What are all the complications on the leaked Apple Watch 'Series 4' face?

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited August 2018
As well as the time, the new Apple Watch face that we're expecting for watchOS 4 and the Apple Watch "Series 4" contains a remarkable nine complications, and an awful lot of data for the user at a glance. AppleInsider details what they are.

Apple Watch Series 4 face


When Apple leaked an image of its forthcoming Apple Watch Series 4, most of the attention it got was focused on the hardware. Yet alongside its gold surround, its larger display area and possibly slimmer body, there is the face.

This brand new Watch face is a combination of several old ones that Apple described as Activity, Utility and Chronograph. It's reminiscent of very high-end analog watches but looks better.

Surrounding the hour, minute and second hands there are nine complications and each one is distinct and clear. Or at least, they are distinct and clear to see: that's not the same as knowing what each of them does or is for.

What's on the face

With all the Apple Watches released so far, you've been able to change any of the complications to show data from third-party apps. So you can have a count of your To Do tasks from OmniFocus, for instance, and launch that app by tapping on the complication.

Presumably that will continue to be the case but, unsurprisingly, all nine of the complications in the leaked image appear to be by Apple. We still expect that you can tap on any of them to get more details from the dedicated app on your Watch.

The close up images below are from a recreation of the leaked Watch face by Andrew O'Hara.

Timer

Apple Watch Series 4 face Timer


At the top left of the face is a countdown timer that is currently running. Given that it's showing 14:59 it may have been set to count down 15 minutes but there's also a progress bar which looks to be further along than one second.

Appointment

Around the centre of the of Watch face there are markers for minutes but the top of the circle is broken with text showing your next calendar event or appointment.

Apple Watch Series 4 face appointment


Presumably the length of this varies depending on the title of the next event but it will also have certain limits.

This information is currently shown best on two Apple Watch faces, the Chronograph and the Utility.

Apple Watch faces


The Apple Watch Series 4 face does make both of those seem colorless, though.

Then while a bottom line showing text is arguably clearer, this 12pm Lunch With Ken Tartine gets more room. It occupies about a third of the circle or the equivalent of 20 minutes.

We don't know who Ken is but he could be meeting us at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. We should set off soon, then: Tartine has two restaurants in the city and both are about an hour's drive from Apple Park in Cupertino.

Weather

Previously the Weather complication could show you the temperature but this new version uses the extra space to provide more.

Apple Watch Series 4 face Weather


It's still showing the current temperature but that's above a bar with the day's minimum and maximum. Notice the circle within the bar that shows where in that range we are now.

Day and Date

While it's just the day and date, this is actually substantially clearer than any previous equivalent. So far this information has been limited to either a small complication or a single abbreviated line of text above digital time displays.

Apple Watch Series 4 face Day and night


It is curious that it's showing Wednesday 23 and not, for instance, Wednesday 12. That's the day this image is planned to be showed publicly.

Music

This is the only complication, of those shown in this example, that you can interact with using the Digital Crown.

Apple Watch Series 4 face Music


As you turn that crown, the circle representing volume will increase or decrease. At lower sound volume the circle will probably be green: Apple is keen on warning you when things are getting a bit loud.

Activity

Someone's not been standing up much today. This is the Activity complication that updates to show your exercise during the day and again it's clearer than before. The Siri face did have a similar-sized icon in its scrolling list of items.

Apple Watch Series 4 face Activity


Otherwise, though, Activity was either a monochrome complication or a large icon behind the watch hands in its own face.

Astronomy

The full Astronomy face shows you either this same view of the Earth showing the terminator between day and night or the equivalent view of the moon.

Apple Watch Series 4 face astronomy

UVI

At bottom left there's the current Ultra Violet Index. The example 3.6 comes in the range where advice is to stay in the shade as much as you can.

Apple Watch Series 4 face UVI


What's significant about that is where the data could be coming from. Earlier this year, Apple filed a patent for "Light-based Shielding Detection" which described a portable sunscreen detector.

The filing did specifically include mention of the Apple Watch and described the detector as something that could be "attachable to a wearable electronic device".

Sunrise/Sunset

This last complication is one that uses the extra space available on the display, though possibly unnecessarily so.

Apple Watch Series 4 face Sunrise sunset


It's what current Watches call the Sunrise/Sunset complication. Here it's showing the time of sunset today, 7:30pm, but also the fact that this is in 9 hours and 21 minutes time.

You've got the sunset time and you're looking at a Watch, it's hard to know how often you'll want that extra information.

Also notice, though, that complications one and nine have a similar pattern. They show actual information like the countdown or the sunset time around the circle of the Watch face and have an icon the corner. By comparison, complications three and eight both use that icon space to show the most important data.

Given that you can presume the sunset icon will change to a sunrise one at appropriate times, it's likely that the timer one may be able to change to a stopwatch too.

Complicated

You either find this number of complications impressive or garish. Either way, the fact that so much can be displayed so legibly and clearly is a mark of the bigger display area.

That will of course be why Apple chose this face to show off the new Watch. But, there is a part of us that is looking forward to seeing Mickey Mouse on it too.



Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube, Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    Excellent analysis (with a clever tone).
    albegarcwatto_cobrabshank
  • Reply 2 of 35
    robbyxrobbyx Posts: 479member
    I’m not a fan of the Watch UI and this just seems way too cluttered and fiddley. 
    svanstromalbegarcwilliamlondon
  • Reply 3 of 35
    Looks gorgeous! Hope it isn’t only for the series 4. I have a series 0 Rose Gold Edition and a Series 2 White Ceramic Edition. Not planning to invest in another watch until one of them stops working. Sometimes I wake up and realize I have one on each arm. Maybe I can wear one as a pendant, but no heart monitoring...shame. A Mickey Mouse rose gold pendant would be cool...
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 35
    robbyx said:
    I’m not a fan of the Watch UI and this just seems way too cluttered and fiddley. 
    Fwiw: I LOVE it.

    I still have a Series 0 that I am quite pleased with. But I will switch this year. The S4 looks like  nice upgrade.
    bb-15davgregdoozydozennapoleon_phoneapartdewmealbegarcredgeminipadocno42watto_cobrabshank
  • Reply 5 of 35
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    This will be optional and likely a face that Schiller would joke about, saying for those crazy enough here’s all the complications on at once.
    edited August 2018 bb-15doozydozencaladanianbackstabalbegarcredgeminiparandominternetpersonwatto_cobrasweetheart777
  • Reply 6 of 35
    Some may find it complicated, but I imagine that's still up to the user. You aren't required to put that many complications on your Watch.

    That said, how far are we until Apple allows widgets on the iPhone? Complications are really nothing more than widgets, after all.
    d_2caladanianwatto_cobrabshank
  • Reply 7 of 35
    gutengelgutengel Posts: 363member
    I still can't understand why the weather complication only shows the temperature or the condition. You need both to know the full forecast. Why not combine an icon telling your if it will raining, snowing, cloudy or sunny with the temperature? I would REALLY appreciate if Apple made the weather app icon dynamic to reflect this info too. I'm very curious to see if the UVI will be an integrated sensor or just a daily forecast from a 3rd party. I think an integrated sensor would be much more useful for people that do a lot of outdoor activities.
    yojimbo007doozydozentoysandmewilliamlondonwatto_cobrasweetheart777
  • Reply 8 of 35
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 3,015member
    I've been fairly ambivalent about the AW. The faces were boring and yes it could do a lot of stuff, but all of it was accessed through magic combinations of swiping and tapping and doing something with the crown. It always seemed awkward to me, so I never go one.

    This face though, is great. It is the Data Center At A Glance I've wanted. To some it may seem cluttered, but not to me. I grew up around aircraft. I am used to looking at a panel of dials and seeing just the one I want right then. I had a series of multi dial chronographs and loved them. This may just be enough to break down and get an AW. Especially if I can set what displays and what doesn't. I'd drop the Music and replace it with Pulse.
    edited August 2018 doozydozenasdasdsweetheart777
  • Reply 9 of 35
    davgregdavgreg Posts: 1,046member
    The watch could welll be the star of the show.
    The Phone is a fairly mature platform now, as is the iPad.
    albegarcwatto_cobrasweetheart777
  • Reply 10 of 35
    yojimbo007yojimbo007 Posts: 1,165member
    Absolutely love the new face!!!
    doozydozentoysandmealbegarcwelshdogredgeminipamdriftmeyerwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 11 of 35
    Love it. Not for everyone. (Which is why the Watch comes with multiple faces.) Wish they would take this kind of approach to the iPhone lock screen. I do wonder if it will be restricted to the larger screen models.
    d_2caladanianbrownbearwelshdogwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 12 of 35
    robbyxrobbyx Posts: 479member
    robbyx said:
    I’m not a fan of the Watch UI and this just seems way too cluttered and fiddley. 
    Fwiw: I LOVE it.

    I still have a Series 0 that I am quite pleased with. But I will switch this year. The S4 looks like  nice upgrade.

    I can appreciate why someone would love it. But not me. But I haven’t warmed to the Watch in general. I got a hand-me-down Watch from my dad. My mom gave it to him for Christmas and he didn’t get it. I wear it when exercising. Otherwise it sits on its charger. I dig it as a fitness tool, especially being able to plan workouts on my phone and then use the Watch to step me through them, record sets and reps, track rest time, etc. I’ve tried wearing it throughout the day and don’t find any of the other features or third party apps compelling enough. I haven’t worn a watch in over 20 years, though, so I’m a tough sell. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 13 of 35
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,111member
    I like it, the bronze color is great too. I was a watch skeptic at first, but now that the watch can be independent of the iphone, can make calls and send texts, and can be used for swimming, I think it's time to get one.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 35
    sully54sully54 Posts: 108member
    Just to nitpick a little bit with the original article...

    The timer is obviously set for 20 minutes, considering there’s about 3/4 left on the progress bar at 14:59. 

    I also think the music complication is showing the playing track’s progress, not the volume. To me this makes more sense. When looking at the music complication with a progress bar, I’m expecting that to be the duration of the song, not the volume. 

    Otherwise, excellent analysis. I can’t wait!
    gutengelCelTanirelandwilliamlondonStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 35
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,711member
    robbyx said:
    I’m not a fan of the Watch UI and this just seems way too cluttered and fiddley. 
    Fwiw: I LOVE it.

    I still have a Series 0 that I am quite pleased with. But I will switch this year. The S4 looks like  nice upgrade.
    Me too. By the way, it is also interesting that the ultra complicated watch face shown could work without modification on a round watch face. Just saying...
    welshdogwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 35
    robbyx said:
    I’m not a fan of the Watch UI and this just seems way too cluttered and fiddley. 
    Fwiw: I LOVE it.

    I still have a Series 0 that I am quite pleased with. But I will switch this year. The S4 looks like  nice upgrade.
    Why is it Series 0? Shouldn’t be Series 1?

    Series 0 sounds like pre production proof of concept sample. 
  • Reply 17 of 35
    I also think the music complication is showing the playing track’s progress, not the volume. To me this makes more sense. When looking at the music complication with a progress bar, I’m expecting that to be the duration of the song, not the volume. 

    Beat me to it. Obviously that circle around the music complication must be the progress of the current track (already a UI element in watchOS 4) I'd be curious to know how you'd implement crown control of volume within that many complications.

    As for the face itself I'm not a huge fan, sure a larger screen should allow more information but the combination of corners and curved lines makes it very messy- hopefully there'll be other faces available- an updated version of modular or a brand new digital face. 
  • Reply 18 of 35
    robbyxrobbyx Posts: 479member
    dewme said:
    robbyx said:
    I’m not a fan of the Watch UI and this just seems way too cluttered and fiddley. 
    Fwiw: I LOVE it.

    I still have a Series 0 that I am quite pleased with. But I will switch this year. The S4 looks like  nice upgrade.
    Me too. By the way, it is also interesting that the ultra complicated watch face shown could work without modification on a round watch face. Just saying...

    That’s the first thing I thought too. A new round design would be a big surprise!  Personally I’d love to see it. I think the Watch is pretty ugly. Looking back in ten years or so, the current design will make us groan. Timeless it is not. A glass and metal chiclet on the wrist. Bands looks small and anemic next to the lumpy watch. I’d love to see Apple deliver a round Watch with classy watch styling. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 19 of 35
    gutengel said:
    I still can't understand why the weather complication only shows the temperature or the condition. You need both to know the full forecast. Why not combine an icon telling your if it will raining, snowing, cloudy or sunny with the temperature? I would REALLY appreciate if Apple made the weather app icon dynamic to reflect this info too. I'm very curious to see if the UVI will be an integrated sensor or just a daily forecast from a 3rd party. I think an integrated sensor would be much more useful for people that do a lot of outdoor activities.
    I currently have the “three exercise rings” (non-concentric) face, and it shows me Stocks, Heart Rate, Day/Date, and Weather. The weather icon — which can be toggled and set to just give you a temp or temp+weather condition — currently says, for example. “64 CLEAR”. 

    I have little doubt that the face shown in this article will be similarly customizable. 
    sweetheart777
  • Reply 20 of 35

    viclauyyc said:
    robbyx said:
    I’m not a fan of the Watch UI and this just seems way too cluttered and fiddley. 
    Fwiw: I LOVE it.

    I still have a Series 0 that I am quite pleased with. But I will switch this year. The S4 looks like  nice upgrade.
    Why is it Series 0? Shouldn’t be Series 1?

    Series 0 sounds like pre production proof of concept sample. 
    Series 1 was the second iteration. Hence, “Series 0”. 
    watto_cobra
Sign In or Register to comment.