Zac Hall
There are three categories of Apple Watch face requests:
1. More watch faces from Apple
2. More watch face customization from Apple
3. Watch faces that aren't from Apple
Apple has added around 50 new watch faces since watchOS 1.0 in 2015, and
most watch faces have added or updated customization options over the years.
Apple has never allowed custom watch faces in any capacity to run on the
watch.
While Apple will continue to satisfy some people with new watch faces,
there's no evidence Apple will ever allow third-party watch faces. There is,
however, a strategy change to watch-face customization that would alleviate
a lot of frustration.
Setting aside third-party watch faces, I believe the best way to satisfy
most people is by vastly expanding watch face customization. Not with more
colors or complications, but with more control over colors and
complications.
Complications
The constraints are not new, but a recent software update highlights the
current limitations. watchOS 9 updates how complications can appear on watch
faces as well as how colors are presented. The update brings "rich
complications" (i.e. corner complications from Apple Watch Series 4 and
later) to watch faces that originate back to Apple Watch Series 3 or
earlier. Larger displays and rounded corners introduced the modern watch
face style, especially for analog faces. Not everyone appreciates this
change.
Simple
For my colleague Ben Lovejoy, the issue is simple.
Complications on his preferred watch face aren't simple anymore.
block quote
Instead of that very minimalist look, the watchOS 9 complications are far
from minimalist. I'm sure they look great in some watch faces, but
definitely not in the most pared-down Simple face. Instead of a simple day
and date, there's now three tiles with today's date in the middle. Why? What
was a simple weather icon and a temperature now has a bigger icon and a
curved bar with the temperature range for the day.
block quote end
Preference is the most important part of this argument. There is, however, a
functional piece to it.
Simple supports four styles that change the amount of detail in the clock.
Style IV includes numerals around the dial for minute marks, and the dial
includes more detail.
In watchOS 9, the numerals in style IV briefly show in the watch face editor
before disappearing because rich complications do not accommodate them.
Style IV can only be presented as originally designed when no complications
are present. The solution prior to watchOS 9 was to include numerals 10, 20,
40, and 50 in style IV.
At minimum, Apple needs to use additional time to polish how older watch
faces handle rich complications. A watch face editor without artificial
limits based on Apple's decisions is preferred.
Utility
While I agree with the decision to update the complication style on older
watch faces, my frustration is with which parts didn't change.
Utility and Explorer are two faces that are always in my rotation. Both have
two top corner complications and one wide rounded text complication.
Starting with Apple Watch Series 4, the wide rounded text complication
replaced the wide straight text complication.
watchOS enhances (in my opinion) the two top corner complications. My
disappointment is with the bottom complication. I would much prefer two
bottom corner complications. I just think the smiley face-style text looks
goofy. The correct solution would be to integrate wide text complications
into the dial like what the California face does.
That's only my preference though. Others are relieved that this wide rounded
text style survived the migration to rich complications. These are personal
preferences that an Apple Watch face editor with elements available on
similar watch faces could present.
Technically speaking, there's no reason why Apple couldn't allow you to
choose between compact corner, wide rounded, and detailed corner
complication styles.
It's a design choice Apple makes for you.
Colors
Color choice is an artificial limit within the realm of first-party faces.
Most watch faces have dozens of color choices including every shade of blue
visible to the human eye. Yet there are details that you just wish you could
change. These are often basic tweaks like watch hand color choice or
choosing between multicolor or single color complications. Lifting this
constraint would satisfy a lot of people a lot of the time.
Then there are big color changes that sneak their way in to software updates
and run on new hardware that you buy because you're enthusiastic about the
Apple Watch you have. That's when this happens:
Both watch faces are equally functional, yet it's possible to have a watch
face ruined for you when Apple makes a new decision on how it should be
presented.
My version of this happened with "mostly white, hints of gold" becoming
"mostly gold, hints of white" on a stainless steel Apple Watch. I didn't
identify what happened and just thought I was starting to like that watch
face a lot less.
Personal preference is such an important aspect of Apple Watch. A more
functional Apple Watch face editor would introduce the new color style while
preserving the original. The two can coexist and should.
Wayfinder Complication and color constraints continue with every new watch
face. The latest is Wayfinder on Apple Watch Ultra.
It has three custom colors with three possible combinations plus dozens more
single color options. Yet the lack of full color control over complications
and other elements of the watch face prevents me from making the combination
I want to use regularly.
Set one includes these colors:
. Ultra Orange/White
. Ultra Blue/White
. Ultra Yellow/White
The center dial is black, the bezel is white, and the background is white.
Complications including the LTE signal indicator are color matched to
orange, blue, or yellow.
Set two is labeled as follows:
. Ultra Orange
. Ultra Blue
. Ultra Yellow
The center dial is black, the bezel is white, and the background is black.
Complications including LTE appear in full color.
Set three is my almost favorite:
. Ultra Orange/Black
. Ultra Blue/Black
. Ultra Yellow/Black
Black center dial, black bezel, black background. So far, so good.
Complications including LTE appear in full color. That's where it loses me.
My preference is all black with Ultra Blue accents. So set three with set
one's complication colors. Not possible.
Set four encompassing every other color option includes a black dial, white
bezel, and black background with color matched complications. This is almost
a workaround for me, but the white bezel isn't what I want. My solution is
to not use the new watch face exclusive to the new hardware.
In all of these instances, an Apple Watch face editor that lets you make
your own decisions based on elements that are already available on other
watch faces would provide great satisfaction. That's a change that could
happen today without dealing with the policy and infrastructure for
third-party watch faces.
9to5Mac.
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