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The Apple Watch is forever square
Дата публикации: 14-08-2026 10:30:00

Macworld



Since it first launched around a decade ago, the Apple Watch’s exterior design has largely stayed the same. Sure, we got larger displays, thinner bezels, and a slimmer body, but the overall look today still resembles that of the Apple Watch Series 0. Many online users, in fact, have voiced their frustration over the smartwatch’s slow evolution, with some even suggesting that Apple should spice things up and switch to a circular design.
Be careful what you wish for. According to a recent report, Apple has internally explored several new designs, including a round model like the Pixel or Galaxy watches. While thinking differently to fuel innovation is always welcome, a round Apple Watch will almost certainly remain an unreleased prototype buried in a secret Cupertino basement. It just doesn’t work.
It’s not actually a watch
Let me start with a potentially controversial statement: the Apple Watch is not actually a watch; it’s a miniature computer strapped to our wrists. While, yes, it was inspired by analog watches and can tell the time, its purpose and the technology it packs transcend that traditional formula.
Mechanical timepieces typically come in circular designs to match the standard clock layout, but that’s not applicable to Apple Watches (or digital watches in general). You don’t hear people complaining about vintage Casio digital watches for having squarish designs. Just because a wearable sits on our wrists doesn’t mean it has to look the same as a traditional wristwatch. It’s okay to break free from archaic concepts when they become irrelevant.
All your other computing devices are rectangular. Why should the Apple Watch be any dfifferent?Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
Back to the mini computer. Today, we’re surrounded by all sorts of computing machines. We’ve got laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, smart fridge displays, car infotainment systems, and so on. The vast majority of these displays are rectangular because we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the most intuitive form factor for computer screens. The Apple Watch is no different.
I’ve used round Android smartwatches, and they’re a nightmare to operate. The way text moves along the circle’s curved edges when scrolling makes reading messages deeply challenging, and the entire user experience is wonky. You wouldn’t want to use a round iPhone, let alone a round version of a much smaller accessory with limited screen real estate like a smartwatch.
Corners are more important than you’d think
Beyond the unintuitive UI/UX, adopting a round Apple Watch would come with hardware compromises.
Switching from a square to a circle while maintaining the same width/diameter would decrease the overall area by around 20%. The battery would have to shrink, along with the space that houses the smartwatch’s advanced sensors and health monitors. While they may seem insignificant, the Apple Watch’s corners actually play an integral role in its internal architecture.
Round smartwatches (such as the Google Pixel Watch 4) are tricky to use and require numerous hardware compromises.Chris Martin / Foundry
Think about the Complications
Chopping off the corners would also affect one of the Apple Watch’s essential software features: Complications.
Most circular Apple Watch faces let you utilize the unused display corners by adding custom Complications. This handy perk allows you to quickly glance at the weather conditions, your heart rate, today’s date, Activity rings, battery level, and more. You can also use the feature to effortlessly launch apps or run shortcuts.
watchOS has been carefully crafted to take full advantage of the rectangular design, and no part of the screen currently goes to waste.
Defacing an icon
It goes without saying that moving from a rectangle to a circle would require redesigning the extensive watch face library. Some faces will have to be completely dropped, while others will work less effectively. More importantly, all first- and third-party apps will need to be fully overhauled to support the new design.
It would essentially require rebuilding the entire watchOS platform from the ground up, and that’s not something Apple is willing to do. The company strategically avoids shocking its users with transformative changes to fundamental elements in such a manner, especially when the change serves no constructive purpose.
On the contrary, Apple is bringing watchOS closer to iOS by adopting familiar user interfaces. Pre-installed Apple Watch apps now resemble their iPhone counterparts as far as is practical, featuring similar designs and more advanced functionality, further contributing to the smartwatch’s independence. In fact, all Apple platforms are en route to becoming tweaked iterations of each other, with OS 27 streamlining the design language through Liquid Glass. Apple won’t throw that all away.
You can kiss those beautiful faces goodbye.Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
It’s an Apple Watch
Apart from the functional software and hardware downgrades, adopting a round design would weaken the Apple Watch brand.
Its present look has become an iconic representation of its identity, just like Pro iPhones’ rear camera arrangement. Anyone who spots the rectangular screen and protruding Digital Crown recognizes it’s an Apple Watch. A circular model would simply vanish into a sea of generic, uninspired round smartwatches; Apple would never let that happen.


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Mahmoud Itani

I’m glad Apple is experimenting, but a circular Apple Watch just won’t work.
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Since it first launched around a decade ago, the Apple Watch’s exterior design has largely stayed the same. Sure, we got larger displays, thinner bezels, and a slimmer body, but the overall look today still resembles that of the Apple Watch Series 0. Many online users, in fact, have voiced their frustration over the smartwatch’s slow evolution, with some even suggesting that Apple should spice things up and switch to a circular design.

Be careful what you wish for. According to a recent report, Apple has internally explored several new designs, including a round model like the Pixel or Galaxy watches. While thinking differently to fuel innovation is always welcome, a round Apple Watch will almost certainly remain an unreleased prototype buried in a secret Cupertino basement. It just doesn’t work.

It’s not actually a watch

Let me start with a potentially controversial statement: the Apple Watch is not actually a watch; it’s a miniature computer strapped to our wrists. While, yes, it was inspired by analog watches and can tell the time, its purpose and the technology it packs transcend that traditional formula.

Mechanical timepieces typically come in circular designs to match the standard clock layout, but that’s not applicable to Apple Watches (or digital watches in general). You don’t hear people complaining about vintage Casio digital watches for having squarish designs. Just because a wearable sits on our wrists doesn’t mean it has to look the same as a traditional wristwatch. It’s okay to break free from archaic concepts when they become irrelevant.

Apple Watch surrounded by rectangular computing devicesAll your other computing devices are rectangular. Why should the Apple Watch be any dfifferent?

Mahmoud Itani / Foundry

Back to the mini computer. Today, we’re surrounded by all sorts of computing machines. We’ve got laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, smart fridge displays, car infotainment systems, and so on. The vast majority of these displays are rectangular because we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the most intuitive form factor for computer screens. The Apple Watch is no different.

I’ve used round Android smartwatches, and they’re a nightmare to operate. The way text moves along the circle’s curved edges when scrolling makes reading messages deeply challenging, and the entire user experience is wonky. You wouldn’t want to use a round iPhone, let alone a round version of a much smaller accessory with limited screen real estate like a smartwatch.

Corners are more important than you’d think

Beyond the unintuitive UI/UX, adopting a round Apple Watch would come with hardware compromises.

Switching from a square to a circle while maintaining the same width/diameter would decrease the overall area by around 20%. The battery would have to shrink, along with the space that houses the smartwatch’s advanced sensors and health monitors. While they may seem insignificant, the Apple Watch’s corners actually play an integral role in its internal architecture.

Google Pixel Watch 4 review 9Round smartwatches (such as the Google Pixel Watch 4) are tricky to use and require numerous hardware compromises.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Think about the Complications

Chopping off the corners would also affect one of the Apple Watch’s essential software features: Complications.

Most circular Apple Watch faces let you utilize the unused display corners by adding custom Complications. This handy perk allows you to quickly glance at the weather conditions, your heart rate, today’s date, Activity rings, battery level, and more. You can also use the feature to effortlessly launch apps or run shortcuts.

watchOS has been carefully crafted to take full advantage of the rectangular design, and no part of the screen currently goes to waste.

Defacing an icon

It goes without saying that moving from a rectangle to a circle would require redesigning the extensive watch face library. Some faces will have to be completely dropped, while others will work less effectively. More importantly, all first- and third-party apps will need to be fully overhauled to support the new design.

It would essentially require rebuilding the entire watchOS platform from the ground up, and that’s not something Apple is willing to do. The company strategically avoids shocking its users with transformative changes to fundamental elements in such a manner, especially when the change serves no constructive purpose.

On the contrary, Apple is bringing watchOS closer to iOS by adopting familiar user interfaces. Pre-installed Apple Watch apps now resemble their iPhone counterparts as far as is practical, featuring similar designs and more advanced functionality, further contributing to the smartwatch’s independence. In fact, all Apple platforms are en route to becoming tweaked iterations of each other, with OS 27 streamlining the design language through Liquid Glass. Apple won’t throw that all away.

Apple Watch Face GalleryYou can kiss those beautiful faces goodbye.

Mahmoud Itani / Foundry

It’s an Apple Watch

Apart from the functional software and hardware downgrades, adopting a round design would weaken the Apple Watch brand.

Its present look has become an iconic representation of its identity, just like Pro iPhones’ rear camera arrangement. Anyone who spots the rectangular screen and protruding Digital Crown recognizes it’s an Apple Watch. A circular model would simply vanish into a sea of generic, uninspired round smartwatches; Apple would never let that happen.

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