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Can't wait to see all the pictures of hairy wrists again along with the debate on looking at hairy wrists.
 
I am on board with watch getting thinner and lighter. I wonder if they will ever pull off a circular display.

They don't want a circular display. The rounded rectangle is optimal for displaying information and there is no design need to emulate a mechanical watch. From a design/fashion perspective, they have achieved their objectives.
 
That's a subjective point of view to take on a design aesthetic preference. Round or square, both designs are working and selling respectively.

Ease of reading can be objectively measured so square vs. round isn't 100% subjective as you claim. Yes, one aspect of it can be aesthetic preference, but one will translate into better ease of reading/more optimal displaying of information (and consequently superior user experience).

Android phones are also "working and selling," but that also doesn't mean they're providing superior user experience compared to the iPhone.
 
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I just want acceptable performance. That's the big one for me.

Battery life could be better, and I like the idea of a display where the buttons don't look so deep, and I can see how the market might respond to having BOTH square and round versions (I confess, if it weren't so big, the Gear 3s do catch my eye). But really the only thing I absolutely must have is an OS that doesn't make me wait 15 seconds every time I do something.

"Siri, remind me to update the grocery list when I get home."
Wait.
Wait. Look at iPhone to make sure it's still only 6 inches away from the watch.
Wait.
Wait some more.
Twiddle thumbs.
Get my phone out.
Unlock it.
Launch Siri.
"Siri, remind me to update the grocery list when I get home."

<Cashier presses Credit key>
<double-tap Apple Pay button on the watch>
Wait.
Wait.
Wait longer.
Look at the cashier like it's their system's fault.
Pay and apologize to the angry mob behind me before I get stoned. Well, tomatoed.
Lines I actually heard: "Wouldn't it have been faster to use a credit card?" and "That would be cool if it worked."

Normally it's fast, but when it's not it's humiliating. Now I activate it ahead of time to avoid the embarrassment.

Finally, apps. Just about any app that has to proxy through the phone is horribly painful to use. I remember when a big industry player released an app, and I wanted to show our employees. I displayed the device on our conference room projector via AirPlay (cool!) but then couldn't get the app to do much of anything. Constant spinners. The iPhone version worked incredibly fast.

I only have about 5 third-party apps on the watch, and have tried wiping and setting it up as a new watch. Same horrible performance. Thankfully they're going to improve performance a lot in watchOS 3.

While I agree that the third-party apps are super slow, I've never had issues with responsiveness from Siri or Apple Pay, and Apple Pay is very quick. Not to dimish your concerns, but I can't help but wonder if you have dud or something. Now I know OS 3 is supposed to bring a big speed boost, even to AW1, so hopefully it resolves many of your issues.
 
Doesn't that imply that round vs. square is like right or wrong, black or white? Backwards or forwards as you put it is simply a matter of design preference.

No, there are solid design principles underlying the shape decision. Imagine, for example, what would happen to the top lines of text if you were to scroll up on a circular watch face. It would be inherently compromised (and thus inferior design) for certain of the key uses for which the Apple Watch was envisioned.

That of course doesn't mean you can't have a contrary preference, but that's a different issue.
 
They don't want a circular display. The rounded rectangle is optimal for displaying information and there is no design need to emulate a mechanical watch. From a design/fashion perspective, they have achieved their objectives.

No, there are solid design principles underlying the shape decision. Imagine, for example, what would happen to the top lines of text if you were to scroll up on a circular watch face. It would be inherently compromised (and thus inferior design) for certain of the key uses for which the Apple Watch was envisioned.

That of course doesn't mean you can't have a contrary preference, but that's a different issue.

While what you suggest is true in general, all things being equal, Apple is currently behind in having the advantage. A 42mm round watch like the Huawei displays more information than the Watch. And similar round watches will have this advantage until Apple changes their display, which they have 100% compromised for aesthetics. The 38mm is even worse.

Here's a 1:1 comparison to the Huawei 42mm.

29307995981_1fc05161f9_o.jpg


And here's the comparison with the display optimized for the round display.

29307996151_8f746db715_o.jpg


There's no question even with a text display that there's far more screen real estate for developers to work with.

Now, if Apple ever expands their display edge to edge then it's a different ballgame. But for now, and for at least the next year it appears, round watch displays will have a clear advantage over the Watch.
 
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And here's the comparison with the display optimized for the round display.

29307996151_8f746db715_o.jpg


There's no question even with a text display that there's far more screen real estate for developers to work with.

Even when optimized, the paragraph being partially centered on the round display rather than aligned left (as is the case on the AW) makes it more difficult to read. There's also no space that separate the different info on the round display in the example you provided. Much like how underlining makes reading slower and more difficult.

<Text Size 11:08

Apps that support
Dynamic Type will

vs.
11.08
<Text Size
Apps that support
Dynamic Type will

 
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I've had the original Apple Watch since the beginning. It has been an ok purchase, but it really doesn't excel at anything especially for $750 for the 42mm with Leather Loop.

Most Apps are very slow - native are better, but not good enough. Watch 3.0 might help this issue
Battery can barely get through a day (if I workout for 45 minutes); always have too top off the charge before I leave the house
Health tracking is simplistic at best
Most apps are useless and the round app home screen is a mess
Too expensive for what it provides
Lack of always on display

I just purchased a Garmin Chronos which I hope tracks my workouts better and I think looks much more stylish than this. I'll give it a week or so and report back.
 
Not compared to Apple's current display area. Comparable 42mm round displays actually have more real room than the Watch.

Here's a 1:1 comparison to the Huawei 42mm.

29307995981_1fc05161f9_o.jpg


And here's the comparison with the display optimized for the round display.

29307996151_8f746db715_o.jpg


There's no question even with a text display that there's far more screen real estate for developers to work with.

Now, if Apple ever expands their display edge to edge then it's a different ballgame. But for now, and at least the next year it appears, round watch displays will have a clear advantage over the Watch.

It appears the Huawei 42mm has a 400px x 400 px display, while the Watch has 390 x 312 px. Although, I’m not certain how that 400x400 figure was measured (across the center, presumably?) If so, then the total number of pixels is not 160,000 (400 x 400), but is 78.5% of that, or 125,600 pixels. The Watch would have 121,680 pixels. That’s 96.88% of the area, or about 3% less area. Your graphics above seem to depict quite a bit more of a difference.

Any idea if my figures are incorrect, or if the graphic is misleading? Or if there’s something else at play here with the geometry of the displays?

Either way, great comparison. Thanks!
 
Wow. First Watch rumor in a long time. All less than a week away from the Keynote.

Larger battery, Watch OS3, S2 Chip, possible GPS, thinner. It's looking good to me.
 
Thinner in the OP is a bit misleading though. Previous rumors have suggested that despite the thinner display technology, the overall thickness will remain the same as AW1 (possibly to make room for more things/bigger battery added to the innards).
 
It appears the Huawei 42mm has a 400px x 400 px display, while the Watch has 390 x 312 px. Although, I’m not certain how that 400x400 figure was measured (across the center, presumably?) If so, then the total number of pixels is not 160,000 (400 x 400), but is 78.5% of that, or 125,600 pixels. The Watch would have 121,680 pixels. That’s 96.88% of the area, or about 3% less area. Your graphics above seem to depict quite a bit more of a difference.

Any idea if my figures are incorrect, or if the graphic is misleading? Or if there’s something else at play here with the geometry of the displays?

Either way, great comparison. Thanks!

Pixels are irrelevant as they are both "retina" quality, and text and graphics are fully scalable. All that matters is the display space available. Both graphics are sized to their case measurements of 42mm. The Watch simply has a massive bezel rather than utilizing the entire potential display area as the Huawei does. And as long as Apple maintains that thick bezel, round watches will have the advantage.

This illustrates how massive the Apple bezel is comparatively using the Moto 360 (even with its flat tire).


28747545773_3dd9ef02ee_o.jpg


There is no other way to view this ... Apple's current display area is inferior to most if not all round watches of similar case dimensions.
 
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The Watch simply has a massive bezel rather than utilizing the entire potential display area as the Huawei does.

Except the Huawai doesn't really utilize the entire potential display as it has the bezel rim covering the outermost part of the display that can't be used. While Apple's "bezel" seems a bit larger, they have chosen to blend the unused part of the display into the glass rather than cover it with a metal rim.
 
Thin and light is good for the watch. Thin and light is bad for the phone.

People are strange!! I mean really, how heavy and thick is an Apple Watch for a human wrist? But a thick brick phone is fine to carry in the pocket as long as it have few hours now battery!!
 
Supposing this video is accurate it does not preclude that Apple would introduce a new style. Looking at iPhones by example, when Apple introduces a new model and lowers the price on the "outgoing" top model, it often modifies the new "lower priced" model too, even if the name stays the same.
 
Doesn't that imply that round vs. square is like right or wrong, black or white? Backwards or forwards as you put it is simply a matter of design preference.
Kinda. But why aren't our phones giant circles? Because it's not efficient. Less information on screen and why circular anyway? That's just an odd shape for the wrist considering the wrist itself isn't circular. We don't have circular phones, tablets, computers or televisions. In the modern age, it makes no sense to have a circular face other than you liking the way it looks.

I like the way it looks too. Especially on the new Samsung watch. But it's not a shape that makes sense
 
People are strange!! I mean really, how heavy and thick is an Apple Watch for a human wrist? But a thick brick phone is fine to carry in the pocket as long as it have few hours now battery!!

I don't follow. AW isn't heavy, it's just awkward looking on the wrist -- looks a like a brick, not heavy like one. It's not very sleek or sexy IMHO. But just the same I wouldn't carry around a brick phone in 2016 either. Try a Kyocera 6035 Palm Phone. That was a brick. iPhones are downright feathers by comparison.
 
I don't follow. AW isn't heavy, it's just awkward looking on the wrist -- looks a like a brick, not heavy like one. It's not very sleek or sexy IMHO. But just the same I wouldn't carry around a brick phone in 2016 either. Try a Kyocera 6035 Palm Phone. That was a brick. iPhones are downright feathers by comparison.
Just curious, as these kinds of things are entirely in the eye of the beholder, but what kind of watch (doesn't need to be a smart watch) is "sleek" or "sexy" to you?

Personally I love the minimalistic design of my apple watch, but I find most actual watches to be way too busy for me to look at. Now this is probably because I can't stand patterns or stripes in most things (All my clothes are flat colors, any and all t shirts are without graphics).

I was wondering if you could just provide an example of a watch that is sleek or sexy to your eyes?

Thanks :)
 
Kinda. But why aren't our phones giant circles? Because it's not efficient. Less information on screen and why circular anyway? That's just an odd shape for the wrist considering the wrist itself isn't circular. We don't have circular phones, tablets, computers or televisions. In the modern age, it makes no sense to have a circular face other than you liking the way it looks.

I like the way it looks too. Especially on the new Samsung watch. But it's not a shape that makes sense

It's only because we are use to what we are use too. TV's use to be square and it took a long time for consumers to accept rectangle ones. 16:9 is a good screen ratio. But why not 1.85:1 or 2:39:1 like movie screens? Car headlights were originaly round, then square, then round, and now LED slits are becoming popular.

Round watches make sense because it's a metaphor for the sun's orbit, and sun dials, the original watch. So people have the idea that a watch should be round. Maybe round doesn't make sense for a data centric wrist computer. But the one Apple makes is no thing of beauty that will change people's mind. Maybe if they can push out a square sex pot all this round talk will die down. Until then...
 
Looking at iPhones by example, when Apple introduces a new model and lowers the price on the "outgoing" top model, it often modifies the new "lower priced" model too, even if the name stays the same.

Did you mean the last generation iPhone model? If so, I don't think it "often" modifies the last generation model of the iPhone. iPhone 5 was discontinued and replaced by iPhone 5c, but what previous generation iPhone models were actually modified (other than those whose storage capacity was dropped)?
 
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