When Apple added the cellular function to the Series 3 Apple Watch in 2017, something happened for the first time with Apple Watch fans. Apple Watch fans were deeply divided on the importance of it. Prior to that, the only upgrade the Apple Watch received happened in 2016 and it was unanimously praised by all the watch fans. There was nothing divisive about adding a much more powerful dual-core chip, on-board GPS, or a super-bright screen that could easily be seen even in bright sunlight.
But the addition of LTE cellular capability was simultaneously seen as either incredibly useful or a big waste of money by the owners of Series 2 watches. It really depended on how you used your watch. For my wife and I, it was a godsend. I’m a regular runner and it was liberating to leave my phone at home while out on the trails. Especially now that phones keep getting larger and larger. My wife on the other hand has a bad habit of leaving the house in a hurry and forgetting to take her phone with her. She absolutely loves that she can still get her messages and make calls when this happens.
Which brings me to the new polarizing headlining feature of Apple’s Series 5 Apple Watch, the always-on display (AOD). I feel that it was long overdue and incredibly useful. But it seems that there is also a significant group of Apple Watch users who don’t seem to really care for it. Why the difference?
The always-on screen is similar to LTE in that it appeals in certain situations. Those who find themselves in that particular situation will love the feature. Those who don’t, not so much.
So when do I find the AOD useful? By far the best situation is when I’m sitting in meetings. It used to feel so conspicuous to do the wrist turn to get my watch to turn on. Even turning the crown felt kind of rude. If I’m supposed to be listening to whoever is speaking I don’t want it to look like I’m trying to send a message that the speaker needs to wrap it up. But I don’t want to be late for my next meeting.
I also find the AOD useful when I’m working at my desk. Even though the time is right there on my monitor, I instinctively want to look at my wrist because I’ve been wearing a watch for so many decades. . I even look at my wrist when there’s a little clock somewhere on my desk. So I find the AOD of the Series 5 very satisfying when I’m at my desk with my arms outstretched to my keyboard.
If there’s one thing that I’d like to change about the AOD, it would be to have different faces for when the screen is dimmed. I really don’t want my sleep face to be the same as the wake face.
I have a whole slate of Infograph Modular faces that I use depending on the time of day. When I turn my wrist, these are the watch faces full of information that I want to see. However, when my watch is in dim mode and facing other people, I’d love to be able to configure my watch to look like a regular watch. I’d choose a California watch face with no complications but the date. And I’d kinda like to add a background color too. That way it could color coordinate with my watch band or shirt.
So, like the optional cellular capability, whether you’ll find the AOD useful depends on when and how you like to use your watch. A sizable segment of the population doesn’t see the point of wearing a watch at all. But as for me, the days of having a black face are over for good.
Which brings me to the new polarizing headlining feature of Apple’s Series 5 Apple Watch, the always-on display (AOD). I feel that it was long overdue and incredibly useful. But it seems that there is also a significant group of Apple Watch users who don’t seem to really care for it. Why the difference?
The always-on screen is similar to LTE in that it appeals in certain situations. Those who find themselves in that particular situation will love the feature. Those who don’t, not so much.
So when do I find the AOD useful? By far the best situation is when I’m sitting in meetings. It used to feel so conspicuous to do the wrist turn to get my watch to turn on. Even turning the crown felt kind of rude. If I’m supposed to be listening to whoever is speaking I don’t want it to look like I’m trying to send a message that the speaker needs to wrap it up. But I don’t want to be late for my next meeting.
I also find the AOD useful when I’m working at my desk. Even though the time is right there on my monitor, I instinctively want to look at my wrist because I’ve been wearing a watch for so many decades. . I even look at my wrist when there’s a little clock somewhere on my desk. So I find the AOD of the Series 5 very satisfying when I’m at my desk with my arms outstretched to my keyboard.
If there’s one thing that I’d like to change about the AOD, it would be to have different faces for when the screen is dimmed. I really don’t want my sleep face to be the same as the wake face.
I have a whole slate of Infograph Modular faces that I use depending on the time of day. When I turn my wrist, these are the watch faces full of information that I want to see. However, when my watch is in dim mode and facing other people, I’d love to be able to configure my watch to look like a regular watch. I’d choose a California watch face with no complications but the date. And I’d kinda like to add a background color too. That way it could color coordinate with my watch band or shirt.
So, like the optional cellular capability, whether you’ll find the AOD useful depends on when and how you like to use your watch. A sizable segment of the population doesn’t see the point of wearing a watch at all. But as for me, the days of having a black face are over for good.
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