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When can we expect a round Apple Watch?
- Thread starter KensaiMage
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I wouldn't expect one. Jonny Ive was even quoted a round design wasn't something that made sense in the sense of functionality for the Apple Watch with 'lists'. I believe the next Apple Watch will retain a similar design as it is now, but tweaked with the form factor, additional casing options and perhaps a larger display.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/jony-ive-new-yorker-profile-apple-watch/amp/
I don't think it will happen either. The tech is there now but it is actually inefficient in how much data you can fit on the screen for obvious reasons. Further the Apple Watch has been a huge success with large year over year growth and with the Apple Watch having the distinctive rectangular face while other smartwatches have been round, it makes it obvious someone is wearing an APPLE watch from even a distance, just like white earbuds call out an Apple product. That kind of branding matters deeply to Apple.
I see a round display being incredibly unlikely. It would have to be bigger to show the same amount of information, or show less information while staying at the same size.
All over the UI of the watch, information is presented in a list-like format, whether it's scrollable like a News snippet or a single screen of multiple lines like the metrics you can see during a Workout. Every single one of these uses would be made worse on a round display.
All over the UI of the watch, information is presented in a list-like format, whether it's scrollable like a News snippet or a single screen of multiple lines like the metrics you can see during a Workout. Every single one of these uses would be made worse on a round display.
Me neither, nor would I buy a rectangular one in a case larger than the current 42mm size.
I have a couple watches bigger than this, and they simply wear clunkier than the AW does.
I think we will get a round iPhone first and next. The iPhone X will be followed next year by the iPhone O. Image how great and efficiently text info would display on it. Like to see the iPad and Mac move to round too. Of course this begs the question How can I shoot vertical video on a round device?
I think we will get a round iPhone first and next. The iPhone X will be followed next year by the iPhone O. Image how great and efficiently text info would display on it. Like to see the iPad and Mac move to round too. Of course this begs the question How can I shoot vertical video on a round device?
If a round iPhone can abolish portrait mode videos, I can almost get on board.
But the tradeoff — porthole mode — doesn’t seem worth it.
Even better since everyone knows the triangle also protects against the invisible (electromagnetic) radiation [aka: lower wavelength light waves] that the LTE/WiFi/BT radioes emit.
This is probably the best way to illustrate how more info can be displayed on a non-round watch face.
I'm holding out for a spherical iPhone.I think we will get a round iPhone first and next. The iPhone X will be followed next year by the iPhone O. Image how great and efficiently text info would display on it. Like to see the iPad and Mac move to round too. Of course this begs the question How can I shoot vertical video on a round device?
Personally I have no desire for a round Apple Watch. However I could see how some might want a slightly larger round watch. Depending on the bezel size, Apple could fit a couple more complications in there! Heck... you could ring the whole thing with small complications and fit maybe 15 or 16! Talk about information overload!
Please excuse the crude mock-up:
I think more space would get wasted for lists, text messages, and faces like Modular:
Then again I suppose someone could make the argument for widening the middle long-form complication on the modular face... so it takes advantage of the wider circular case, but I think the end result would be kind of ugly for list-form faces like modular.
I guess one draw of the round Apple Watch would be to have an Apple Watch that looks like a conventional analog watch:
And I gotta admit... those are some attractive Android Wear watch faces (except for the one on the left that has a flat-tire). That said as I browse through some of what many consider to be the best Android Wear faces, the recurring theme seems to be to replicate the analog watch look. That's fine because that is what some people absolutely want. The Apple Watch wasn't designed to replicate the look of an analog watch, even though there are analog watch faces. My opinion is that the Apple Watch shape is better suited for displaying information, while the round watch faces of Android are better at providing a classic watch look.
It will be interesting to see what the future brings, but I don't see Apple turning away from the current design.
You make some great points, and I think you are absolutely right that the desire for a round watch seems to be rooted in wanting to replicate an analog watch face.
Slightly related, I remember reading that Jony Ives' favorite watch was the Patek Philippe Nautilus, but it wasn't until the new Infograph watch face was introduced that I noticed Apple had been basically using the watch hands from the Patek Philippe.