only all black, but same visual texture. It is sleek looking but also a bit steril. Nothing to breakup the mono-look.

I've worn black "sport" chronograph watches for 5+ years. But even all black versions have SS trim or blue watch face or different texture to break things up.

Different bands will help (I'm looking at you blue leather loop).

But I've played a lot with the faces on my Watch. I like parts of several. And why monogram only on "color" face? And yes a low level "always on" would be especially nice.

Having said all that, I love my watch. One week in. Love it. And I know much of what you say will happen at some point. It is clear to me that Apple is being conservative as they move forward. I use Nike+ GPS as my running app. Why can't it access the HR feature? Why do I have to continue to wear a chest strap? Clearly Apple wants to get feedback and ensure function as they add things. And I'm confident they will add things.

 

[mcdj]

And I would like to reiterate...

Someone needs to come up with artwork that emulates lighting/viewing angles...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1866594/

 

[samiznaetekto]

And I would like to reiterate...

Someone needs to come up with artwork that emulates lighting/viewing angles...

Image
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1866594/

That would be very cool. And with the compass (yeah, i⌚️ doesn't have it, but many smartwatches do), it can figure out not only the tilt of the watch (as with accelerometer), but the exact angle from which the sunlight is coming and cast correct shadows. (This way, one can even design a sun clock with fake, but correct shadow!)

 

[iamasmith]

And I would like to reiterate...

Someone needs to come up with artwork that emulates lighting/viewing angles...

Image
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1866594/

I don't think Jony does skeuomorphic stuff sadly, they kicked all that into touch when they ushered Scott out of the door

 

[Mascots]

iOS 9 and presumably Watch OS 2 in a month and a half baby! Let's see what the teams have building while they've been in feature lock for 6 months.

 

[VFC]

All kinds of possibilities. Holiday themes and sports teams would be popular.

 

[dannyyankou]

All kinds of possibilities. Holiday themes and sports teams would be popular.

I wonder if Apple would've released a smartwatch with 10% of the pixels being inactive?

Anyway, I think we'll see third party watchfaces as soon as WWDC.

 

[VFC]

I wonder if Apple would've released a smartwatch with 10% of the pixels being inactive?

Anyway, I think we'll see third party watchfaces as soon as WWDC.

AW will have a lot of catching up to do. Android even has a Magic 8 Ball watch face.

 

[aguyinokc]

Lol. Just lol

 

[anez]

Third party faces? Yes. Always on? No.

A greater selection of faces (or even more customization on the faces we have) would be a big step up. It would be one of the things that would increase how useful the Watch is to me.

However, in the two weeks I've had my Watch, I have worn it all day every day, and I have not once had trouble or delay activating the face when I needed it. I can't see the appeal of Always On, especially given the battery trade off.

 

[Supermallet]

Looks cool. I agree with a lot of what you said except for one point..

The Taptic Engine is no gimmick. It's a game changer. Once you use it for a while you get that "Ah HA!" moment and realize that this has set the standard for future wearables.

The OP will never have that "Ah HA!" moment because he is a troll that has spent months tearing down every aspect of the Apple Watch he could think of, mostly while praising Android Wear (although at one point claiming that his $10 Wal-Mart watch was superior to all of them).

That being said, let's ignore the circular face aspect and just focus on third party watch faces. Right now Apple has a lot of the watch on lockdown, which makes sense since it's a new product line. Apple always does this. They slowly roll out features as they go. I suspect we'll see more first party and licensed watch faces available, and then at some point they'll release guidelines for third party faces. It's not a question of if, just a question of when.

As for always on, right now leaving the screen off is necessary to preserve battery life. I am sure that future versions of the watch will offer an always on ambient mode, but to me that is not a dealbreaker right now.

 

[aguyinokc]

I don't think we will ever see third party faces unless apple can figure out how to not drain the battery. I don't really care though.

 

[stephen1108]

Apple is a company all about marketing and aesthetics.

I think Apple wants the watch to have a certain level of luxury and class to it. The same reason why Apple won't allow people to change the font and color of the font in iOS is partially the same reason why I don't see Apple allowing third party watch faces, unless they work hand in hand with Apple while developing them.

The watch face is what most people will see and judge the watch by, if someone chooses to use an ugly watch face, then it looks bad on Apple. Get where I'm going at?

 

[adammull]

These faces might be the worst things ever created in human history.

 

[VFC]

These faces might be the worst things ever created in human history.

Android has all the classic mechanical watch faces as well. Surely some of these will meet your high standard.

Android lets you take any image of a mechanical watch and create a fully functional animated watch face.

 

[Oppressed]

All kinds of possibilities. Holiday themes and sports teams would be popular.

These look terrible I would hate to see an  WATCH with these faces.

I'm partially convinced the OP is trying to advertise his site badapps. Which is funny because the site name is spot on.

 

[VFC]

These look terrible I would hate to see an  WATCH with these faces.

I'm partially convinced the OP is trying to advertise his site badapps. Which is funny because the site name is spot on.

I'm not the OP and have nothing to do with the BadApps web site other than the purchase of the $.99 app that lets me use their watch faces.

I do have a few Apple products (iPad 3 and cMBP 2012). I was seriously considering the AW as a replacement for my FitBit Surge; but I was disappointed in the fitness capability. So I went out and picked up a Moto 360 for $179 and I am really enjoying it.

BTW - The watch faces I am posting here are just a small sample of the 6,000+ watch faces I have available to me.

 

[Oppressed]

I'm not the OP and have nothing to do with the BadApps web site other than the purchase of the $.99 app that lets me use their watch faces.

I do have a few Apple products (iPad 3 and cMBP 2012). I was seriously considering the AW as a replacement for my FitBit Surge; but I was disappointed in the fitness capability. So I went out and picked up a Moto 360 for $179 and I am really enjoying it.

BTW - The watch faces I am posting here are just a small sample of the 6,000+ watch faces I have available to me.

So you didn't like the  WATCH's fitness capabilities so you bought a Moto 360 which has even less?

 

[greytmom]

Ugh. I don't understand this trend of watch faces so cluttered that you aren't sure if you are looking at the time or how fast your car is going. Ugly.

 

[stephen1108]

Android has all the classic mechanical watch faces as well. Surely some of these will meet your high standard.

Android lets you take any image of a mechanical watch and create a fully functional animated watch face.

Which is copyright infringement unless supported by the watch makers themselves.

 

[zmunkz]

I see "Killer App" mentioned a lot here. "Some developer will develop some pink unicorn Killer App and we will all say "How have I lived without i⌚️ all my life?"" Yet no one has any idea what this Killer App might be. And this is after we've been 8 years with iPhone and have seen millions of apps in the app store. We've seen it all and yet expect some pink unicorn app.

Well, after getting an awesome round smartwatch (not the flat tire one), I can't stop changing and downloading more and more beautiful and functional watchfaces. And it just struck me this moment: This *IS* the mythical Killer App! All these notifications, health, Unicorn Vibrator (aka "Taptic Engine"), etc. are just gimmicks and the novelty of them will wear off very quickly (2 months at most). Your wrist is not a home for all this digital scruff. It's home for beautiful watchfaces.

Take any beautiful traditional watch (Rolex, Omega, whatever) and replace its watchface with a black screen. All of a sudden, they lose 99% of their beauty. Watchface is 99% of watch's beauty and usefullness. Not the apps. Not notifications. Watchfaces. And it MUST be always ON. The smartwatch MUST have the Ambient Mode! Because it must be beautiful at all times, not just when you look at it.

If Apple doesn't allow 3rd party and user-designable watchfaces and Ambient Mode, they'll kill the i⌚️ very quickly (it doesn't help that it already has a chubby, ugly as hell case).

That's all folks. Here we go. The search for the mythical Killer App is over.

Now, if you excuse me, I'll return back to to oozing over and downloading new watchfaces. Do I want this one right now?

Image

How about this?

Image

More dressy?

Image

I've worn this for the whole two minutes!

Image

Time to change to somethig different:

Image

Etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. .......

You get the idea.

Tim, are you listening? Get out of your damn shower and start working on what users want. If water can't kill the i⌚️, the denial of 3rd party watchfaces and the ugly, boring BLANK screen will.

Those watch faces are really sick! I definitely agree I hope they find a way to open this up… this initial rejection of apps that show the time could be a sign that they're planning to set up a proper developer pipeline for faces, or I suppose it could mean they are locking it down. In any case I definitely think this will be a make or break feature.

 

[Kavier]

I'd love to see Apple let third parties make additional faces.