Andrew O'Hara
With the launch of watchOS 8 next week, Apple Watch will yet again gain multiple new watch faces. We go hands-on with the new face options and discuss exclusive options coming to Apple Watch Series 7.
Portrait
Portrait is the flashiest of the new faces, bringing your portrait mode photos to your Watch. Apple is using the depth map of the images to, in certain cases, overlay the subject atop the time. This creates a very impressive effect.
Portrait face on Apple WatchFurthermore, you're able to use the Digital Crown to "zoom" in on the subject, causing them to increase in size as the time stamp behind reduces in opacity.
Different styles for the Portrait faceThis watch face supports two complications, though the upper-most complication is only configurable to "off" or the date. The bottom complication can be anything, however. Aside from the two complications, the face can be configured in modern, classic, or rounded typefaces.
World Time
The World Time face was shown off at WWDC but never made it into the early betas. Now with the RC being seeded, we got to test out the new face for ourselves.
World Time faceThis face allows users to see the time zone anywhere across the globe. Different time zones are represented by the locations on the outer dial while the inner dial will display the time for each of them. If you tap the globe in the middle of the watch face, it will rotate to center you in your current time zone.
Additionally, the face has sun and moon icons to display the sunrise and sunset where you are, and night and day are represented by the dark and light zones across the face.
Digital style for the World Time faceUsers can choose between the digital display of time or the analog version. There are four complications with this face, one for each corner. Unfortunately, some complications still have not yet been updated to support the curved corner style yet, though we hope more get updated as Apple continues to release watch faces that support them. Its color can also be customized.
Apple Watch Series 7
While all users will get the Portrait and World Time faces, Apple Watch Series 7 will have three exclusive faces of its own. The exclusive faces are Nike Bounce, Modular Max, and Contour.
Nike Bounce face on the lower watchNike Bounce, which is only available on the Nike version of the Apple Watch Series 7, is a colorful face that reacts every time you touch it, move your wrist, or move the Digital Crown.
Modular Max watch faceModular Max is a tweaked version of the existing Modular watch face but instead of a row of three small compilations at the bottom, a second full-width complication can be added.
Contour watch faceFinally, Contour puts the time around the edge of the watch and changes its size based on the time. It works with the new display to create a wrap-around look unique to the new wearable.
These faces are all designed to take advantage of the nearly 20% more real estate provided by the new display of the Apple Watch Series 7.
Apple will release watchOS 8 on September 20.
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5 Comments
Pretty much no big whoop. If you already have an WATCH, the only reason to upgrade to Series 7 is if you don’t want Gold aluminum. Otherwise we have to spend all year petitioning Apple to bring back Gold Aluminum. I have an aluminum Gold Series 5 and Blue Series 6. But the Blue WATCH looks like BLACK 90% of the time. So now I have to buy an aluminum Gold Series 6 or a Stainless Steel Gold Series 8 in a year for a $300 premium. Bummer.
I dig that new Contour face. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I realize. But, it will look sharp in those times when I prefer to go minimal.
Contour is only available one the new watches, So you’re gonna buy a new watch just to get the new watch faces?