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What's the point of nightstand mode if it won't stay on?
- Thread starter ericgtr12
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Am I the only one who keeps their Watch on their desk? Why put a watch on a bedside table where it could get accidentally knocked over. It's not like I am going to be using my Watch to read a quick news article laying in bed, that's what an iPhone or iPad is for.
I wish they would make the option to let it stay on all night as well as adjust the brightness. When I go to sleep I hook up my phone and watch on my nightstand to charge. then they are ready for me in the morning. I would love to use the watch as a clock, I don't know why people would complain about giving people the option to do that. Its not hard, just make an option button to leave the display on while charging and nitestand mode is activated. then give an option to adjust brightness. That easy, would make everyone happy 
I wish they would make the option to let it stay on all night as well as adjust the brightness. When I go to sleep I hook up my phone and watch on my nightstand to charge. then they are ready for me in the morning. I would love to use the watch as a clock, I don't know why people would complain about giving people the option to do that. Its not hard, just make an option button to leave the display on while charging and nitestand mode is activated. then give an option to adjust brightness. That easy, would make everyone happy
Exactly, there's a lot of backlash when questioning this "feature". While it may work for some, to me it seems pointless, no nightstand clock in history has ever shut itself off and people here blast you for even suggesting it stay on. I'm as big an Apple fan as they come, or so I thought, but there is definitely a cult vibe among many.
I would welcome the option but am good with the face turning off. I like zero light in my room when I sleep (not afraid of the dark) and got rid of my alarm clock a long time ago because my iPhone stayed dark at night. Now, with my watch on a stand right by my bed, I can tap it if I need to know the time but most night I hit the pillow and don't know a thing until my alarm goes off.
I read someplace - may be totally wrong - that the kind of screen that is on the watch does degrade as it is used compared to other screens. Very slowly, I assume, but IF that is true, it is also clear that a display on all night would be affected much more than what you get with more normally little glimpses through an entire day - or week.
But if this isn't an issue, I'd like the option to leave it on too.
I don't agree with the idea that, if it isn't on all the time, it is better just to grab your phone, because:
The phone is brighter and I want as little of that in the middle of the night as possible!
From what I've read, if you just bump the watch stand, it turns on. If so, this strikes me as a tad simpler than picking up a phone and pressing a button. It's sort of like the argument that you don't need a watch because you can check the time on a phone. Thing is, lifting and turning your wrist is far simpler (less than two seconds at worst! Less than 1 for me normally) than reaching in your pocket for your phone and pressing the button to turn on the screen and then put it back (probably 4 or more seconds for most people). Yeah, it's a little thing - what's a few seconds? - but the watch is pretty much all about little conveniences.
But if this isn't an issue, I'd like the option to leave it on too.
I don't agree with the idea that, if it isn't on all the time, it is better just to grab your phone, because:
The phone is brighter and I want as little of that in the middle of the night as possible!
From what I've read, if you just bump the watch stand, it turns on. If so, this strikes me as a tad simpler than picking up a phone and pressing a button. It's sort of like the argument that you don't need a watch because you can check the time on a phone. Thing is, lifting and turning your wrist is far simpler (less than two seconds at worst! Less than 1 for me normally) than reaching in your pocket for your phone and pressing the button to turn on the screen and then put it back (probably 4 or more seconds for most people). Yeah, it's a little thing - what's a few seconds? - but the watch is pretty much all about little conveniences.
If it stayed on I wouldn't want it. First thing I do if I see a nightstand clock in a hotel room is unplug the damned thing.
Having a constant light source showing the time when you're trying to sleep is the worst. No matter how dim, it's always there.
Having a constant light source showing the time when you're trying to sleep is the worst. No matter how dim, it's always there.
The simple answer is just make it an option, then everyone will be happy I think we can all agree on that. Not sure why Apple can't.
I think we can all agree on that. Not sure why Apple can't.
The simple answer is just make it an option, then everyone will be happy
Options are always good.
Personally I can't understand wanting to have a glowing light in your room showing the time ticking away when you're trying to sleep but I'm not going to stop someone from doing it.
Unless there's a technical issue with having an OLED screen on the whole time then they should make it an option.
Not pointless to me. I don't like things glowing in the dark when I'm trying to sleep. I only want to see the time when I reach over and touch the watch. This is no different from the once popular alarm clocks that lit up for reading in the dark when you touched a button on the top. If you want an always on clock, I believe there are iPhone apps that will let you do this. The iPhone is larger and easier to read as well.
yeah, no. They can suffer burn in. I have seen it on several display models (TVs), and I am not talking about image retention, but actual burn in. I would not be surprised if the apple watch was left on all night with a still image and burn in occurred.
One of the few downsides of emissive displays.
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Technically, it shouldn't stay on all night. You don't want burn-in on your display.
Personally, it would do nothing for me because I can't read it at arm's reach with my glasses off.
Good thing it charges quickly, though -- I drop it onto the charger before I hit the shower at night, and by the time I'm ready for bed, the watch is charged. I just wear it into bed, then I can read the time after the watch alarm taps my wrist.
Personally, it would do nothing for me because I can't read it at arm's reach with my glasses off.
Good thing it charges quickly, though -- I drop it onto the charger before I hit the shower at night, and by the time I'm ready for bed, the watch is charged. I just wear it into bed, then I can read the time after the watch alarm taps my wrist.
Maybe Apple will make it an option, so all the sarcastic posts can stop. If they don't, I completely get why, and am fine with it. The way I see it, it's not "broken" or a pointless gimmick, rather a response to how many people had to glance at their watches previously (while half-sleep). Maybe it suffers from poor naming, since everyone wants to compare it to a traditional alarm clock. Look at is as simply landscape mode, then - useful since all of the faces are (understandably) in portrait orientation. As it is now, all you have to do is barely touch the watch (or even the nightstand) - not an actual button - and you have a nice, softly-illuminated clock.
I agree the option should exist for it to stay on all night, perhaps with a special dimmed down red on black UI available for nightstand mode. My preference is to sleep in a room that is almost absolutely dark so I don't mind if it turns off, in fact I prefer it.
I also wonder if heat is a consideration. I have noticed that a charging watch can heat up, and keeping the display on would generate some heat as well. I'm sure the internal hardware can take the heat (we aren't talking desktop CPU/GPU temperatures), but maybe the seals would lose some integrity from prolonged heat? I remember trying on some watches at the Apple Store that were almost painful because they got so hot.
Sean
Cult vibe is a great way to describe the fans who feel they must defend all things Apple all the time. I love Apple products and for the most part they do a great job of getting things right, but they aren't perfect and the idea of getting childishly defense about a design or feature decision (which in this case could be technical) is kind of sad.
While some people may be overly defensive, I think the backlash is more often because of the tone with which the thread gets started. In this case I don't think ericgtr12 started off with a negative tone (although "pointless" is one of those buzzwords that gets people going). I think the thread took a dive with some of the follow-ups that describing the feature as "useless" and "gimmicky." So frequently in these discussions we see someone make a broad generalization statement like, "this feature is useless to me, therefore it is a gimmick that only an Apple fanatic would praise." Of course that is going to get some backlash. It's not being defensive of Apple as much as it is trying to point out that some people have different wants and needs... and that maybe there is a technical reason for how a feature gets implemented.
Of course it would be ideal if there was an always-on option... not just for nightstand mode, but for general usage as well. I don't think anyone would argue that having more options is a bad thing. Maybe Apple has a good reason for not offering the option, and maybe they don't. Not everybody has to like the feature as it is currently implemented. There are a lot of features in any technology that won't appeal to every user, but that doesn't mean the feature should not exist... most new features are a little anemic at first, and then get additional options and improvements in subsequent updates.
I look forward to giving the new nightstand mode a try, but I won't be surprised if I go back to my iPhone as my preferred alarm clock. Not because nightstand mode turns off the display (I configure my iPhone's alarm app to turn off as well since i don't like things glowing in the dark), but because the larger iPhone is easier to read when I turn it on. In the end it will probably come down to whichever one I can snooze or silence more easily. I hate fumbling to turn off the alarm, and sometimes my iPhone app doesn't respond like it is supposed to (maybe I just need a new app). I will say this about the watch though: I have a charging stand, so the magnetic charger makes it so easy to reach over and pick up the watch so I can snooze, dismiss or reset the alarm. Then it's just as easy to put back on the charging stand (or just on my nightstand since it will be fully charged at that point). That's why I could see sticking with the watch as my alarm clock.
Sean
I have the beta installed and nightstand modes is easily my favorite feature besides the multi color face options.
I keep my watch on my nightstand on it's side with sport band, plugged in just like the picture on the watch os 2 page, the display does go to sleep after about ten seconds, but wakes up if I tap my nightstand. I like that way better than it staying on, or having to find and touch the watch screen in total darkness.
I keep my watch on my nightstand on it's side with sport band, plugged in just like the picture on the watch os 2 page, the display does go to sleep after about ten seconds, but wakes up if I tap my nightstand. I like that way better than it staying on, or having to find and touch the watch screen in total darkness.
This is probably an issue for another thread, but are you using the native iOS mail app with your Exchange account, or the Outlook app (which has a watch app by the way)?
I use the Outlook app on my iPhone and watch, but I don't have notifications for new email messages enabled I'm afraid.
Sean