The MacRumors Show: Where Does the Apple Watch Go Next?

[aknabi]

It goes round. Absolutely zero interest until they make a round one.

Absolutely no interest until they make a heptadecagon one. This is a total fail by Apple and my preference is clearly is what's right for the market.

 

[riverfreak]

Was going to say, not sure if this is an Ultra feature or not but my wife and I went hiking on the other side of our state a few months ago and I had this weird symbol at the bottom of my watch - Wayback feature. And it did really well, as we didn't stay on the primary path and walked around. But does using GPS sure drain battery!

I need to try the WorkOutDoors app - that thread is massive.

And re your Garmin thoughts - I'd love an Apple Watch with MIP that has haptic alarm and lasts a month or two on a charge 😛

I’m not sure if the trackback feature is an Ultra exclusive feature? I’ve only tried it a few times but found it to be a difficult without a map.

I’m usually recording via WorkOutDoors if I’m using my Apple Watch which is just so good. I highly recommend it. It is a bit overwhelming at first but it’s pretty amazing what it does and definitely helps fulfill a lot of promises of what the Ultra *should* be (IMHO).

As for the MIPS displays: I’m a bit torn. They are great in daylight and the battery life is insane. But the AMOLED displays look so good and the resolution helpful for complex topos.

 

[riverfreak]

From an interface design perspective (as an interface designer), I would not say that any of those companies have figured it out. If you look at their interfaces with a critical eye, you'll see that outside of the watch face and a few specialized charts that make sense for a round layout, the view types are just rectangular layouts squished inside a circular display, wasting all the extra screen real estate.

Some examples, which I've marked up to show where the interface actually sits inside the circle:

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Interesting analysis. You didn’t include any MAPS.

Also, many of the Apple Watch faces make terrible use of the available screen real estate. Modular Ultra seems to use it even if some of the readouts are really useless and non-sensical.

Elevation status as a gauge? Who cares? Just another example where Apple did the bare minimum. How about an elevation profile? Not even visible on the Fitness app on your phone. So obvious. It’s almost like the watch face designers never actually use the watch for its intended functions.

 

[Rounder077]

hey Apple, want to make
More money? Here’s the way to get fans to waste money: it’s it big make it mini, it’s is small make it max. If it’s square make it circular, if it’s beveled make it squared off….and round and round we go. They’ll buy anything, even if the guts don’t change.

 

[mentaluproar]

Id honestly like to see apple make something like the Microsoft band from several years back. since my ultra's mic keeps going out and apple won't fix it though, I won't be buying another one. I probably shouldn't be wearing a bluetooth shackle in the day and age of signaltrace anyway.

 

[Steve Adams]

Awesome. Apple is going to design a round watch. Something NOBODY has ever done before. If the renders are accurate they completely ripped off the pixel watch. Say it ain't so.

 

[Rafagon]

Foldable Apple Watch.

 

[Supermacguy]

AppleWatch needs to be THINNER. Its so bulky, I've tried them but its not elegant nor comfortable to have such a fat device.

 

[tech_enthusiast_]

Interesting analysis. You didn’t include any MAPS.

Also, many of the Apple Watch faces make terrible use of the available screen real estate. Modular Ultra seems to use it even if some of the readouts are really useless and non-sensical.

Elevation status as a gauge? Who cares? Just another example where Apple did the bare minimum. How about an elevation profile? Not even visible on the Fitness app on your phone. So obvious. It’s almost like the watch face designers never actually use the watch for its intended functions.

Right, because maps is just a map. It will work on any screen shape or size, because it's infinite. No reason to include that. I'm simply pointing out that circular screen waste a lot of real estate, because text, menus, and many graphs are inherently rectangular. And those are the things that are shown on a smart watch screen most of the time. I don't disagree that there are layouts on the Apple Watch that don't make good use of the display.

 

[Mike_Trivisonno]

It's called a release schedule not a cadence. What a totally dumb use of the word "cadence". I am so sick of hearing it.

 

[riverfreak]

Right, because maps is just a map. It will work on any screen shape or size, because it's infinite. No reason to include that. I'm simply pointing out that circular screen waste a lot of real estate, because text, menus, and many graphs are inherently rectangular. And those are the things that are shown on a smart watch screen most of the time. I don't disagree that there are layouts on the Apple Watch that don't make good use of the display.

Agreed. But I also think there is a lot of information that is traditionally displayed in a square/rectangle/grid that simply doesn't need to be so. Take the info graphs like movement over time. Like a map, it's infinite over time, the user is only concerned with the immediate (say) 12 hours. Absolutely no reason that can't be compressed and displayed across the bottom of a circle with no loss in information.

But what begs the question: why after ten years aren't the watch faces moving towards optimization? Build and let languish, the typical MO.

Don't get me wrong -- I think the Watch (and Ultra variant) is the best smart watch around. It's so incredibly useful for travel with flighty, time zones, airline apps, etc. I've been wearing the Watch since Series 0. If Apple doesn't up their game in either software, design, or both, they are going to be shedding what should be slam dunk repeat customers.

 

[Nickerbocker]

From an interface design perspective (as an interface designer), I would not say that any of those companies ...

That isn't to say that Apple can't figure it out. I think fashion considerations are more important for a wearable than information density on the screen.