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Square vs Round Screen - Edited image is surprising

I find either shape quite nice.

I also know that had Apple chosen round, the faithful would sing its praises and criticize the rectangular watch. Most just sit back and wait for Apple to tell them how it's going to be.

It'll be interesting to see how this watch performs in the hands of the public.
 
Can someone make a mockup equating area?

AW screen area = Length x Width

Mockup screen area = pi*r^2

Length x Width = pi*r^2 ----> solve for r

I think the difference would be interesting.
 
Arran said:
Maybe they're cramming too many features in, then?

After all, if you need to read screeds of rectilinear text, isn't that what your iPhone in your pocket is for?

I really like that Apple coined the term "Glances". To me, that's what a wrist-worn device should be about. Reading "War and Peace" is not what it's for.
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Too many features? You mean like notifications, email, and text? There is no reason for the Watch if you strip out stuff like that. I have a good sport watch. My point is that text and round watches do not mix. A smart watch has to have a textual aspect.

Just because your iPhone offers text and email doesn't mean a watch can't assist to help you weed out when it's necessary to dig out that iPhone. At least for me, not every text or email needs an immediate response, just a glance to see what it's about.

Who suggested reading War and Peace on a watch? Would you race the Daytona 500 in a stock Toyota Corolla?
 
That's exactly what I mean. I read a post here just the other day from someone claiming that now people love these designs, even though they claimed to hate them before the product was released. I don't know about everyone else, but I think the lines are awful. Not too bothered by the camera bump, but my preference would be for none.

Point I was making is, this guy is saying he hates it because Apple chose not to do it. If Apple had released a circular watch, he would have eaten it up. He's THAT kind of guy.

Rogifan said:
You mean like people love the camera bump and antenna lines Apple gave us with the iPhone 6?
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ninethirty said:
That's exactly what I mean. I read a post here just the other day from someone claiming that now people love these designs, even though they claimed to hate them before the product was released. I don't know about everyone else, but I think the lines are awful. Not too bothered by the camera bump, but my preference would be for none.

Point I was making is, this guy is saying he hates it because Apple chose not to do it. If Apple had released a circular watch, he would have eaten it up. He's THAT kind of guy.
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Hmm...I think there are way more here who absolutely hate the camera bump and antenna lines which just shows people don't just love whatever Apple does.
 
Rogifan said:
Hmm...I think there are way more here who absolutely hate the camera bump and antenna lines which just shows people don't just love whatever Apple does.
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(this is kinda off topic)
But do they hate the camera bump and antenna lines enough to not buy the device?



I guess I am not as hard lined about the shape of the display as others are. If Apple wanted it to be round they would have done it round. They didn't, and that is fine.
 
diamond.g said:
(this is kinda off topic)
But do they hate the camera bump and antenna lines enough to not buy the device?



I guess I am not as hard lined about the shape of the display as others are. If Apple wanted it to be round they would have done it round. They didn't, and that is fine.
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Obviously not. I'm just shooting down this idea that the hate for round is just because Apple didn't do it. For as much hate as Apple gets for supposedly putting form over function this seems to be one case where the exact opposite is true. And now that Android OEMs are all tripping over themselves to do round displays Watch might actually stand out more.
 
Rogifan said:
Obviously not. I'm just shooting down this idea that the hate for round is just because Apple didn't do it. For as much hate as Apple gets for supposedly putting form over function this seems to be one case where the exact opposite is true. And now that Android OEMs are all tripping over themselves to do round displays Watch might actually stand out more.
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What is funny is all the smartwatches were square/rectangle until the Moto 360. From there everyone felt that the circle was superior to the square/rectangle even if the information presented isn't as much as what is shown otherwise.
 
diamond.g said:
What is funny is all the smartwatches were square/rectangle until the Moto 360. From there everyone felt that the circle was superior to the square/rectangle even if the information presented isn't as much as what is shown otherwise.
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I believe a lot of this is that companies, even Apple will take the easy and cheap option.
It's only quite recently I believe that a round screen of this nature was even remotely possible on a mass produced basis.
It's certainly not the cheap and easy option to do a round screen panel.

Apple has to consider all these options, no matter that that idiot Ive cooks up for an official statement oozing with insincerity.

We're going to have to see if the round screen, no driver to mask one area, AND a thin bezel is possible for mass production yet.
Of course, it will be done, you will have probably 1mm surround and all screen in both round, square/oblong shapes in the not too distant future.

I hope we have all shapes, so everyone can buy the look and style they want.
The very last thing we all want is to look like a load of sheep all with the same dam thin on our wrists, only in a small range of colours.
How dull life would be if that was the case.

There have been some great screens shown on as demo pieces, those flexi ones also, but again. they don't appear to be ready for mass production quite yet.
Samsung are I guess going to be at the forefront of this, with LG I presume

Apple will just have to wait and see what others can R&D and manufacture cheap enough in the numbers they need before they can buy them and we get any apple watch advancements.

Or Apple could make their own screen?
 
The round screen actual can work but it would take some work making a custom UI for the OS as well as apps to fill up all the open space.
 
I still don't get why everyone is going on like square watches are something new. My Cartier Tank wristwatch, designed in 1917 is square and haven't heard anyone berating it for being so.

The only reason a watch is round is because of the mechanical watch face. Take that away and there is zero reason for it. Square/rectangular works so much better for smart watches because of all the reasons noted previously.

For a bunch of tech-heads you lot sure don't like to let go of convention.
 
I can guarantee this whole "apple watch is failure cause not round" is total nonsense. Whole point of watch being "round" is really not about its shape and fashion. How many people actually care whether a watch is round or not when they are buying a time piece? And if tech companies decide to incorporate ugliest possible round design into smartwatches, I honestly don't know what to say. That being said, Motorola done a decent job compared to LG G Watch R.
 
Piggie said:
Indeed, I remember it well.
I also remember all the Phablets like Samsung make are so dumb, Apples 4" is the perfect size.
I also remember, tablets smaller than 10" are dumb and unusable.

The thing that makes me smile the most is thinking, all the people in this thread, who are saying round watches are dumb, wrong and stupid.

If we rewind the clock back a few months, and Apple had revealed their round Apple Watch.

Makes me smile as would I expect these same people to now, on this very forums to be saying how wrong apple was, and their round watch is dumb, wrong and stupid?

No of course not, they would be saying how amazing it looks, and how right Apple was to go with this shape, when almost all other makers have no imagination and just gone with a dumb square look.

Of course, they will never admit to this. :)

As I say, I'm happy for both forms to exist.
We all have our preferences.
The Moto 360 probably has THE strongest following at the moment, and, for people who like that look, and there are many, I hope Motorola, and/or others continue with that design so that people have the widest choice possible.

Free choice for people, is all I have ever advocated.
Not telling people this is how it must be, if you don't like it, tough luck, we are offering you nothing else.

----------



I do agree with you there.

If you look at the many many screens of the current watch, so many things look like they were built for a round screen, and then at the last minute modified.
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I agree. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple also came out with a round AW in the future.

Although I don't know what to think of this forum anymore. People have been ripping the Macbook apart, so there's that.
 
Rian Gray said:
I can guarantee this whole "apple watch is failure cause not round" is total nonsense.
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I don't think anyone is saying that rectangular makes the Apple Watch a failure. Makes it look like any other pre-2014 smartwatch, yes. But not a failure.

Whole point of watch being "round" is really not about its shape and fashion. How many people actually care whether a watch is round or not when they are buying a time piece?
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It's a known fact that round watches hugely outsell square ones.

For fun, I checked some major department store websites for what they carry in their stores, and found that square watches only made up 2-5% of their offerings.

And if tech companies decide to incorporate ugliest possible round design into smartwatches, I honestly don't know what to say. That being said, Motorola done a decent job compared to LG G Watch R.
Click to expand...

Likewise, some of the other coming round smartwatches have attracted a lot of attention, such as the various stainless steel Huawei and LG models.

Now all we need is for someone to do a Battlestar Galactica style smartwatch, which would have a square display with cut off corners :)
 
kdarling said:
I don't think anyone is saying that rectangular makes the Apple Watch a failure. Makes it look like any other pre-2014 smartwatch, yes. But not a failure.



It's a known fact that round watches hugely outsell square ones.

For fun, I checked some major department store websites for what they carry in their stores, and found that square watches only made up 2-5% of their offerings.



Likewise, some of the other coming round smartwatches have attracted a lot of attention, such as the various stainless steel Huawei and LG models.

Now all we need is for someone to do a Battlestar Galactica style smartwatch, which would have a square display with cut off corners :)
Click to expand...


But we are talking about smartwatches, not watches. Two different things.
 
virginblue4 said:
But we are talking about smartwatches, not watches. Two different things.
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Perhaps it simply comes down to nature.
Humans being part of nature, and we find smooth, round shapes visually more appealing and friendly than squared off angular shapes.

We may not even realise this is the case, it may be some unconscious thing at work deep down.

Warm, Cosy, Inviting, Natural, Organic, Beautiful, Loving, Appealing, Tactile, Comforting.

To me, all those have a warm, round feeling to them.

It may simply be that, all things being equal, people naturally pick those.

Whilst it will never happen.
I would love Apple to make, say in the future, a round and a square watch, that both functioned equally well, for sale side by side, and see why one people went for more.
It would be interesting to see if the shape was the only deciding factor.
 
virginblue4 said:
But we are talking about smartwatches, not watches. Two different things.
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The particular point I was replying to, was about people's fashion preference.

I might add that a round computer display also is still seen as technically unusual or rare, which can be attractive to a lot of people.

It's not all about being just functional. If it were, Apple would not have gone so far down the fashion path, and a big-screened smartwatch like the Gear S would be seen as the best choice.
 
kdarling said:
The particular point I was replying to, was about people's fashion preference.

I might add that a round computer display also is still seen as technically unusual or rare, which can be attractive to a lot of people.

It's not all about being just functional. If it were, Apple would not have gone so far down the fashion path, and a big-screened smartwatch like the Gear S would be seen as the best choice.
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It may seem very impractical and would require and interesting user interface to make work well, but you know what.
Simple because it was different and I'm so BORED with current tech.
I'd actually really love a round screen mobile phone, if the user interface was totally build around the idea of a circle.
Think it would be really fun.
How many more 1000 more dam rectangular phones can you make.
There is more to life than just practicality.

An Apple one http://itechfuture.com/wp-content/u...gy-Concept-iPhone-Pi-in-a-circular-design.jpg

:)
 
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