Apple Watch Chronograph Pro Face - Unique colors you didn’t know about
If you really enjoy the 12 default multi-color watch faces Apple gives you, now you have 4 more to enjoy.
If Craig Federighi thinks this watch face is cool, it’s cool. 📓
Update 2/6/25 @ 5:59PM - this article also applies to the Count Up Watch Face.
Since the beginning of Apple Watch, Apple releases new colors for Apple Watch face customization during different seasons.
Out of the 130+ custom colors to choose from, there are only 4 colors that standout to give you a unique and more professional watch face experience.
Let’s look at the Chronograph Pro watch face.
By default, this watch face gives you 19 dark watch faces that show a single color. The dark watch faces are neat, but they are very one-dimensional with a single color dominating the complications, the main dial, and the sub-dial hands.
Following the 19 dark watch faces, you are greeted with 12 professional looking multi-color watch faces.
There are 140 custom color watch faces you can add, but only 4 of them have that professional multi-color look.
Take a look for yourself:
It’s not as obvious as the California Watch face, but you can see it.
These four bonus colors are: Clover, Starlight, Red, and Abyss Blue.
You can find them under the Fall 2021 season.
English Lavender and Dark Cherry are also in the Fall 2021 Season, but they don’t get the special treatment.
Not sure if this was meant to be, but I’m all for the multi-color effect. You get a more professional looking watch face with more contrast similar to the 12 watch faces Apple gives you by default. All the corner widgets are gray, and you get orange sub-dial hands on white or black sub-dials. That orange sub-dial hand color? Very close if not the same as the iPhone Mute Switch.
These four colors are distinct from their closest resembling professional watch faces and have their own unique look:
Evergreen (default) vs Clover.
Watermelon (default) vs Red.
Navy Blue (default) vs Abyss Blue.
Among all these default colors, the custom Starlight color has its own unique look. Starlight and Light Titanium are the only two faces that have white sub-dials with black hands.
My theory for why these four colors are special? In Fall 2021, the Series 7 aluminum models came in four special colors: Green, Starlight, (PRODUCT) RED, and Blue.
They also came in the standard Space Gray which was called Midnight, but no one cares.
There are many shades of red to choose from, but the red from Fall 2021 definitely resembles (PRODUCT) RED. I think Apple wanted matching watch face colors with the debut of these new colors and the newly remodeled edge-to-edge screen on the Series 7.
If you really enjoy the 12 default multi-color watch faces Apple gives you, now you have 4 more to enjoy. If Craig Federighi thinks this watch face is cool, it’s cool.
Check out the same colors on other watch faces to see their unique look, with a special surprise on the Meridian Watch Face.
Apple Watch California Face - Unique colors you didn’t know about
Since the beginning of Apple Watch, Apple releases new colors for Apple Watch face customization during different seasons.
Out of the 130+ custom colors to choose from, there are only 4 colors that standout to give you a unique and more professional watch face experience…📓
Update 2/4/25 @ 6:47PM - this article also applies to the Typograph Watch Face.
Since the beginning of Apple Watch, Apple releases new colors for Apple Watch face customization during different seasons.
Out of the 130+ custom colors to choose from, there are only 4 colors that standout to give you a unique and more professional watch face experience.
Let’s look at the California watch face.
This watch face gives you 21 black watch faces…
followed by 14 full-screen color watch faces.
If you add every custom color as an option, you get over 130 extra black watch faces to choose from, but only 4 of them give you a full-screen color effect.
Take a look for yourself:
How long did it take me to screenshot all these faces? Follow the time…
These four colors are: Clover, Starlight, Red, and Abyss Blue.
These colors are located under the Fall 2021 season.
English Lavender and Dark Cherry are also in the Fall 2021 Season, but they don’t get the special treatment.
Not sure if this was meant to be, but I’m all for the full screen effect. These four colors seem to be coded in watchOS like the 14 default full-screen colors even though they’re custom colors.
These four colors are distinct from their closest resembling default watch faces and have their own unique look:
Evergreen (default) vs Clover.
Watermelon (default) vs Red.
Navy Blue (default) vs Abyss Blue.
Among all these default colors, the custom Starlight color falls somewhere in between Gold and Light Titanium.
The only reason why I think these 4 colors are special is because besides Midnight (which is just fancy for Space Gray, a default color since the Apple Watch’s inception), the Series 7 aluminum models came in Green, Starlight, (PRODUCT) RED, and Blue. There are many shades of red to choose from, but the red from Fall 2021 resembles (PRODUCT) RED. I think Apple wanted matching watch face colors with the debut of these new colors and the newly remodeled edge-to-edge screen on the Series 7.
Most of the 130+ optional colors are tiny hexadecimal variations from the standard colors, but these 4 colors legitimately give you a fresh look at the California watch face.
Check out the same colors on other watch faces to see their unique look, with a special surprise on the Meridian Watch Face.
An Apple Watch, a MacBook, and an iPhone all for less than $300?
Saw Luke Miani’s recent video, and it is a compelling ecosystem for a young adult. I’m talking about a late tween or early teenager, especially if they’re homeschooled and their current laptop is a Chromebook that makes the original MacBook Air screen look like a Retina display.
Yes, it’s that bad.
The fact that a 5 year old watch, a 10 year old laptop, and an almost 3 year old phone can still communicate with each other just seems incredible. It shouldn’t really surprise me since I’ve been using an 11 year old laptop that communicates with the newest iPhone and Apple Watch for logging in and Apple Pay.
Saw Luke Miani’s recent video, and it is a compelling ecosystem for a young adult. I’m talking about a late tween or early teenager, especially if they’re homeschooled and their current laptop is a Chromebook that makes the original MacBook Air screen look like a Retina display.
Yes, it’s that bad.
The fact that a 5 year old watch, a 10 year old laptop, and an almost 3 year old phone can still communicate with each other just seems incredible. It shouldn’t really surprise me since I’ve been using an 11 year old laptop that communicates with the newest iPhone and Apple Watch for logging in and Apple Pay.
How Apple will probably implement their blood pressure technology.
They called it “Stereo Blood Pressure,” which just sounds awesome…📓
Whenever I go to my annual Doctor’s visit, it's nice to notice certain technological advancements when getting that initial screening by the nurse.
Your height is measured by what I would call an extremely large digital caliper connected to the weighing scale, where they lay the top part of the “caliper” on your head, and instantly know your height.
Your weight is digitally and effortlessly measured. I do miss the old scales where you had to move the weights and find that point where the balance finally starts to budge. It was more dramatic since you could see the nurse constantly sliding the weight past the point where you would hope the scale would balance out, only to realize you put on a few more pounds.
Your pulse is checked with an oversized digital clothespin that they put on your finger instead of the nurse clutching your wrist.
Your temperature is checked execution style as they shoot your forehead with infrared rays instead of sticking a thermometer up your…in your mouth.
Finally your blood pressure (BP) is checked…the old-fashioned way. You still have to remove your bulky jacket and strap that overly “velcrofied” arm cuff on while the nurse uses her stethoscope to check your blood pressure.
It’s the one vital information of your health that still requires old methods to get right. As a matter of fact, one could argue that your blood pressure reading is the most important reading of that visit because high blood pressure, or hypertension, leads to worse outcomes for every other health condition.
It’s the most important, yet it is also the most tedious because your blood pressure constantly changes throughout the day. If you buy any sort of portable blood pressure machine, you will notice a whole list of prerequisites before you take your blood pressure. Here is what the CDC says you should do before taking your blood pressure:
Don't eat or drink anything 30 minutes before you take your blood pressure.
Empty your bladder before your reading.
Sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported for at least 5 minutes before your reading.
Put both feet flat on the ground and keep your legs uncrossed.
Rest your arm with the cuff on a table at chest height.
Make sure the blood pressure cuff is snug but not too tight. The cuff should be against your bare skin, not over clothing.
Do not talk while your blood pressure is being measured.
There are other factors as well, such as “white-coat syndrome,” where a patient is nervous about getting their blood pressure taken, and it becomes falsely elevated.
This is all assuming you’re using an arm cuff, which is the most accurate. Wrist cuffs are more convenient but less accurate, and now you have to factor that into the equation.
There have been advances in how blood pressure is measured leading to more convenient choices in the future, such as photoplethysmography (PPG). This is where your device can be used to shine infrared lights into your skin to detect blood volume changes. It is a graphical representation similar to an ECG, where people who know a heck of a lot more than me can determine what is wrong with a person's heart.
This PPG technology can be used on your finger, your wrist, your foot, and even your ears. (Apple Ring and Apple Toe Ring anyone?)
It’s really inexpensive compared to an ECG, and your Apple Watch uses PPG all the time to get information about your pulse, blood oxygen levels, and your cardio health. If someone had a sensor on their wrist and on their finger for example, you can then calculate the pulse travel time (PTT) between the wrist and their finger, and use that time measurement to estimate blood pressure.
According to a study by Nature, that is still less accurate than using an ECG along with one PPG datapoint, such as your wrist or finger. This is actually better for the end user because you only need to have one device, along with an ECG which your Apple Watch already measures.
So in theory, your Apple Watch measures an ECG which has its own waveform, which can be correlated with a PPG waveform that measures changes in blood volume. You end up with 2 waveforms that can then be studied and analyzed along with machine-learning and anonymous, historical user data to determine blood pressure.
That would be how the Apple Watch can analyze blood pressure without any other complicated cuffs that inflate on your wrist, which would be a disaster since so many things can go wrong with an “Apple Cuff.”
“You’re using it wrong.”
“You’re placing it wrong.”
The Apple Watch by itself naturally sits on the flat part of your wrist, and you don’t have to tell anyone how to wear it.
But it doesn’t end with the Apple Watch.
Apple already has another device that can be just as good, dare I say, even better at determining blood pressure.
According to researchers at the University of Toronto, noise-cancelling earbuds have the potential to measure blood volume changes in your ears, giving more data points to analyze a person’s blood pressure:
Many earbuds have noise-cancelling technology, which relies on having an outer microphone and an in-ear microphone. The outer microphone listens for ambient sound while the in-ear microphone listens to what’s happening inside the ear. It turns out that the in-ear microphone is able to pick up on some very interesting sounds inside the body, including heart sounds. Research has shown that you can use the audio recorded from inside the body to measure heart rate, but you’re really able to get the same sounds you would hear from a stethoscope. We’re hoping that we can analyze these heart sounds using different signal processing techniques to infer someone’s blood pressure.
Furthermore, they are even optimistic of bridging many technologies together to get better results:
One study we’re hoping to do alongside this project, or maybe a little later, would be to compare and contrast all the different technologies being considered for blood pressure monitoring – earbuds, smartwatches, smartphones – to see what works best. Can we get better performance with earbuds versus a smartwatch? Can we combine a smartwatch and earbuds to get an even more accurate measurement?
I found another study where they did use time differences between pulses going into the left and right ear, and they were able to get promising blood pressure results that did not significantly differ from the true blood pressure measured with a proper arm cuff.
They called it “Stereo Blood Pressure,” which just sounds awesome.
Not only that, but their diagram even had a guy wearing AirPods.
These studies still had limitations due to small sample sizes and the candidates all being normal healthy individuals, but it’s still progress.
When will Apple actually implement blood pressure measurements into their devices?
Apple doesn’t want to be first at something, they want to be the best.
They were first with Siri, and look at what that’s done for them.
Whenever Apple releases blood pressure monitoring, I think it will be a feature for both AirPods and the Apple Watch. They will work together to get the best data and eliminate any hurdles.
For example, you can’t wear AirPods when sleeping, but you can wear your Apple Watch to sleep and get data and information when in a more relaxed state.
Another hurdle could be a lack of data points for better accuracy. Each device separately only provides 2 data points each:
Apple Watch - single-lead ECG and PPG on the wrist.
AirPods - PPG on the left and right ear.
It’s not hard for most people to wear an Apple Watch and AirPods, so getting information from 4 data points will be a lot easier and unobtrusive.
When you combine those 4 data sets along with advances in AI, machine learning, and historical data analysis, you get a pretty good recipe for blood pressure monitoring.
Of course it sounds easy on paper, but it makes sense for Apple to take a safer approach like they did with Sleep Apnea. Their blood pressure technology will sense changes in blood pressure and not actually give you a reading like 120/80. It will probably alert you if you have an elevated BP over a sustained amount of time, and it will err on the side of under-diagnosing versus over-diagnosing incorrectly.
They would rather have false negatives and put their disclaimer similar to their sleep apnea disclaimer:
It's important to remember: not all people with sleep apnea will receive a notification. If you believe you have sleep apnea you should talk to a doctor.
When this technology is released and ready, it will be a game changer for the healthcare industry because of how effortless blood pressure monitoring can be. Simply wear your AirPods and your Apple Watch and go about your day.
The icing on the cake?
Not knowing when your blood pressure is being taken is the most accurate way of measuring it.
Time to stand.
This is perhaps the most underrated health feature of the Apple Watch, and the most important.
The “Time to stand” function is so important, and something you hopefully you won’t realize too late in life.
As a healthcare professional and as someone who has to stand a lot for work, I can tell you with certainty that the days I have to work and move around a lot, I actually feel less lower back pain. When I am off and sit on a computer trying to think about what to write, I feel more back pain.
I would encourage everyone to take their “Time to stand” reminder seriously because it will help you in the long run.
Remember, sitting is the new smoking.
This is perhaps the most underrated health feature of the Apple Watch, and the most important.
The “Time to stand” function is so important, and something you hopefully you won’t realize too late in life.
As a healthcare professional and as someone who has to stand a lot for work, I can tell you with certainty that the days I have to work and move around a lot, I actually feel less lower back pain. When I am off and sit on a computer trying to think about what to write, I feel more back pain.
I would encourage everyone to take their “Time to stand” reminder seriously because it will help you in the long run.
Remember, sitting is the new smoking.
This feature needs to come back to Apple Watch.
You’re a busy person, and so am I.
You glance at your Apple Watch to pace yourself as you drive away, trying to conquer your checklist for the day.
After all, time is money.
But the reality is, you have already been defeated…📓
You’re a busy person, and so am I.
You glance at your Apple Watch to pace yourself as you drive away, trying to conquer your checklist for the day.
After all, time is money.
But the reality is, you have already been defeated.
You don’t have your iPhone, and you don’t even know it.
After a while, when you are well past the point of no return, you start feeling your pocket for your iPhone, only to find out it isn’t there. You have your watch on, so you know you can go to your Control Center and hope to see the green iPhone logo.
Maybe it’s in the center console, or it fell in the car somewhere, you tell yourself with an optimistic, anxious mind.
But when you raise your shaky finger and click the Side Button, that’s when you see it:
The red iPhone of death.
You feel helpless, and might even hyperventilate with this heart-piercing, visual confirmation of impending doom.
How could they not have told me sooner?
Why Apple??
Why couldn’t you let me know more aggressively that I forgot my beloved?
Why couldn’t you put the red iPhone logo front and center, staring right back at me the moment my iPhone was not in range?
Why?!
Everything looks fine at first glance…
until you realize your iPhone is missing.
You feel defeated in the moment, until you realize that all hope is not lost.
You remember back to a time, a simpler time, where Apple used to let you know right on your watch face, that your iPhone is missing. It didn’t matter what watch face you had, but that red iPhone with a slash right through it would show up immediately, letting you know before you get too far that you need to grab your iPhone.
My Series 3 on watchOS 8 lets me know every time without fail.
Whether you use the Simple watch face, or are admiring the peaceful serenity of Mack Lake with a Timelapse, Apple didn’t hesitate to interrupt you with their passive aggressive way of letting you know:
“Hey genius, you forgot your iPhone.”
That subtle, red, “iPhone logo of death” on your watch face was quick and easy. Bring it back.
We can only hope that in watchOS 12, Apple gives us back this feature.
Just literally put the disconnected iPhone logo where the red notification dot goes (like it used to!), and call it a day.
Don’t think different with this one, just do it.
Sleep Apnea detection on the Apple Watch could have been much better with Blood Oxygen data.
Lauren Jeffries from Tom’s Guide talking about how reliable Apple Watch’s sleep apnea detection works:
To avoid the possibility of false positives, Apple decided to prioritise specificity over sensitivity. These terms mean:
Specificity: The percentage of those without moderate to severe sleep apnea who wouldn’t receive a notification
Sensitivity: The percentage of participants with moderate to severe sleep apnea who are correctly identified by the algorithm.
Apple recorded the notification performance as 66.6% for sensitivity and 95.9% for specificity. This means that there is potential for many cases of sleep apnea to remain undetected even when using the Apple Watch.
This is what concerns Dr Runge, who says, "The lack of accuracy is a significant issue. I don’t mind the idea that the Apple Watch will “over diagnose” sleep apnea. At least in that setting people will get formal evaluations. It is the under diagnosis that concerns me — people with sleep apnea may say to their partner 'see, I told you I didn’t have sleep apnea.'"
If you look at Apple’s study, sensitivity for severe sleep apnea had a sensitivity of 89.1%, while sensitivity for moderate sleep apnea was 43.4%, giving an average score of 66.3%. What that actually means is the Apple Watch is best at detecting severe sleep apnea 89% of the time. It is not that great at determining moderate sleep apnea at only 43%.
Apple would rather underdiagnose people than give false positives, which is still better than no diagnosis at all. They were able to get this far with just the accelerometer sensor:
The Sleep Apnea Notification Feature is a software-based medical device that analyzes Breathing Disturbance data collected nightly by the Apple Watch accelerometer sensor.
I wonder how much better the Apple Watch could have been at detecting Sleep Apnea if they included Blood Oxygen data, which is another key component in diagnosing sleep apnea. To perform another study at this scale would take years, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Apple’s sleep apnea detection gets better sensitivity with more crucial data points like blood oxygen levels once the battle with Masimo ends.
Lauren Jeffries from Tom’s Guide talking about how reliable Apple Watch’s sleep apnea detection works:
To avoid the possibility of false positives, Apple decided to prioritise specificity over sensitivity. These terms mean:
Specificity: The percentage of those without moderate to severe sleep apnea who wouldn’t receive a notification
Sensitivity: The percentage of participants with moderate to severe sleep apnea who are correctly identified by the algorithm.
Apple recorded the notification performance as 66.6% for sensitivity and 95.9% for specificity. This means that there is potential for many cases of sleep apnea to remain undetected even when using the Apple Watch.
This is what concerns Dr Runge, who says, "The lack of accuracy is a significant issue. I don’t mind the idea that the Apple Watch will “over diagnose” sleep apnea. At least in that setting people will get formal evaluations. It is the under diagnosis that concerns me — people with sleep apnea may say to their partner 'see, I told you I didn’t have sleep apnea.'"
If you look at Apple’s study, sensitivity for severe sleep apnea had a sensitivity of 89.1%, while sensitivity for moderate sleep apnea was 43.4%, giving an average score of 66.3%. What that actually means is the Apple Watch is best at detecting severe sleep apnea 89% of the time. It is not that great at determining moderate sleep apnea at only 43%.
Apple would rather underdiagnose people than give false positives, which is still better than no diagnosis at all. They were able to get this far with just the accelerometer sensor:
The Sleep Apnea Notification Feature is a software-based medical device that analyzes Breathing Disturbance data collected nightly by the Apple Watch accelerometer sensor.
I wonder how much better the Apple Watch could have been at detecting Sleep Apnea if they included Blood Oxygen data, which is another key component in diagnosing sleep apnea. To perform another study at this scale would take years, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Apple’s sleep apnea detection gets better sensitivity with more crucial data points like blood oxygen levels once the battle with Masimo ends.
Which Apple Watches have Blood Oxygen availability?
The Blood Oxygen sensor on the Apple Watch is a nice tool to help those that require frequent monitoring of their oxygen levels. It can provide data that can help treat people who have lung issues, heart problems, and even blood issues. Unfortunately, support for the Blood Oxygen sensor is limited in the United States due to Apple’s ongoing legal battle:
The removal of the Blood Oxygen feature is the result of an intellectual property ruling from the United States International Trade Commission, which Apple is appealing.
The Blood Oxygen feature is no longer available on units sold by Apple in the United States on or after January 18, 2024. These are indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A. Learn how to identify your Apple Watch.
To make it easier I have made two lists here to show you which Apple Watches do and don’t support Blood Oxygen availability in the United States…📓
The Blood Oxygen sensor on the Apple Watch is a nice tool to help those that require frequent monitoring of their oxygen levels. It can provide data that can help treat people who have lung issues, heart problems, and even blood issues. Unfortunately, support for the Blood Oxygen sensor is limited in the United States due to Apple’s ongoing legal battle:
The removal of the Blood Oxygen feature is the result of an intellectual property ruling from the United States International Trade Commission, which Apple is appealing.
The Blood Oxygen feature is no longer available on units sold by Apple in the United States on or after January 18, 2024. These are indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A. Learn how to identify your Apple Watch.
To make it easier I have made two lists here to show you which Apple Watches do and don’t support Blood Oxygen availability in the United States.
With Blood Oxygen availability:
Series 6
Series 7
Series 8
Series 9 model numbers NOT ending in LW/A.
Apple Watch Ultra 1
Certain Apple Watch Ultra 2 Natural Titanium models NOT ending in LW/A.
Without Blood Oxygen availability:
Series 9 model numbers ending in LW/A
Apple Watch Ultra 2 model numbers ending in LW/A. This includes all Black Titanium models.
All Series 10 models.
If you own a Series 9 or an Ultra 2 in Natural Titanium, you need to go to your Apple Watch app under General > About > Model Number, to see if your watch has Blood Oxygen capabilities.
I have a Series 10 which doesn’t support Blood Oxygen at all, but it is confirmed with the LW/A at the end of my model number.
This patent dispute will eventually get resolved, and once that happens, Apple will resume Blood Oxygen availability for all watches that had it disabled.
If you are buying online through a 3rd party retailer or on eBay, make sure you check the model number so you can tell if the watch has Blood Oxygen capability.
You can also get the model number from the box:
This one has Blood Oxygen enabled…
This one doesn’t.
How about other countries?
If you live in one of the countries where Blood Oxygen is supported (almost every country except the USA), all Series 6 models and higher have Blood Oxygen availability, except the Apple Watch SE and SE2.
If you are traveling abroad, it might be worth buying your Apple Watch from abroad since it will have Blood Oxygen enabled, and you can bring it back to the States and not lose functionality.
Update 1/9/25 @ 7:37PM - changed the description of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 from “Slate” Titanium to “Black”Titanium.
Does Apple still repair the Series 3 Apple Watch?
With the Series 4 watch now considered a vintage product by Apple, I thought for sure the Series 3 would also be vintage, but it is not.
What is Apple’s definition of vintage?
Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.
When the Series 5 was launched in 2019, the Series 4 was discontinued, and the Series 3 stuck around as a low-cost option. The Series 3 was discontinued in September 2022, so it cannot “achieve” vintage status until at least September 2027.
Even though it stopped getting watchOS updates after watchOS 9, it is still more than functional and does the basics well. You can get repairs done by Apple, including screen and battery replacements for at least 5 to 7 years, depending on where you live.
With the Series 4 watch now considered a vintage product by Apple, I thought for sure the Series 3 would also be vintage, but it is not.
What is Apple’s definition of vintage?
Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.
When the Series 5 was launched in 2019, the Series 4 was discontinued, and the Series 3 stuck around as a low-cost option. The Series 3 was discontinued in September 2022, so it cannot “achieve” vintage status until at least September 2027.
Even though it stopped getting watchOS updates after watchOS 9, it is still more than functional and does the basics well. You can get repairs done by Apple, including screen and battery replacements for at least 5 to 7 years, depending on where you live.
Is my Apple Watch band going to give me cancer?
Stephen Warwick from TechRadar:
Scientists from the University of Notre Dame have called for more comprehensive studies and greater transparency from manufacturers after a study found elevated levels of so-called "forever chemicals" in some consumer smartwatch and fitness tracker bands.
The study, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, analyzed 22 watch bands from numerous brands and price points and found that some of these bands contained elevated levels of PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), namely perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). These chemicals are colloquially known as "forever chemicals" because they have an almost unbreakable chemical structure which means they don't degrade or break down over time.
The tested brands include many of the bestsmartwatch manufacturers and accessory makers including Apple (and Apple Watch Nike sport bands), CASETiFY, Fitbit, Google, and Samsung.
As reported by Notre Dame News, nine of the 22 bands tested contained elevated levels of PFHxA, with more expensive bands generally found to have higher levels.
The conclusion of this study? Inconclusive:
While the study does mention some big names in the smartwatch sector, notably Apple, Samsung, and Google, it's difficult to extrapolate too much because the study doesn't give the results for each brand. Companies like Apple clearly advertise Fluoroelastomer as present in its best Apple Watch bands, notably its Nike offerings, Sport Band, and the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean band. However, the study doesn't tell us which of the bands offered by these major players were tested, or if they were the bands with notably high PFA levels.
Also why it’s inconclusive:
Speaking to Yahoo Life, Jamie Alan, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University called the findings "interesting", but said that the study doesn't give any insight into how much PFHxA is absorbed through the skin, if any is absorbed at all. Other specialists in toxicology and dermatology agreed, stating that it is unlikely a significant amount of PXHxA would be absorbed through the skin. Finally, Alan pointed out that the study involved chemically extracting these compounds from Apple Watch bands, something users aren't doing when they wear these items day-to-day. "So although they found very high levels, that does not mean any significant amount is getting into our system," she concluded.
Apple sells 4 bands that are made of fluoroelastomer:
Interestingly the solo loops are made of liquid silicone which is a safer material.
If you look at Apple’s (and any company’s) Substance Specifications Report, you will see a number of substances on that list that can freak you out. On Apple’s 2023 report on page 8, you will see PFAS and specifically PFHxA used in “All Materials,” and an example of their use is “Protective and oleophobic coatings.”
If you remember your Apple history correctly, the iPhone screen has an oleophobic coating.
It could very well be that your iPhone and many other phones out there are coated with PFHxA, and your touching them all day while you’re snacking on Chick-fil-A.
Your Apple Watch band is not the only thing with dangerous chemicals in it. Millions of products out there have them.
It is good to be aware of these studies and how likely it can harm the human body, but the unfortunate reality is that these chemicals are everywhere.
Your pizza boxes are coated with an oleophobic coating so the oil doesn’t seep through the box. It makes for a better presentation to the customer.
Your heat-printed receipt from Best Buy that fades before the 14-day return policy? It has phthalates. Another chemical that can harm the body and cause cancer.
The list goes on.
If someone gets cancer or any other illness, most of the time you can’t blame one specific factor and say that is the cause. It is the cumulative effect of many factors, including these chemicals that are growing in our highly industrialized world.
What does Apple plan to do about PFAS? They plan to phase it out based on a 2022 report.
What can you do about it? Make informed decisions and take realistic steps to decrease exposure.
Even though the Apple bands with fluoroelastomers might not actually be harmful, you can choose to play it safe and use another band.
Just like you can opt for emailed receipts instead of physical ones and dine-in for pizza.
This study just stirred the pot, but it hasn’t cooked any solid information.
Stephen Warwick from TechRadar:
Scientists from the University of Notre Dame have called for more comprehensive studies and greater transparency from manufacturers after a study found elevated levels of so-called "forever chemicals" in some consumer smartwatch and fitness tracker bands.
The study, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, analyzed 22 watch bands from numerous brands and price points and found that some of these bands contained elevated levels of PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), namely perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). These chemicals are colloquially known as "forever chemicals" because they have an almost unbreakable chemical structure which means they don't degrade or break down over time.
The tested brands include many of the best smartwatch manufacturers and accessory makers including Apple (and Apple Watch Nike sport bands), CASETiFY, Fitbit, Google, and Samsung.
As reported by Notre Dame News, nine of the 22 bands tested contained elevated levels of PFHxA, with more expensive bands generally found to have higher levels.
The conclusion of this study? Inconclusive:
While the study does mention some big names in the smartwatch sector, notably Apple, Samsung, and Google, it's difficult to extrapolate too much because the study doesn't give the results for each brand. Companies like Apple clearly advertise Fluoroelastomer as present in its best Apple Watch bands, notably its Nike offerings, Sport Band, and the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean band. However, the study doesn't tell us which of the bands offered by these major players were tested, or if they were the bands with notably high PFA levels.
Also why it’s inconclusive:
Speaking to Yahoo Life, Jamie Alan, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University called the findings "interesting", but said that the study doesn't give any insight into how much PFHxA is absorbed through the skin, if any is absorbed at all. Other specialists in toxicology and dermatology agreed, stating that it is unlikely a significant amount of PXHxA would be absorbed through the skin. Finally, Alan pointed out that the study involved chemically extracting these compounds from Apple Watch bands, something users aren't doing when they wear these items day-to-day. "So although they found very high levels, that does not mean any significant amount is getting into our system," she concluded.
Apple sells 4 bands that are made of fluoroelastomer:
Interestingly the solo loops are made of liquid silicone which is a safer material.
If you look at Apple’s (and any company’s) Substance Specifications Report, you will see a number of substances on that list that can freak you out. On Apple’s 2023 report on page 8, you will see PFAS and specifically PFHxA used in “All Materials,” and an example of their use is “Protective and oleophobic coatings.”
If you remember your Apple history correctly, the iPhone screen has an oleophobic coating.
It could very well be that your iPhone and many other phones out there are coated with PFHxA, and your touching them all day while you’re snacking on Chick-fil-A.
Your Apple Watch band is not the only thing with dangerous chemicals in it. Millions of products out there have them.
It is good to be aware of these studies and how likely it can harm the human body, but the unfortunate reality is that these chemicals are everywhere.
Your pizza boxes are coated with an oleophobic coating so the oil doesn’t seep through the box. It makes for a better presentation to the customer.
Your heat-printed receipt from Best Buy that fades before the 14-day return policy? It has phthalates. Another chemical that can harm the body and cause cancer.
The list goes on.
If someone gets cancer or any other illness, most of the time you can’t blame one specific factor and say that is the cause. It is the cumulative effect of many factors, including these chemicals that are growing in our highly industrialized world.
What does Apple plan to do about PFAS? They plan to phase it out based on a 2022 report.
What can you do about it? Make informed decisions and take realistic steps to decrease exposure.
Even though the Apple bands with fluoroelastomers might not actually be harmful, you can choose to play it safe and use another band.
Just like you can opt for emailed receipts instead of physical ones and dine-in for pizza.
This study just stirred the pot, but it hasn’t cooked any solid information.
Are all 42mm Apple Watch bands the same size?
If you want to skip this writeup about watch band compatibility, I found an image from chargerstore on eBay that sums it up beautifully in just one image.
If you want the nitty gritty, keep reading. 📓
If you want to skip this writeup about watch band compatibility, I found an image from chargerstore on eBay that sums it up beautifully in just one image:
Source: chargerstore
If you want the nitty gritty, keep reading.
Apple Watch Series 10 hits several new milestones. As usual, it’s the best Apple Watch since Apple Watch, with an even bigger screen that matches the size of the Apple Watch Ultra. Apple says it’s bigger than the Ultra, but to the naked eye, it is the same.
There is one more milestone for the Series 10 that is not discussed.
The smaller 42mm Series 10 is now the same size as the bigger version of the original Apple Watch. The Series 10 is thinner, but the length and width are the same.
The Series 3 (same design as the original Apple Watch), measures 42mm x 36.4mm, and the Series 10 measures 42mm x 36mm.
This now begs the question:
If they both have a 42mm case size, are all 42mm bands that Apple sells or has sold in the past, interchangeable with both these watches?
The short answer is no, but let’s really dive into the details.
If you look at the Series 3 (and older), it is much more square in shape while the Series 10 has more rounded off corners. That square body of the Series 3 adds extra real estate and needs a wider band to fit into the slots.
Not all 42mm case sizes are created equal.
When you’re about to buy a watch band on Apple’s website, there is a link showing compatibility details.
Here is part of what it says:
You can match most bands with any Apple Watch Series 3 or later case of the same size.
38mm, 40mm, 41mm, and 42mm bands are compatible with 38mm, 40mm, 41mm, 42mm case sizes. 44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm bands are compatible with 44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm case sizes.
The first sentence is a bit misleading because a 42mm Series 3 will be compatible with the new 42mm bands that Apple sells today, but there will be a gap on each side:
The gap isn’t a deal breaker and can be perfectly usable and presentable. You might even forget the gap exists. Might.
At the same time, if you are buying a 42mm Series 10 Apple Watch, and you want to scour the internet for some classic bands that Apple used to sell, you might get burned buying a rare band that is 42mm, only to realize it is bigger than your Series 10:
A rare Ceramic Edition Series 2 band (42mm). Not a good look.
Imagine buying a light colored band, only to have it stick out.
This is how Apple should word their compatibility description:
You can match most bands with any Apple Watch Series 3 or later case of the same size.
38mm, 40mm, 41mm, and 42mm bands are compatible with 38mm, 40mm, 41mm, and Series 10 42mm case sizes.
44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm bands are compatible with 44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm case sizes, and Series 3 or earlier models with a 42mm case size.
I know what most of you are thinking.
“Who actually uses a Series 3 or earlier Apple Watch??”
Last week, I saw someone using an iPhone 5S as their main device. It had the polished chamfered edges and not the matte-finished edges of the 1st gen iPhone SE.
If you know, you know.
If people can still rock an 11-yr-old iPhone 5S as their primary communication device, they sure as heck can rock a 7-yr-old Series 3 Apple Watch as a secondary, “no problems if I forget it at home,” device.
I have been wearing a Series 3 for over a week now, and it is still usable today, but we’ll take a deep dive into that another time.
Like I said earlier, the main issue isn’t really for Series 3 users since you can get by with a slimmer band. The problem is for 42mm Series 10 users who want to buy older bands or discontinued leather bands that are labelled 42mm.
Let’s not forget about 3rd party bands either, which only compounds the problem.
That being said, here are the rules for buying watch bands for your 42mm watch:
Series 3 or earlier - Look at the item description. If 42mm is paired with numbers above it (44mm, 45mm, 46mm, 49mm), it is compatible.
Series 10 - Look at the item description. If 42mm is paired with numbers below it (38mm, 40mm, 41mm), it is compatible.
If they advertise the band as 42mm by itself, God help you.
6 settings you must have for your Apple Watch
Whenever I get an Apple Watch (it’s a yearly thing for me), I always do these six things to give me peace of mind.
Note: You can setup most of these features on the Apple Watch under Settings, but it is easier to use the Watch app on your iPhone…
Whenever I get an Apple Watch (it’s a yearly thing for me), I always do these six things to give me peace of mind.
Note: You can setup most of these features on the Apple Watch under Settings, but it is easier to use the Watch app on your iPhone.
1. Add a passcode
This seems like a no-brainer, but our watches are now phones, whether we like it or not. There is too much sensitive data on our watches, and you don’t want anyone looking at your messages, emails, and photos, just to name a few apps. If you jump in the shower and take off your watch, all someone has to do is pick up your watch, and you just gave them access to your life.
You can choose between a simple 4-digit passcode, and go up to a 10-digit passcode. Pick what works for you, and get peace of mind.
Open the Watch app and go to Passcode, and follow the prompts to set up your passcode.
Adding a passcode is also the only way to get Apple Pay on your watch, which is #2 on my list.
2. Adding Apple Pay
I had an issue recently with my bank where I had a fraudulent transaction posted to my account. Someone somehow used my debit card and it was time to file a fraud claim. Of course I had to wait 5-7 business days to get my new card in the mail.
What I didn’t have to wait for was my digital card. I could login to my Bank’s app, and activate the digital card instantly. Having Apple Pay on my watch gave me the ability to purchase goods without having to resort to another credit card or bank account.
A more common occurrence is when you forget your iPhone or wallet, and now you can’t pay for anything. Having Apple Pay on your Apple Watch will bail you out in these all too common situations and once again, give you peace of mind.
Open the Watch app and go to Wallet & Apple Pay, and select which cards to add to your watch. If you scroll down, you can even Allow Payments on Mac and use your watch to confirm payments.
3. Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
This is a handy feature that any Mac user can appreciate. It is compatible with macOS Sierra and onwards, so odds are it will work with your current Mac.
It works on my 2013 MacBook Pro.
On your Mac, go to Settings > Touch ID and Password and scroll all the way down to the Apple Watch section, where you can allow the Apple Watch to unlock your Mac. This is especially handy on older macbooks that don’t have Touch ID. Now you don’t have to be paranoid that someone might be watching you enter your password when your watch will unlock it for you, and give you peace of…you get the idea.
If you have an older mac with the older Settings menu, just search “Apple Watch” in Settings and you will see the option to unlock with Apple Watch.
4. Swipe to change watch faces
This used to be a staple feature of the Apple Watch, but now it is hidden. The draconian way of changing watch faces is to tap and hold your finger on the current watch face screen until it zooms out, swipe left or right to another watch face, and then tap your finger on the screen to select your new watch face. You can do this a lot faster and get access to more information by simply swiping from the edge of your screen to the next watch face, just like in the early days of the Apple Watch.
Open the Watch App and go to Clock, and toggle ON Swipe to Switch Watch Face.
5. Configure your Live Activities
This is a personal preference, but I would recommend setting up this feature from the get go so you’re not confused. Live Activities give you more upfront information about a particular activity, such as current media being played, workouts, parking timers, stopwatch, etc.
Think of it like Dynamic Island on your watch, except you get these cards at the beginning of your Smart Stack. This is nice when you’re playing a podcast and you want quick access to the pause and play buttons. However, it can also be annoying on other apps such as the ParkMobile app, where the information displayed is limited.
The ParkMobile Live Activity isn’t useful and clicking on the timer button on the right just tells you to “Open on iPhone.”
The great thing about Live Activities is you can customize which apps are shown.
Open the Watch App and go to Smart Stack. Here you can disable or enable Live Activities altogether, and if you do allow them, you can customize which apps get to have the Live Activity feature.
But do yourself a favor and disable Auto-Launch Live Activities. It’s just easier to access the Live Activities with a swipe up from your watch or by turning the Digital Crown when you want to, instead of fighting with it all the time when it pops up automatically.
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to look at your watch and get some info from your complications (left), only to see that your Live Activities are automatically displayed with just the time and date (right).
6. Unlock your watch with your iPhone
Open the Watch App and go to Passcode, and toggle on Unlock with iPhone. Now once you unlock your iPhone, your watch will be unlocked as long as you are wearing it. This is great if you have a longer passcode for the watch.
Do you need a cellular plan on your Apple Watch?
My opinion on this matter mimics quite literally everything Jason Cross at Macworld said about this topic. For most people, you don’t need a cellular plan.
I’ve never even considered having a plan in the last 10 years.
Cross quotes a cellular plan at an extra $10/month, but with fees it’s closer to $15-$20 per month.
Everytime he finds a reason to need a cellular plan, he finds a valid excuse:
For example, if you’re a runner that wants to run outdoors without the awkwardness of an iPhone strapped to you somewhere, and don’t want to give up listening to music or a podcast, an Apple Watch streaming to your earbuds is a great solution. You can always download the music or podcast ahead of time—cellular would let you stream, but that’s a minor convenience…
I’ve seen reports of people who were glad they had their cellular Apple Watch to make a phone call when out on a hike without their iPhone, which I suppose could happen. But… you hike without your iPhone? You don’t want your camera with you, or the capability to connect to a satellite if you’re out of cellular range? (Emergency SOS via satellite isn’t a feature of the Apple Watch.)
The only real excuses?
The real benefit would be staying in touch via text or phone while out on your iPhone-free run…
Note that if you want to set up an Apple Watch for your child using a Kids account, it must have cellular. This is meant for a child that doesn’t have their own phone and ensures that you’ll always be able to locate them with Find My, send or receive texts or calls, and control their access to apps or notifications.
Most freak situations like swimming outdoors, paddle boarding, and surfing might warrant a cellular connection, but beyond that, your iPhone will likely be on your person or very close by.
Save yourself the $100 premium plus the monthly costs.
If you go stainless steel or titanium, the cellular capability will be built-in, but you don’t have to activate a plan.
For the record, I used a spare iPhone for my three young kids at $12/month with all fees included. The phone is given to the kid who will be away from home depending on their schedules.
My opinion on this matter mimics quite literally everything Jason Cross at Macworld said about this topic. For most people, you don’t need a cellular plan.
I’ve never even considered having a plan in the last 10 years.
Cross quotes a cellular plan at an extra $10/month, but with fees it’s closer to $15-$20 per month.
Everytime he finds a reason to need a cellular plan, he finds a valid excuse:
For example, if you’re a runner that wants to run outdoors without the awkwardness of an iPhone strapped to you somewhere, and don’t want to give up listening to music or a podcast, an Apple Watch streaming to your earbuds is a great solution. You can always download the music or podcast ahead of time—cellular would let you stream, but that’s a minor convenience…
I’ve seen reports of people who were glad they had their cellular Apple Watch to make a phone call when out on a hike without their iPhone, which I suppose could happen. But… you hike without your iPhone? You don’t want your camera with you, or the capability to connect to a satellite if you’re out of cellular range? (Emergency SOS via satellite isn’t a feature of the Apple Watch.)
The only real excuses?
The real benefit would be staying in touch via text or phone while out on your iPhone-free run…
Note that if you want to set up an Apple Watch for your child using a Kids account, it must have cellular. This is meant for a child that doesn’t have their own phone and ensures that you’ll always be able to locate them with Find My, send or receive texts or calls, and control their access to apps or notifications.
Most freak situations like swimming outdoors, paddle boarding, and surfing might warrant a cellular connection, but beyond that, your iPhone will likely be on your person or very close by.
Save yourself the $100 premium plus the monthly costs.
If you go stainless steel or titanium, the cellular capability will be built-in, but you don’t have to activate a plan.
For the record, I used a spare iPhone for my three young kids at $12/month with all fees included. The phone is given to the kid who will be away from home depending on their schedules.
Apple Watch compatibility with iPhones.
There’s a slew of iPhones and Apple Watches out there, but not every watch is compatible with every iPhone. How do you get around the confusion?
Apple has a convenient website that lets you know what is compatible, but the chart does not help you if you own an iPhone SE.
I am here to fill in the gap so you know what is compatible with your iPhone SE 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation. This will be updated as new iPhones, watches, and software updates are announced.
Here’s the link: Apple Watch Compatibility Chart (updated 12-22-24)
To find out what iPhone SE or Apple Watch model you have check out these links:
Identifying your Apple Watch model
Updated 12/22/24 @ 8PM: Spreadsheet was updated with more accurate iPhone SE compatibility.
There’s a slew of iPhones and Apple Watches out there, but not every watch is compatible with every iPhone. How do you get around the confusion?
Apple has a convenient website that lets you know what is compatible, but the chart does not help you if you own an iPhone SE.
I am here to fill in the gap so you know what is compatible with your iPhone SE 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation. This will be updated as new iPhones, watches, and software updates are announced.
Here’s the link: Apple Watch Compatibility Chart (updated 12-22-24)
To find out what iPhone SE or Apple Watch model you have check out these links:
Identifying your Apple Watch model
Updated 12/22/24 @ 8PM: Spreadsheet was updated with more accurate iPhone SE compatibility.
Jet Black Apple Watch is the most luxurious Apple Watch of the year.
The Jet Black Apple Watch took all of us by surprise, and it has been 8 years since the last Apple product with Jet Black. I owned the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus which was released in September 2016, but I couldn’t get my hands on it until November because of the long back-order for the Jet Black variant. Even though it was priced the same as all the other colors, it was the hardest one to buy.
It had a luxurious flow to it, with its smooth, glossy, and reflective outer shell. You could never really capture it well in photos since the highly polished body would always catch the light. It was a striking design that everyone wanted.
Now you can have that same experience with the Apple Watch.
You get the polished inky black body that seamlessly blends in with the OLED display, resembling a finely polished volcanic rock with a mirror shine, hand crafted by Jony Ive himself. That highly polished look is a twin of the stainless steel Space Black model from the original Apple Watch, which warranted a $100 premium over the regular stainless steel version. The only way you can tell the difference is if you hold them. The original stainless steel Space Black weighs 10g more than the Jet Black Series 10.
Sadly, this inky black color slowly made its way from being a standard stainless steel option to becoming an exclusive for the luxurious Apple Watch Hermès. The Titanium Edition Series 5-7 did get “Space Black” but I don’t consider that to be a true Space Black since it was gray and had a brushed finish.
The Space Black color has always been a premium product for Apple, as you can see over the course of the Apple Watch’s life:
Series 1 thru 4 - Space Black was a premium stainless steel model.
Series 5 - Space Black was available for the stainless steel and Hermès models.
Series 6 thru 9 - Space Black was available for the Hermès models. The “plebeian” stainless steel model now gets an inferior graphite coating with a dark gray look instead of the inky black.
Series 10 - inky black returns as Jet Black for the aluminum watches. (Polished slate titanium models are very close to Jet Black but lighter in color)
The official Space Black was a Diamond-like coating (DLC) which is more durable and expensive than the ink-based anodization on the Jet Black, but the look is the same.
So we have the same luxurious look with the deep blacks, but what about the display?
The Jet Black does have an Ion-X display which is more prone to scratching than the Sapphire display on the polished titanium models. Sapphire however, is more prone to shattering than the Ion-X display. Where the Ion-X display wins is it has noticeably less glare than Sapphire, which makes it easier to read in all lighting conditions. The only time where they are equal is in complete darkness.
Here is what DisplayMate said when they tested the Ion-X glass vs Sapphire:
In the dark both Apple Watch displays appear and perform identically, but in ambient light they appear and perform differently due to the difference in the Reflectance of Sapphire and Glass.
For the Apple Watch Sport with Ion-X Glass we measured the Screen Reflectance to be 4.7 percent, while for the Apple Watch with Sapphire we measured 8.2 percent Screen Reflectance, which is 74 percent higher than Glass. Both values are about 0.6 percent higher than just pure sapphire and glass alone, indicating that Apple has done an excellent job in optically bonding both the glass and sapphire to the OLED display without an air gap.
Having both a Series 9 with a Sapphire display and a Series 10 with a Ion-X display, the glare is apparent when I go to my Series 9. Sometimes I think my glasses have some oils on them, but it is just the glare from the Sapphire crystal. One could argue that Sapphire is a more luxurious material versus glass, but having a clearer display is more satisfying to look at.
Clarity is luxury in many spaces.
When it comes to dents and scratches on the actual body of the watch, this is where the titanium is more durable, but not necessarily more luxurious.
Once again, durable and luxury are not inclusive of each other. There are plenty of luxury items that are not durable, especially watches that don’t even have splash resistance. The Apple Watch would still be way more durable than even these ultra-expensive watches.
If you treat your watch well and get one with no defects, you can get a luxury experience out of the Jet Black Series 10. Any watch band that looks good on the Slate Titanium version will look the same or better on the Jet Black Aluminum.
If you plan on using your watch like a tool and are going to get it banged and dinged up, then go for the Titanium.
If you do plan on using your watch in more fancy environments, the Jet Black would be the better option and up to $300 cheaper.
However you look at it, watch enthusiasts who like to go dark got a special treat this year with Jet Black.
The Jet Black Apple Watch took all of us by surprise, and it has been 8 years since the last Apple product with Jet Black. I owned the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus which was released in September 2016, but I couldn’t get my hands on it until November because of the long back-order for the Jet Black variant. Even though it was priced the same as all the other colors, it was the hardest one to buy.
It had a luxurious flow to it, with its smooth, glossy, and reflective outer shell. You could never really capture it well in photos since the highly polished body would always catch the light. It was a striking design that everyone wanted.
Now you can have that same experience with the Apple Watch.
You get the polished inky black body that seamlessly blends in with the OLED display, resembling a finely polished volcanic rock with a mirror shine, hand crafted by Jony Ive himself. That highly polished look is a twin of the stainless steel Space Black model from the original Apple Watch, which warranted a $100 premium over the regular stainless steel version. The only way you can tell the difference is if you hold them. The original stainless steel Space Black weighs 10g more than the Jet Black Series 10.
Sadly, this inky black color slowly made its way from being a standard stainless steel option to becoming an exclusive for the luxurious Apple Watch Hermès. The Titanium Edition Series 5-7 did get “Space Black” but I don’t consider that to be a true Space Black since it was gray and had a brushed finish.
The Space Black color has always been a premium product for Apple, as you can see over the course of the Apple Watch’s life:
Series 1 thru 4 - Space Black was a premium stainless steel model.
Series 5 - Space Black was available for the stainless steel and Hermès models.
Series 6 thru 9 - Space Black was available for the Hermès models. The “plebeian” stainless steel model now gets an inferior graphite coating with a dark gray look instead of the inky black.
Series 10 - inky black returns as Jet Black for the aluminum watches. (Polished slate titanium models are very close to Jet Black but lighter in color)
The official Space Black was a Diamond-like coating (DLC) which is more durable and expensive than the ink-based anodization on the Jet Black, but the look is the same.
So we have the same luxurious look with the deep blacks, but what about the display?
The Jet Black does have an Ion-X display which is more prone to scratching than the Sapphire display on the polished titanium models. Sapphire however, is more prone to shattering than the Ion-X display. Where the Ion-X display wins is it has noticeably less glare than Sapphire, which makes it easier to read in all lighting conditions. The only time where they are equal is in complete darkness.
Here is what DisplayMate said when they tested the Ion-X glass vs Sapphire:
In the dark both Apple Watch displays appear and perform identically, but in ambient light they appear and perform differently due to the difference in the Reflectance of Sapphire and Glass.
For the Apple Watch Sport with Ion-X Glass we measured the Screen Reflectance to be 4.7 percent, while for the Apple Watch with Sapphire we measured 8.2 percent Screen Reflectance, which is 74 percent higher than Glass. Both values are about 0.6 percent higher than just pure sapphire and glass alone, indicating that Apple has done an excellent job in optically bonding both the glass and sapphire to the OLED display without an air gap.
Having both a Series 9 with a Sapphire display and a Series 10 with a Ion-X display, the glare is apparent when I go to my Series 9. Sometimes I think my glasses have some oils on them, but it is just the glare from the Sapphire crystal. One could argue that Sapphire is a more luxurious material versus glass, but having a clearer display is more satisfying to look at.
Clarity is luxury in many spaces.
When it comes to dents and scratches on the actual body of the watch, this is where the titanium is more durable, but not necessarily more luxurious.
Once again, durable and luxury are not inclusive of each other. There are plenty of luxury items that are not durable, especially watches that don’t even have splash resistance. The Apple Watch would still be way more durable than even these ultra-expensive watches.
If you treat your watch well and get one with no defects, you can get a luxury experience out of the Jet Black Series 10. Any watch band that looks good on the Slate Titanium version will look the same or better on the Jet Black Aluminum.
If you plan on using your watch like a tool and are going to get it banged and dinged up, then go for the Titanium.
If you do plan on using your watch in more fancy environments, the Jet Black would be the better option and up to $300 cheaper.
However you look at it, watch enthusiasts who like to go dark got a special treat this year with Jet Black.
Why you should use Water Lock on your Apple Watch
You can easily screw yourself over if you don’t use the Water Lock feature on the Apple Watch.
Whether you are swimming or taking a shower, you need to turn it on or else your screen will do crazy things.
Water conducts electrons like our fingers and can register touches and gestures on the touch screen. If you’re in the shower, the overwhelming amount of water can cause unpredictable behavior on your watch.
I have had the following two scenarios happen to me because I forgot to turn on Water Lock when jumping in the shower:
My mail app was open, and the watch had swiped left on an email to delete it. I noticed it just in time, but I could have unknowingly lost an important email I couldn't’ afford to lose.
In a separate incident, I was getting out of the shower and I heard voices coming to me. I glanced at my watch and realized that I was on an active call with my mom who was trying to talk to figure out what the heck was going on!
Do yourself a favor, and turn on Water Lock before jumping in the shower. That way you won’t have to worry about your watch accidentally opening apps, calling people, or deleting your emails.
You can easily screw yourself over if you don’t use the Water Lock feature on the Apple Watch.
Whether you are swimming or taking a shower, you need to turn it on or else your screen will do crazy things.
Water conducts electrons like our fingers and can register touches and gestures on the touch screen. If you’re in the shower, the overwhelming amount of water can cause unpredictable behavior on your watch.
I have had the following two scenarios happen to me because I forgot to turn on Water Lock when jumping in the shower:
My mail app was open, and the watch had swiped left on an email to delete it. I noticed it just in time, but I could have unknowingly lost an important email I couldn't’ afford to lose.
In a separate incident, I was getting out of the shower and I heard voices coming to me. I glanced at my watch and realized that I was on an active call with my mom who was trying to talk to figure out what the heck was going on!
Do yourself a favor, and turn on Water Lock before jumping in the shower. That way you won’t have to worry about your watch accidentally opening apps, calling people, or deleting your emails.
Taking a screenshot on your Apple Watch also pauses your workout.
I was trying to flex a bit and wanted to show my peeps when I hit Zone 5 in my workout, with a heartbeat of 169 bpm. I’m sure many people do the same thing since Apple lets you share your rings and workout status with others. It was a new milestone and made me happy, but it also made me realize that if you hit the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time, it also pauses your workout.
I only found that out when my watch notified me a few minutes later if I still wanted to continue my workout.
“What do you mean continue my workout? I’ve been working out for a while now!”
As surprised as I was, I hit yes and kept going.
I did the screenshot button combo again, and sure enough, it paused my workout. Not a glitch, but a “feature.”
So the next time you want to take a screenshot of your active workout, make sure you unpause the workout right away.
I was trying to flex a bit and wanted to show my peeps when I hit Zone 5 in my workout, with a heartbeat of 169 bpm. I’m sure many people do the same thing since Apple lets you share your rings and workout status with others. It was a new milestone and made me happy, but it also made me realize that if you hit the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time, it also pauses your workout.
I only found that out when my watch notified me a few minutes later if I still wanted to continue my workout.
“What do you mean continue my workout? I’ve been working out for a while now!”
As surprised as I was, I hit yes and kept going.
I did the screenshot button combo again, and sure enough, it paused my workout. Not a glitch, but a “feature.”
So the next time you want to take a screenshot of your active workout, make sure you unpause the workout right away.
The coolest app for tracking and purchasing hard to find Apple Watch bands.
Bandbreite is by far the best app (and website) for Apple Watch band collectors. Even if you don’t collect bands and are just a fan of the Apple Watch, it is a nice repository of every band Apple has released.
From the original bands to Apple Watch Edition to special International bands, you can find all the details you will ever need in the app. You can even add bands to your wish list and if you live in certain European countries, you can even buy discontinued bands at a reasonable price.
Here is what Bandbreite says about availability:
There's always that one band missing, right? We partnered with SB Supply, which has a growing and frequently changing collection of officially discontinued bands. A collection from a reliable partner, which is always worth to keep a look at. Complete our collection or get a new band that best suits your taste for a discounted price. Starting at 34,90 Euro all original bands are brand-new and sealed.
Available for users in the European Union only, with dedicated websites for Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
A friendly reminder that the UK is no longer part of the European Union.
You support the creators of your favourite app by using the links below. Make sure your region is selected before visiting the website, or choose EU if your country is not available as option.
If you’re one of the lucky European Union countries, check out SB Supply.
Bandbreite is by far the best app (and website) for Apple Watch band collectors. Even if you don’t collect bands and are just a fan of the Apple Watch, it is a nice repository of every band Apple has released.
From the original bands to Apple Watch Edition to special International bands, you can find all the details you will ever need in the app. You can even add bands to your wish list and if you live in certain European countries, you can even buy discontinued bands at a reasonable price.
Here is what Bandbreite says about availability:
There's always that one band missing, right? We partnered with SB Supply, which has a growing and frequently changing collection of officially discontinued bands. A collection from a reliable partner, which is always worth to keep a look at. Complete our collection or get a new band that best suits your taste for a discounted price. Starting at 34,90 Euro all original bands are brand-new and sealed.
Available for users in the European Union only, with dedicated websites for Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
A friendly reminder that the UK is no longer part of the European Union.
You support the creators of your favourite app by using the links below. Make sure your region is selected before visiting the website, or choose EU if your country is not available as option.
If you’re one of the lucky European Union countries, check out SB Supply.
Can you bundle a different colored Titanium Milanese Loop when buying an Apple Watch Ultra 2?
No, you cannot buy a different colored Titanium Milanese Loop bundled with an Apple Watch Ultra 2 online or in-store. You have to buy it separate for an additional $200.
I made a promise and went to an Apple Store yesterday to confirm if it can be done in person, but the result is the same. You are only allowed to buy the same colored Titanium Milanese Loop with your Ultra 2.
It’s a shame because you can save $100 bucks by buying the mismatched band instead of having to buy one of their non-metal bands plus the Milanese loop separately.
Sometimes you can do certain things in-store vs online, but not in this case.
No, you cannot buy a different colored Titanium Milanese Loop bundled with an Apple Watch Ultra 2 online or in-store. You have to buy it separate for an additional $200.
I made a promise and went to an Apple Store yesterday to confirm if it can be done in person, but the result is the same. You are only allowed to buy the same colored Titanium Milanese Loop with your Ultra 2.
It’s a shame because you can save $100 bucks by buying the mismatched band instead of having to buy one of their non-metal bands plus the Milanese loop separately.
Sometimes you can do certain things in-store vs online, but not in this case.
This Apple Watch Series 10 feature will please watch enthusiasts, and also piss them off.
Apple introduced multiple upgrades to the display with the Series 10 Apple Watch, but there is one feature that I really was excited about:
The Always-On Display with ticking seconds hand. Let’s call this the ticking seconds hand for short.
Apple introduced multiple upgrades to the display with the Series 10 Apple Watch, but there is one feature that I really was excited about:
The Always-On Display with ticking seconds hand. Let’s call this the ticking seconds hand for short.
When your wrist is down, your Always-On Display will now show you a ticking seconds hand. Just like a real watch.
This is why Apple is not a company that makes watches, they are a watchmaker. They even described their watchmaking prowess by saying,
“The design of Series 10 is truly a milestone of watchmaking.”
I am someone who obsesses over time due to my crazy schedule, and knowing even the seconds all the time has its benefits.
You get the upscale, fluid, sweeping seconds hand when you’re actively looking at the display, and you get a nice, reliable, Quartz movement when you’re glancing at your watch from a distance.
The best of both worlds…except it’s not.
You see, Apple’s new ticking seconds hand is a giant tease right now since it only works on 3 watch faces, when Apple has over 40 watch faces that could benefit from this feature.
That’s right over 40.
Which 3 watch faces benefit from the ticking seconds hand?
You have Flux, which is one of the new watch faces. This Gen Z looking watch face is nice, but watch enthusiasts want to see a ticking hand, not a line going up the screen like a G-SHOCK.
To satisfy that itch, Apple gave us the Reflections watch face. The problem is, they gave us the back scratcher, but it’s covered in poison ivy.
Reflections does have the ticking seconds hand, but there are no time markers or numbers, so you don’t really know what time it is.
Is it 4:26, or 5:26?
Who the hell knows, and who the hell cares about the ticking seconds hand if you can’t even tell what time it is!
All hope is not lost though, because Apple did give us a 3rd watch face, which tells you the time and the seconds with distinct clarity.
This has to be it, a classic watchface with an always-on ticking seconds hand that makes sense. Please?
Nope.
It is the Activity Digital watch face. Another “non-enthusiast” watch face.
I mean seriously…what in the actual crap is this?!
Watch enthusiasts don’t want to look at giant digital numbers, they want to see dials.
Behold, the only 3 watch faces that support an always-on ticking seconds hand.
OK fine, if there are some development issues with some of these watch faces, why not give us California instead?
Or Meridian?
Or Utility?
Why go out of your way to update Activity Digital of all watch faces, to get this new feature?
Only time will tell how long it will take Apple to fix this. They are already having significant development delays with iOS 18*.
In the meantime, Apple can keep trolling us with this limited new feature.
Be glad, and be sad.
*Update 12/13/24 @11:56AM: Significant delays with iOS19, not iOS 18