Apple Watch is convenient for women.But what about the purpose I saw?

I want to continue using the Apple Watch, so I was curious about it.

With the introduction of the new Apple Watch this year, the Apple Watch is now in its fifth generation. I bought it every other generation from the first generation, and it is the third in Series 5. Not only can the Apple Watch be used as a handset of the iPhone, but it can also be used as an activity meter or can be used as a stand-alone phone, but I use it because it is especially convenient for women. This may not be the case in Japan, but in the United States I often see women wearing Apple Watches.

But I haven't been able to actively recommend the Apple Watch to anyone. One of the reasons is that the Apple Watch is still a luxury item in the world, or it seems that it is not out of the range of "things that gadget lovers buy", but another bigger reason is that "the design looks like". I don't like it that much. "

I wouldn't wear an ordinary wristwatch or bracelet unless I really like the design, but the Apple Watch has unique features and is convenient, so it looks like I'm wearing it at a compromise. I don't hate it, but honestly I don't love it either. In that sense, I don't think the Apple Watch has become the "fashion accessory" that Jonathan Ive aimed for.

Recently, Apple is trying to attract more women than ever by adding women's cycle recording capabilities to the Apple Watch and participating in research on gynecological medicine. However, the design hasn't changed much since the first generation, and it seems that it has moved away from women. I'm worried that the Apple Watch will not be as satisfying for women (or me) as it is, but rather the disappointment that "it hasn't changed again ..." may deepen with each new version.

So in this article, I'll write about how the Apple Watch is good for women and what's wrong with what you see (I think).

Benefits for women on Apple Watch

One of the good things about using the Apple Watch is that I can answer the phone. What is the most convenient function of using a smartphone and smartwatch? Isn't it okay with a feature phone anymore? It seems that it will be packed ... But I usually put my iPhone in silent mode in my bag or in my coat pocket, so I tended to not notice it when I got a call, or even if I noticed it, it took a lot of time to remove the iPhone from my bag. .. But now that the Apple Watch vibrates on my wrist, I immediately notice the incoming call.

Not only on the phone, but also on LINE and other messengers, it's harder to miss notifications. Unlike men's clothing, women's clothing may or may not have pockets. So I think there are many women who, like me, put their smartphones in bags and miss notifications. Occasionally, when I use my Apple Watch to answer a phone call in front of my friends, they say, "What's that! I want to use it too!"

Also, it's better to say that this is a child rather than a woman, but I'm happy that the Apple Watch can be used instead of the iPhone when the child's hand is occupied. For example, if you can use Apple Pay at a supermarket, you can pay with your Apple Watch, so you don't have to mess with your bag and take out your wallet.

Then, the ability to make emergency calls with simple operations and the cycle recording app added in watchOS 6 are practical for women. And, of course, I'm glad that the calorie consumption of the activity meter increases when I move a little, so I check it a little.

However, most of what I've written here isn't exclusive to the Apple Watch. But Android and Samsung's Tizen-based smartwatches are usually more masculine than the Apple Watch, and although some are for women, they're still not mainstream.

In that sense, I would like the Apple Watch to do its best, but I personally have a lot of things that get stuck in terms of appearance. I'm very afraid to make a statement about the design of Apple products, but I would like to convey it as the voice of a fan who has been worried for four years.

The size is too big

The first thing to worry about when designing an Apple Watch is its size. There are currently two sizes of Apple Watch, 40mm and 44mm, and I use the 40mm one, but I feel that even 40mm is larger than a normal women's watch. What's more, the Series 3 was 38mm and 42mm, but it was 2mm larger than the Series 4, so I felt like I was pushed away at that time.

If the size of the wristwatch is large, it will give a men's-like and sporty atmosphere. So it doesn't feel right to wear an Apple Watch when wearing a feminine look, such as a skirt or dress. It is difficult to match with other accessories such as rings and bracelets.

Or even if it's a simple black turtle and Steve Jobs style like jeans, the sportiness of the Apple Watch feels too strong because the accessories affect the overall impression. I like both feminine and neutral, but I'm not convinced that the Apple Watch always makes the overall taste sportier.

Then you might think that you should remove it on days when you don't feel like it. But once you get used to life on your Apple Watch, going out without an Apple Watch is as painful as going out without a smartphone. It's kind of disappointing that the record of activity is cut off. So by all means, I want the Apple Watch to have more tastes.

By the way, the feminine style here is not a fancy dress like a wedding dress, but a rather everyday dress like this.

I'm using the Milanese loop band, which seems to be the most elegant of the genuine products, but it still feels like the Apple Watch is too big and floating, can it be transmitted?

Personally, if you wear a wristwatch with such clothes, it's like this. I mean, I only have one more watch ...

It looks like this when placed side by side with the Apple Watch.

By the way, the case size of this watch is 20mm even if you measure the protruding parts at the top and bottom of the dial, which is about half that of the Apple Watch. The diameter of the dial body is about 16 mm. I used to be an office worker, but I'm really sorry that I only have this kind of watch.

I want an iPod shuffle for Apple Watch

Even if this size is extreme, according to True Facet, a watch and jewelery enthusiast site, the case size of a standard women's watch is 26 to 29 mm. Even if the Apple Watch is 20mm, can't you make a version that cuts 30mm?

However, even with the current 40mm, you may mistakenly press the icon, so it seems that it will be even more difficult to operate when it gets smaller. It is packed with various sensors, processors, batteries, etc., so it may be technically difficult to fit it within 30 mm.

If it's difficult to shrink the current Apple Watch as it is, I think it's okay to remove the function. It's like an iPod shuffle on an iPod. For example, the Apple Watch has a news app, but it's unlikely that people will read the news on a tiny screen. Passcodes are now used to authenticate Apple Watches, but Apple has recently patented a technology that authenticates with the skin of the wrist, so in the future it will not be necessary to press a small number on the screen to authenticate. May be.

If we can make an Apple Watch that is smaller in size with the minimum functions, I think that many people will buy both iPod and iPod Shuffle. If you use it properly, such as 40 mm for exercise days, 30 mm for formal work days, and 24 mm for more fashionable days, Apple's sales will increase, so please consider it ...?

Even more delusional, if you can make such a small Apple Watch, and considering that you already have the technology to measure heart rate with your fingers, it may be better to use a smart ring instead of a smart watch. It seems that people who like "I want to wear a smart watch but I also like watches" may be a little humorous with a luxury watch in one hand and an Apple Watch in the other hand, but now you can choose a ring type as well. If so, I think that such people's worries can be resolved.

The dial is black

If the Apple Watch comes out in mini size, it will only solve about half of the problems I'm feeling. The other half is rather frustrating because the contents of the dial, especially "the dial is almost always black". It's a computer display, so it's natural to use the default black! Do you know how bright the battery is consumed! However, I think that it is compatible with clothes and things that are on the wrist.

Oh, of course, you can customize the dial of your Apple Watch, so you can change it to any color you like, whether it's white or pink. But most of the time it's a black screen in off mode. With the update to watchOS 6, it is now displayed even when it is off, but it is still black main for power saving. Therefore, no matter how light the band is attached, black always occupies a relatively large area.

As with the watches compared above, the dials of ordinary wristwatches are often white, ivory, silver, or other thin colors that fit the case. Of course, there are many watches with dark dials such as black and navy, and that's fine, but it's a big limitation that the only option is black like the Apple Watch. Black, especially black on the display, is a very strong color, so it's too tight to match with white or pastel clothes. So it doesn't have to be pure white, so I wonder if it's possible to make the off-mode screen a little softer.

A little nice news, including delusions, is that Panasonic recently announced a display that is transparent when off. So technically, it may not be right now, but it shouldn't have to be display = black. If the Apple Watch had a transparent display, it would be possible to embed the display in something like a gold bangle and only see it when needed, maybe. I'm looking forward to it.

In terms of color, there is no question and answer in the cellular model, and a red ring comes in the digital crown, but I wonder if it will be possible to choose without a ring. I want to eliminate the contrast between the black of the screen and the metallic of the case, but the addition of red makes it even more difficult.

The screen display is messed up

Finally, although this can be solved to some extent by customization, I'm also worried that the screen is totally cluttered. Strictly speaking, there are dials that can be made without cluttering, so the problem is that there are few dial choices that do not clutter the screen, and the degree of freedom in customization is low.

To my liking, I would like to use an analog display dial that allows the time to be intuitively understood, but most of the analog display dials have a scale in 1-second increments. In particular, the "infograph" has a fine scale of 1/2 second, and the "chronograph" has a fine scale of 1/4 second (although it can't be helped because the fineness is personal), and it is erased. It cannot be customized, such as by roughening the notch. I have a "simple" dial, and with this I can customize whether to add a scale or not, and if so, how fine it should be, but other analog dials have a scale or not. There is only one.

Therefore, in most cases, the analog dial has a round clock displayed on a square screen with fine scales. And you'll usually see some complications in the four corners that are in the margins.

When I think about this lot of feeling, it looks like something ... it's the state when I've eaten a tray full of food such as school cafeteria. The clock in the middle is the main platter, and the four corners of the tray are like salads, small bowls, desserts, and coffee. Ah, but I don't think it's useless, but rather I'm impressed that I often put information on this small screen without confusing it, but this kind of big feeling is just a mini on the dial of the diver's watch. It's the same as having many dials, so I think it's for men. For me, I want to wear a watch with more space on the dial.

The Apple Watch dial is customizable, so it's quick and easy not to use complications to avoid clutter. But that would halve the goodness of the Apple Watch, so I'm now going to use a "simple" dial to pear the clock scale and leave room between the analog watch and the complications at the four corners. ..

But rather than choosing this because I wanted to be proactive, I felt that I had no choice but to do it by elimination. Therefore, I would like to see more options for simple dials, and I think that if customization that removes elements from the existing dial with a large amount of information can be made more flexible, that option will be available.

As mentioned above, I have solicited my love and doubts about the super personal Apple Watch, and my expectations and delusions for the future. I'd like to continue using the Apple Watch, so it's okay next year or next year, so I'd be happy if the design would be a little easier for women to use.

Source: Wall Street Journal, True Facet, Hodinkee