Tag: watch

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Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm, aluminum, GPS, jet black, 2024)

Although the Apple Watch Series 10 was the most significant update to the Apple Watch to date, the design changes were not radical, and the new features were more aptly described as evolutionary—not revolutionary. That being said, the Series 10 was arguably the most elegant Apple Watch design so far. Apple described the Series 10 in a press release:

“The world’s bestselling watch is thinner than ever, featuring the biggest, most advanced display yet; sleep apnea notifications; faster charging; and water depth and temperature sensing.”

The most striking features of the Series 10 included the display and its relative thinness. The display was 46 mm (with a 42 mm option also available), and was reported to be up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. Compared to the Series 9, the size was just 1 mm larger, but notably, the larger Series 10 model was just 3 mm smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra (49 mm), and the smaller option at 42 mm was the same size as the larger option of the original Apple Watch (Series 0). At the same time, the 46 mm Series 10 had a larger screen—416 x 496 pixels, 1220 square mm display area—than the 49 mm Apple Watch Ultra 2—410 x 502 pixels, 1185 square mm display area. The Series 9, by contrast was 396 x 484 pixels with a 1143 square mm display area.

The thinness of the Series 10 was noticeable, even though it was only 1 mm thinner overall. The 45 mm Series 9 was 10.7 mm thick, while the 46 mm Series 10 is 9.7 mm; however, the Series 10 rounded-rectangle case was thinner with thickness of the round sensor accounting for the measurement. The Apple Watch Series 10 was also 2.3 grams lighter than the Series 9 (46 mm aluminum GPS model).

Regarding finishes, the Series 10 dropped the Stainless Steel option and replaced it with a lighter Titanium option in three colors: slate, gold, and natural titanium. The Aluminum models included the classic silver color, brought back a rose gold option, and introduced a new “Jet Black Aluminum” option that matched the previous glossy sheen of the black stainless steel models at a nearly $400 lower cost and reduced weight.

The Series 10 added some water features similar to the Apple Watch Ultra line, including a water temperature sensor; a depth gauge and app; and support for the Oceanic+ app for snorkeling.

The Series 10 added two new audio-related features. First, the new media playback feature added an enhanced speaker so users could listen to music and podcasts directly through the speaker on the Watch. Second, a new microphone added voice isolation for using the speakerphone and voice recording features.

Finally, I would like to note that the first generation (sometimes called the Series 0) of the Apple Watch was released nearly 10 years before the Series 10 (April 24, 2015), and the Series 10 will likely be the “current” available model at the 10-year mark. Thus, the Series 10 can represent 10-year anniversary of the product line. Since Apple offers an easy way to compare their different Watch models, here are some highlights to show how far the Apple Watch has come in nearly 10 years:

  • Size—Original: 42 mm and 38 mm; Series 10: 46 mm and 42 mm (the smallest available option now matches the size of the largest original Apple Watch)
  • Screen brightness—Original: 450 nits; Series 10: 2000 nits (Series 10 is over 300% brighter than the original Apple Watch)
  • Heart health notifications—Original: High/low heart rate notifications; Series 10: High/low heart rate notifications, ECG, Low cardio fitness notifications
  • Water resistance—Original: Splash resistant; Series 10: Water resistant to 50 m, depth gauge to 6 m, water temperature sensor
  • Battery—Original: Up to 18 hours; Series 10: Up to 36 hours in low-power mode (twice the battery life)
  • Finishes—Original: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, 18K Gold; Series 10: Aluminum, Titanium (the $10,000 and $12,000 Edition models were dropped after the original “Series 0” Watch)
  • Weight—Original: 42 mm 30 g; Series 10: 46 mm 36.4 g (Series 10 is 21% heavier)
  • Thickness—Original: 42 mm 10.5 mm; Series 10: 46 mm 9.7 mm (Series 10 is 8% thinner)
  • Screen size—Original: 42 mm 312 x 390 pixels, 740 square mm; Series 10: 46 mm 416 x 496 pixels, 1220 square mm (the Series 10 screen is 65% larger)
  • Number features—Original: 13 features; Series 10: 36 features (although this metric is subjective, many of the features listed by Apple include multiple points)

Sources: Apple (Press release, product, specifications, compare), Wikipedia

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Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, Cellular, Green Aluminum, Clover Sport Band, 2021)

The Apple Watch Series 7 is similar to the Series 6 that preceded it, but has a larger, edge-to-edge display, a more durable case, and faster charging capabilities. Like all previous Apple Watch models, the Series 7 uses Apple’s Digital Crown and a touch display with haptic feedback. Apple described the Series 7 as having “a reengineered Always-On Retina display with significantly more screen area and thinner borders.”

The Series 7 introduced two new sizes, 45mm and 41mm. This example uses a 45mm display. The display is a 396×484 LTPO OLED (approximately 1.9 inches) and is “Always On.” The display is protected by Apple’s scratch-resistant Ion-X glass.

Apple described the color choices:

“Apple Watch Series 7 introduces five beautiful new aluminum case finishes, including midnight, starlight, green, and a new blue and (PRODUCT)RED, along with a range of new band colors and styles. Stainless steel models are available in silver, graphite, and gold stainless steel, along with Apple Watch Edition in titanium and space black titanium.”

The Apple Watch Series 7 has a ceramic and sapphire crystal back. Upon release, Apple offered eleven pre-configured options:

  • Green Aluminum with Clover Sport Band
  • Starlight Aluminum with Starlight Sport Band
  • Midnight Aluminum with Midnight Sport Band
  • Blue Aluminum with Abyss Blue Sport Band
  • (PRODUCT)RED Aluminum with Red Sport Band
  • Gold Stainless Steel with Dark Cherry Sport Band
  • Gold Stainless Steel with Gold Milanese Loop
  • Silver Stainless Steel with Starlight Sport Band
  • Silver Stainless Steel with Silver Milanese Loop
  • Graphite Stainless Steel with Abyss Blue Sport Loop
  • Graphite Stainless Steel with Graphite Milanese Loop

Two aluminum Apple Watch Series 7 Nike options were available at release as pre-configured options:

  • Starlight Aluminum with Platinum/Black Sport Band
  • Midnight Aluminum with Anthracite/Black Sport Band

Two Apple Watch Series 7 Hermès options were available at release:

  • Space Black Stainless Steel case with patterned blue and black leather Circuit H Single Tour Band
  • Silver Stainless Steel case with brown leather Single Tour Deployment Buckle

In addition to the included Hermès-designed bands, Apple Watch Series 7 Hermès devices with black housings include a black Hermes Sport Band and models with silver housings include an orange Hermes Sport Band.

This example is cellular 45mm Green Aluminum and shipped with a Clover (medium green) Sport Band. The cellular version of the Apple Watch can send and receive calls without a tethered iPhone for an additional cost of about $10 per month.

Sources: Apple, EveryMac

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Watch, www.apple.com (c. 1997)

This rare boxed watch was offered by Apple as a marketing piece, likely for Apple’s System 7.5 operating system that was released in 1997. The watch body is made from a matte-finished silver metal and has a black leather band. The watch face is white with red dots in the 12, 3, 6, and 9 positions; has red hour and minute hands; and is printed across the top with www.apple.com with the six-color logo printed at the bottom. Instead of a second hand, the watch has a transparent disc printed with eight color icons. The icons resemble System 7.5 color icons, but they do not match.

The icons are are printed top-to-bottom so the disc is only aligned at 0º once per minute—as opposed to having the icons printed at angles so the topmost icon is aligned to the 12 position. The icons resemble the following System 7.5 icons:

  • Puzzle (Application)—located under the Apple Menu
  • Dogcow—icon located on the Print screen to indicate the layout of the printed page
  • Color—Control Panel
  • Trash
  • Map—Control Panel
  • Users & Groups—Control Panel
  • Alarm Clock (Application)—located under the Apple Menu
  • Globe—similar to the Map Control panel

The watch measures 9 3/8 inches long from tip of the black leather band to the metal buckle. The metal watch case is 1 5/8 inches tall by 1 1/4 inches wide.

Another design inconsistency is that the www.apple.com URL printed in black on the watch face is not in Apple Garamond, Apple’s corporate font of the time. Rather, the font used appears to be a version of Times.

The original box shares many of the design quirks of the watch itself. The box measures 3 7/8 inches wide x 5 7/8 inches tall x 1 1/8 inches deep. Its base is glossy black, and it opens like a jewel box along the short edge.

The top exterior of the box has the six-color Apple logo printed in the center, and it is surrounded by a slightly different version of the eight icons shown on the watch. Although the box icons are slightly more realistic than the smaller watch versions, they also do not match the System 7.5 icons.

When opened, the interior of the box is primarily glossy black and uses a pop-up cardboard effect (similar to a “pop-up book”). The pop-up is a stylized globe in bright blue and bright green that is oriented upside-down (with the northern and southern hemispheres rotated and drawn in a manner inconsistent with an actual globe). The URL www.apple.com is printed in white in a quarter-rounded path around the globe in the same font as the watch face.

The box-bottom repeats the URL www.apple.com in bright blue across the top. A slot near the bottom and six-color Apple logo tab near the top are used to secure the watch at an angle on an in insert inside the box.

A Cult of Mac article was still available online at the time of this writing that featured this “Apple Watch” as the world waited for the release of the Apple Watch—referred to in the article as the “iWatch.” At the time, Cult of Mac (and other news sources) were incorrectly assuming Apple’s rumored smart watch would be called “iWatch.” The headline reads, “Forget The iWatch, Here Are 11 Apple Watches You Can Buy Right Now.” The article reads, in part:

“When rumors of the iWatch first surfaced, most insiders pegged its launch date for somewhere around the end of 2013 and everyone got super excited that our wrists are going to get blinged out by Apple really soon. However, lately we’ve been hearing that that might not be the case, and we won’t be able to slap Apple’s magical wrist watch on until 2014.”

I consider myself privileged to have this unusual and classic watch in my collection.

Sources: CultOfMac, GUIdebook (Graphical User Interface Gallery), Wikipedia

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Apple Watch Braided Solo Loop (45mm, Size 12, Abyss Blue, Fall 2021)

The Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch band was released in 2020 along with the Apple Watch Series 6. The packaging describes this product as a “Textile Fitted Band.” According to Apple’s website:

“Each Braided Solo Loop features a unique, stretchable design that’s ultracomfortable and easy to slip on and off your wrist. Made from 100 percent recycled materials, the 16,000 polyester yarn filaments in each band are interwoven with thin silicone threads using advanced braiding machinery then laser cut to an exact length. The 300D construction offers a soft, textured feel and is both sweat-resistant and water-resistant.”

The color of this band is Abyss Blue, a shade of dark blue. It was available in 41mm and 45mm widths. The 41mm Braided Solo Loop was sold in wrist sizes 1–9, and the 45mm Braided Solo Loop was sold in wrist sizes 4–12.

According to Apple’s website, “This band comes in custom sizes because it’s designed for an ultracomfortable fit. An accurate measurement will help you get the size that’s right for you.” The website allowed buyers to download a PDF and cut out a “tool” that wrapped around the wrist to designate the band size needed.

Source: Apple, Bandbreit app

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Milanese Loop (Generation 1, Gold Stainless Steel, 44mm, Fall 2018)

The Milanese Loop was among Apple’s original Apple Watch band designs. In the press release in September 2014 announcing the original Apple Watch, Apple wrote: “Apple also created an entire range of watch straps [including] the Milanese Loop in a flexible magnetic stainless steel mesh.” The original Milanese Loop was available only in silver, but has been offered in a total of five colors: Silver (Spring 2015), Space Black (Spring 2016), Graphite (Fall 2020), and two shades of Gold (Fall 2018, Fall 2020).

This example is the Generation 1 version of the Gold Stainless Steel Milanese Loop. (The Generation 2 version released in Fall 2020 had a slightly less red tone.)

Apple describes the Milanese Loop:

“A modern interpretation of a design developed in Milan at the end of the 19th century. Woven on specialized Italian machines, the smooth stainless steel mesh wraps fluidly around your wrist. And because it’s fully magnetic, the Milanese Loop is infinitely adjustable, ensuring a perfect fit.”

Apple specifies that the Milanese Loop is not water resistant and cautions that the band contains magnets that may cause interference with the Compass on the watch.

The 38/40/41mm version of the band band fit 130–180mm wrists, while the 42/44/45/49mm version fit 150–200mm wrists. Although this design and color was released in 2015, this Milanese Loop is dated 2019 on the packaging, and the product was still available on the Apple website as of March 2023 (for $99).

Source: Apple (Newsroom, product)

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Sport Band, Pride Edition (M/L, 2022)

On May 9, 2023, Apple introduced this new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Band. This Sport Band was introduced along with a matching watch face and iOS wallpaper. The design is a first for Apple and includes the most colors ever incorporated into a Sport Band. Apple described the Sport Band:

“…the new Sport Band design showcases the original pride flag rainbow colors and five others — black and brown symbolize Black and Latin communities, in addition to those who have passed away from or are living with HIV/AIDS, while light blue, pink, and white represent transgender and nonbinary individuals.”

Even the band’s manufacturing process is unique to this design:

“This year’s design integrates a joyful rainbow of geometric shapes on a white base, which are compression-molded into the final band. In the forming process, the base material flows around each individual shape, creating small variations in their layout. No two bands are exactly alike, reflecting the individuality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

The following organizations are supported by Apple’s sales of this Sport Band:

  • Equality Federation Institute
  • Encircle
  • Equality North Carolina
  • Equality Texas
  • Gender Spectrum
  • GLSEN
  • Human Rights Campaign
  • PFLAG
  • The National Center for Transgender Equality
  • SMYAL
  • The Trevor Project
  • ILGA World

Source: Apple (Product, Newsroom)

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Trail Loop (Yellow/Beige, M/L, Fall 2022)

The Apple Watch Trail Loop was released along with the Apple Watch Ultra on September 7, 2022. The Apple Watch Ultra “brings a new bold design and a wide range of features built for endurance, exploration, and adventure.”

In the original press release, Apple described the Trail Loop as one of its “New Bands Designed for the Great Outdoors.” Apple added:

“Designed specifically for endurance athletes and runners, the Trail Loop band is the thinnest Apple Watch band to date. The lightweight woven textile is both soft and flexible, allowing it to cinch to the optimal fit, and the convenient tab is designed for quick and easy adjustment.”

Apple’s product page described the Trail Loop:

“The thin, lightweight Trail Loop is made from a nylon weave creating a soft band with increased elasticity for a comfortable fit. The band is infinitely adjustable with a convenient pull tab for quick adjustments on the go.”

This Trail Loop is Yellow/Beige. The main inner field of the band is beige. One edge of the band is light gray and the other edge is yellow. The connectors are made of the same color titanium as the Apple Watch Ultra. The band has a beige closure tab that is stitched to the main band with yellow thread.

All Apple Watch Ultra models fit the single-size 49mm case. The Trail Loop is made primarily of nylon.

Source: Apple (Product, Newsroom)

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Alpine Loop (Starlight, Large, Fall 2022)

The Apple Watch Alpine Loop was released along with the Apple Watch Ultra on September 7, 2022. The Apple Watch Ultra “brings a new bold design and a wide range of features built for endurance, exploration, and adventure.”

In the original press release, Apple described the Alpine Loop as one of its “New Bands Designed for the Great Outdoors.” Apple adds:

“With explorers in mind, the Alpine Loop band features two integrated layers made from one continuous weaving process that eliminates the need for stitching. The top loops, interspersed with high-strength yarn, provide adjustability and a secure attachment for the titanium G-hook fastener.”

Apple’s product page described the Alpine Loop:

“The rugged Alpine Loop is made from two textile layers woven together into one continuous piece without stitching. High-strength yarns reinforce the top loops, and the corrosion-resistant titanium G-hook slides easily into the loops for secure fit.”

This Alpine Loop is Starlight, a shade of off-white. The connectors and the “G-hook” closure are made of the same color titanium as the Apple Watch Ultra. Although splitting hairs, a more apt name for the hook would be a “g-hook” since it matches the shape of a lowercase—not uppercase—“g.”

All Apple Watch Ultra models fit the single-size 49mm case. The Alpine Loop is made primarily of polyester.

Source: Apple (Product, Newsroom), Bandbreite app

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Alpine Loop (Green, Large, Fall 2022)

The Apple Watch Alpine Loop was released along with the Apple Watch Ultra on September 7, 2022. The Apple Watch Ultra “brings a new bold design and a wide range of features built for endurance, exploration, and adventure.”

In the original press release, Apple described the Alpine Loop as one of its “New Bands Designed for the Great Outdoors.” Apple adds:

“With explorers in mind, the Alpine Loop band features two integrated layers made from one continuous weaving process that eliminates the need for stitching. The top loops, interspersed with high-strength yarn, provide adjustability and a secure attachment for the titanium G-hook fastener.”

Apple’s product page described the Alpine Loop:

“The rugged Alpine Loop is made from two textile layers woven together into one continuous piece without stitching. High-strength yarns reinforce the top loops, and the corrosion-resistant titanium G-hook slides easily into the loops for secure fit.”

This Alpine Loop is Green, in a shade that could be described as Army Green. The connectors and the “G-hook” closure are made of the same color titanium as the Apple Watch Ultra. Although splitting hairs, a more apt name for the hook would be a “g-hook” since it matches the shape of a lowercase—not uppercase—“g.”

All Apple Watch Ultra models fit the single-size 49mm case. The Alpine Loop is made primarily of polyester.

Source: Apple (Product, Newsroom), Bandbreite app

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Apple Watch Sport Loop (45mm, XL, Tornado/Gray, Fall 2021)

The Apple Watch Sport Loop band was woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. These bands were available for the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–200mm wrists (41mm) and 145–220mm wrists (45mm). The bands also fit older Apple Watch sizes. This band is the much rarer XL size, offered only in the 45mm size to fit 170–245mm wrists.

This Tornado/Gray band used a two-stripe design first introduced in Fall 2021. One stripe was olive green and the other was a dark gray with edges in dark green. The connector and closure plastics were in a dark green color that matched the thread edges.

Apple’s use of green hues in a color named “Tornado” can be explained by science. According to Accuweather, when the sun’s “…setting light is transmitted by a massively thick cloud composed of water droplets and ice particles, the results are a green sky.”

Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:

“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”

Source: Apple, Accuweather