WatchKit tools reveal Apple Watch screen resolutions, Dynamic Type support, more
Apple's new WatchKit software development kit shed some new light on the upcoming wearable's technical makeup, including the physical resolution of the Retina displays as well as the device's support for iOS user interface technologies like Dynamic Type.
The 38-millimeter Apple Watch will ship with a 272-pixel-by-340-pixel display, while its larger 42-millimeter sibling is set to come with a 312-pixel-by-390-pixel unit. It should be noted that the measurements refer to the Watch's case height, rather than its display size, making the exact pixel density difficult to calculate.
The effective pixel density necessary for Apple to designate a screen as a Retina display differs depending on the device's size and the distance at which users typically hold it. The lowest-density display to gain the Retina moniker thus far is the 218-pixels-per-inch screen found in the new 27-inch 5k iMac, while the iPhone 6 Plus's Retina HD display is the highest at 401 pixels-per-inch.
Apple also revealed that the bespoke system font on the Apple Watch --?called San Francisco --?will support iOS Dynamic Type. Dynamic Type adjusts the letter spacing and line height dynamically, depending on the font size selected, in an effort to maintain maximum readability.
Developers will still be able to specify their own fonts on the Apple Watch, but they will not be able to take advantage of Dynamic Type if they do so.
Many other Apple Watch development paradigms follow those in iOS. For instance, developers will need to submit square icons for the home screen --?the Apple Watch will automatically apply a round mask when displaying the icon, much like iOS devices round the corners of icons.
The 38-millimeter Apple Watch will ship with a 272-pixel-by-340-pixel display, while its larger 42-millimeter sibling is set to come with a 312-pixel-by-390-pixel unit. It should be noted that the measurements refer to the Watch's case height, rather than its display size, making the exact pixel density difficult to calculate.
The effective pixel density necessary for Apple to designate a screen as a Retina display differs depending on the device's size and the distance at which users typically hold it. The lowest-density display to gain the Retina moniker thus far is the 218-pixels-per-inch screen found in the new 27-inch 5k iMac, while the iPhone 6 Plus's Retina HD display is the highest at 401 pixels-per-inch.
Apple also revealed that the bespoke system font on the Apple Watch --?called San Francisco --?will support iOS Dynamic Type. Dynamic Type adjusts the letter spacing and line height dynamically, depending on the font size selected, in an effort to maintain maximum readability.
Developers will still be able to specify their own fonts on the Apple Watch, but they will not be able to take advantage of Dynamic Type if they do so.
Many other Apple Watch development paradigms follow those in iOS. For instance, developers will need to submit square icons for the home screen --?the Apple Watch will automatically apply a round mask when displaying the icon, much like iOS devices round the corners of icons.
Comments
There's been a lot of clamoring to know the font type. San Francisco. Back to names of big cities, just like the old days.
There's been a lot of clamoring to know the font type. San Francisco. Back to names of big cities, just like the old days.
That San Francisco font looks nice. Don't know about you guys but I think it looks nicer than the font they use on Yosemite.
Yosemite uses Helvetica Neue, just like iOS. Slightly different weighting, I believe, but the same type.
Previously, OS X used Lucida Grande.
Interesting choice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_(typeface)
It is not the same font.
Here is the new San Francisco font for WatchKit:
according to this blog posting.
It's Yet Another Plain Condensed Sans Serif Font in the practical Helvetica/Univers/Arial style.
The defunct pre-System 7 "San Francisco" font was fun but not practical as a UI font.
This morning I was thinking about my pet peeves with AI and at the top of the list was the obsession with using the word "bespoke." I never see that word anywhere else, and it's slipped in at every opportunity here. And right one cue: "Apple also revealed that the bespoke system font on the Apple Watch."
Also, the description of Dynamic Type in this article is off. It refers to the Apple's system for accommodating device-wide font size preference. If the user chooses to use larger or smaller than normal fonts, every application that uses Dynamic Type will update its UI in response. This is much more powerful than "size to fit" as the article implies.
Originally Posted by mpantone
It is not the same font.
I assume the original poster was simply referring to the name choice.
"San Francisco" is now being applied to a core font rather than a silly junk font from the original Mac.
And, might I add, the new font is a nice improvement over the sans serif fonts can came before.
I really like this font. Nice job Apple.
It's interestingly very very similar to Roboto Google uses.
This morning I was thinking about my pet peeves with AI and at the top of the list was the obsession with using the word "bespoke." I never see that word anywhere else, and it's slipped in at every opportunity here. And right one cue: "Apple also revealed that the bespoke system font on the Apple Watch."
Also, the description of Dynamic Type in this article is off. It refers to the Apple's system for accommodating device-wide font size preference. If the user chooses to use larger or smaller than normal fonts, every application that uses Dynamic Type will update its UI in response. This is much more powerful than "size to fit" as the article implies.
Ive uses 'bespoke' frequently, especially about the Watch.
agree. They will sell 20 million watches with that font
Yes, yes, and they should use the new font for their SEC filings.
agree. They will sell 20 million watches with that font
Only 20 million?
Uhh, no they won't. It will be a fabulous flop actually.
The text on Apple's description page is Helvetica, the screenshot images will show San Francisco:
https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/WatchHumanInterfaceGuidelines/ColorandTypography.html
Helvetica is very rounded, which is quite friendly. The text you read online, even in this forum is Arial, which is very similar to Helvetica. If you didn't have Arial installed, it would actually use Helvetica instead. Most of the internet is in a font similar to the one in Yosemite.
San Francisco is probably based on Helvetica too, they just adjust the weighting and kerning.
Lucida Grande in the old OS is unbalanced.
If you look at the letter spacing in the word 'help' at the top, you can see that the 'e' and 'p' look too far away from the lower case 'L'. With Helvetica at the bottom (middle is Helvetica light), the characters get pulled in. That spacing is consistent across the whole line of characters. If you look at the 'e' characters, you can see they are closer to circular, that roundness is less formal.
They could have gone the route of matching it to their product print, which is a Myriad font but this is a bit more formal and is the style Microsoft uses. Lucida Grande is in that class but it matches Microsoft more than it does Apple - Microsoft is made up of more boring corporate type people.
Lucida Grande
Microsoft's Segoe like the Myriad Apple uses on products
Helvetica - wider, more rounded characters
Lucida had to go, whatever route they went, it was far too messy and I think Helvetica matches well with Apple as a company.
It's clear that Apple has infinitely more ambition, and infinitely more well thought-out plan than all the knee-jerk Apple Watch hating trolls out there that can't see an inch past their nose. It's all about the SDK and apps, which is why this will be huge. Possibilities are literally endless.
This section from the HIG on Apple's developer website sounds like something Ive would say. Maybe he wrote the HIG.
I like that Apple is pushing black backgrounds to make the bezel less noticeable. I'd love it if iPhone eventually offered a dark theme. But I suppose they'd need to switch to OLED screens. ?Watch screen is OLED.
What I find so amusing is when ?Watch was announced many people were concerned that it had an SDK. Ben Thompson was a prominent tech writer who initially said there shouldn't be one. There were posts on sites like MacRumors join a screenshot of the original iPhone saying that's what ?Watch should have been. Now that the SDK is out I'm seeing complaints on Twitter, MacRumors etc. because native apps won't be available immediately, that ?Watch is is just an expensive remote display, blah blah blah. Ok people make up your f'ng minds. Or are you just going to piss on Apple no matter what it does. :rolleyes:
Yep, "endless" until that tiny battery runs out after just a few hours in your wrist. Then you won't even be able to check what time it is; ain't that great for a watch?
Uhh, no they won't. It will be a fabulous flop actually.
The text on Apple's description page is Helvetica, the screenshot images will show San Francisco:
https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/WatchHumanInterfaceGuidelines/ColorandTypography.html
Helvetica is very rounded, which is quite friendly. The text you read online, even in this forum is Arial, which is very similar to Helvetica. If you didn't have Arial installed, it would actually use Helvetica instead. Most of the internet is in a font similar to the one in Yosemite.
San Francisco is probably based on Helvetica too, they just adjust the weighting and kerning.
Lucida Grande in the old OS is unbalanced.
If you look at the letter spacing in the word 'help' at the top, you can see that the 'e' and 'p' look too far away from the lower case 'L'. With Helvetica at the bottom (middle is Helvetica light), the characters get pulled in. That spacing is consistent across the whole line of characters. If you look at the 'e' characters, you can see they are closer to circular, that roundness is less formal.
They could have gone the route of matching it to their product print, which is a Myriad font but this is a bit more formal and is the style Microsoft uses. Lucida Grande is in that class but it matches Microsoft more than it does Apple - Microsoft is made up of more boring corporate type people.
Lucida Grande
Microsoft's Segoe like the Myriad Apple uses on products
Helvetica - wider, more rounded characters
Lucida had to go whatever route they went, it was far too messy and I think Helvetica matches well with Apple as a company.
I've always liked SegoeUI. Malgun Gothic is another particular favorite of mine (besides Helvetica, of course).
Don't miss Garamond though.
Maybe they should bring back Motter Tektura?
" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
This section from the HIG on Apple's developer website sounds like something Ive would say. Maybe he wrote the HIG.
I like that Apple is pushing black backgrounds to make the bezel less noticeable. I'd love it if iPhone eventually offered a dark theme. But I suppose they'd need to switch to OLED screens. ?Watch screen is OLED.
I've wanted a Dark Mode for a while. I like darker interfaces. That's one of the reason's I've really liked the preinstalled wallpapers in iOS 8, there's a lot of darker, more spartan ones. All the space themed ones are great.
Though I use the blue water one for my iPhone, really makes the screen pop.