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.
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.
