New nightstand mode and charging stands

[JohnApples]

So I'm really looking forward to watchOS 2 and can't wait for the features (which I believe should have been in OS 1 but I digress). One of the features which I thought was pretty nifty was the nightstand mode, where your watch will turn into a nicely lit alarm clock while on the charger, complete with a physical snooze button!

However, according to Apple, this only happens when you turn your watch sideways whilst it charges. I know a good number of us watch owners, including me, had bought or created a stand to more elegantly display and charge our watches. Since most (if not all) of these stands hold the watch upright, we will unfortunately not be able to take advantage of this cool new feature.

It's not a huge deal, but it is disappointing. It seems like an obvious oversight by Apple. Does anything think there will be another way to activate this mode? Why not have a setting to turn on nightstand mode whenever the watch is connected to a charger? IS there a setting already that went unmentioned? If possible, could someone with the beta find out if this mode really only works with the watch sideways?

Thanks!

 

[lirn8]

Good question ill be happy to know as well if this mode can be activated in upright possition...
In this mode the display stays on all the time?

 

[iConnected]

... One of the features which I thought was pretty nifty was the nightstand mode, where your watch will turn into a nicely lit alarm clock while on the charger, complete with a physical snooze button!

However, according to Apple, this only happens when you turn your watch sideways whilst it charges. I know a good number of us watch owners, including me, had bought or created a stand to more elegantly display and charge our watches. Since most (if not all) of these stands hold the watch upright, we will unfortunately not be able to take advantage of this cool new feature. ...

A good solution would be for Apple to add a fully customisable settings option that activates nightstand mode in the user's choice of landscape and/or portrait orientation or neither.

You can suggest this here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html

 

[Watabou]

Good question ill be happy to know as well if this mode can be activated in upright possition...
In this mode the display stays on all the time?

Nope. All it does is display the time in large letters. It turns off the display after 30 seconds. Any amount of movement will however wake up the display again.

 

[soya]

Feedback sent - please do the same.

 

[makotoisle]

I'm not 100% certain, but I would imagine that a portrait-laying watch would make it difficult to use the "snooze" button, whereas a landscape-laying watch has the buttons sticking up like a traditional alarm clock.

 

[jmmo20]

to be honest a snooze function in which you cover the display would be must more useful. and having a stop button would be too much temptation for those of us who hate waking up in the morning.

Having said that, I tried last night to set my watch in "landscape" position on my spigen stand and it can hold the watch just fine..

 

[lirn8]

You are right but I want Apple to let me make the decision

 

[Rok73]

to be honest a snooze function in which you cover the display would be must more useful. and having a stop button would be too much temptation for those of us who hate waking up in the morning.

Having said that, I tried last night to set my watch in "landscape" position on my spigen stand and it can hold the watch just fine..

I am not sure about my motoric skills when half asleep meaning I wouldn't be able to push a button with the watch on my Spigen stand without dropping it from there.

 

[JamerG]

Nope. All it does is display the time in large letters. It turns off the display after 30 seconds. Any amount of movement will however wake up the display again.

What's the point of that then? Surely the whole reason to have a "night stand" mode is that you can see the time without activating the watch (which you can do anyway)? Otherwise it's just a basic alarm...

Are you sure about that?

 

[wepiii]

What's the point of that then? Surely the whole reason to have a "night stand" mode is that you can see the time without activating the watch (which you can do anyway)? Otherwise it's just a basic alarm...

Are you sure about that?

I wasn't the one who made that post, but he is correct. I have the beta, and it definitely turns off after 30 seconds or so. Kinda disappointing. I can also confirm it only works while horizontal, so anyone using a stand that keeps the watch upright will not be able to take advantage of this feature.

 

[jasie02]

I wasn't the one who made that post, but he is correct. I have the beta, and it definitely turns off after 30 seconds or so. Kinda disappointing. I can also confirm it only works while horizontal, so anyone using a stand that keeps the watch upright will not be able to take advantage of this feature.

You need one of this, hope my is coming soon.
http://www.elevationlab.com/products/night-stand

 

[Peterpandy]

I think they should have at least made the watch box like the edition one with charging capabilities, this woulda been cool for the night mode. I seen someone make one out of the regular box on 9-5 Mac but it's not as elegant as the edition charging box

 

[jomo25]

Would be equally difficult to snooze or turn off alarm using the elevation lab as it would be if a portrait mode existed. actually, i'd say even harder. press down and the watch will fall off the stand. harder to provide counter pressure in that orientation (since its suspended by magnet) than if portrait...

And if the clock actually turns off after 30 seconds, then really, what's the point? if its the case, then i'm not bothered that the nightstand mode won't work for my Spigen stand, cuz then nightstand mode isn't very useful IMO.

 

[Shinigami301]

Wait a minute... Apple made a mistake because the (future and not yet final) landscape mode doesn't work with unauthorized, third party charging stands? Did I miss something here?

 

[mcdj]

There's a forum for that.

 

[JohnApples]

Thanks for the input everyone, and for those who tested it out. No, Apple has no obligation to add support for 3rd party stands, but... Why not? I don't think it would hurt anyone to have an optional vertical mode for those who do use a stand.

Though I guess it doesn't matter much, since it only lasts 30 seconds. I'll submit feedback for both a vertical nightstand mode, and an "always on but dim" mode as well. I would love this feature so much!

 

[Michael CM1]

Thanks for the input everyone, and for those who tested it out. No, Apple has no obligation to add support for 3rd party stands, but... Why not? I don't think it would hurt anyone to have an optional vertical mode for those who do use a stand.

Though I guess it doesn't matter much, since it only lasts 30 seconds. I'll submit feedback for both a vertical nightstand mode, and an "always on but dim" mode as well. I would love this feature so much!

My only problem with it was this: You hear "nightstand mode" and think "Yay! That will do something with the watch nightstand I just bought!" Then it's a feature that works with the watch aligned in a way that almost none of the actual nightstands are built to do. It just seemed like a weird name, and my actual full nightstand with a drawer has a glass top. If I don't have the watch on the little charging stand I bought or with the band stretched out, ceramic or sapphire on glass with a charging cable tugging downward is going to yank it off like a Slip 'N' Slide.

 

[JohnApples]

My only problem with it was this: You hear "nightstand mode" and think "Yay! That will do something with the watch nightstand I just bought!" Then it's a feature that works with the watch aligned in a way that almost none of the actual nightstands are built to do. It just seemed like a weird name, and my actual full nightstand with a drawer has a glass top. If I don't have the watch on the little charging stand I bought or with the band stretched out, ceramic or sapphire on glass with a charging cable tugging downward is going to yank it off like a Slip 'N' Slide.

I see what you mean, and I agree. I too thought this would have something to do with charging stands. Before I got my stand, I never laid my watch like the way they show because it too yanked off too easily. And the magnet was strong enough to drag the watch with it instead of detaching.

Honestly, I think they designed it this way because it works with the only Apple charging stand- the Edition box. Still, including a vertical mode would be neat for the rest of us.

 

[flur]

I wasn't the one who made that post, but he is correct. I have the beta, and it definitely turns off after 30 seconds or so. Kinda disappointing. I can also confirm it only works while horizontal, so anyone using a stand that keeps the watch upright will not be able to take advantage of this feature.

Does tapping the screen turn it on again?

If so, that fulfills my need. I don't want the watch sitting lit all night getting burn-in and taunting me when I can't sleep. But if I can tap it to see the time, that's perfect.

 

[wepiii]

Does tapping the screen turn it on again?

If so, that fulfills my need. I don't want the watch sitting lit all night getting burn-in and taunting me when I can't sleep. But if I can tap it to see the time, that's perfect.

Yes it does.

 

[jaymc]

I'm getting one of these and intend my iPhone to be used for alarm clock, weather, radio, etc. Happy to just use the watch stand for charging.

 

[Ben_Dover]

I don't care.. I have my watch on while I sleep.

 

[h9826790]

IMO, when we have a dock, we don't need this function.

For a user with a dock, we don't really need this nightstand mode. This is just a mode that in landscape presentation with no face option. We still need to touch the screen to read the time, which make no different as the watch is on the dock.

The biggest difference is, if we don't have a dock, when we want to touch the screen, we may accidentally push the watch away, which will not happen when we have a proper dock.

I am actually quite surprise that they add this feature. Think about the edition owner, they will charge the watch in the box, but it's actually harder to read the time in nightstand mode when you charge it inside the box, because the edge of the box block the vision a bit (especially when you are lying on the bed).

Anyway, this is still a nice feature. I can see this may be useful when I stay in a hotel. Always good to have more function then less.

 

[AlliFlowers]

So glad I backed the Premium One dock on Kickstarter. Their latest updates have focused on nightstand mode, and how the Premium One will be able to support the watch this way. Yay!