Tag Archives: apple watch

Apple Watch Ultra 3 with 360 camera is for smartwatch photographers of tomorrow

Posted on by

Apple has always been at the forefront, consistently pushing the boundaries of what is possible in consumer technology. The Apple Watch Ultra 2, with its innovative gesture input system and impressive peak brightness, was a testament to this commitment. But now, a new vision for the future of wearables is taking shape in the concept of the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Watch Ultra 2 brought us the ability to tap our fingers twice to register a button press, revolutionizing how we interact with our devices. And now a designer has added an element of surprise to the mix by envisioning the Watch Ultra 3 with a built-in 360 camera.

Designer: Abdelrahman Shaapan

Building on this success, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 envisions taking gesture control to a whole new level, although the exact details are still shrouded in mystery. What we do know is that Apple is dedicated to redefining the user experience, which is evident from the recent report that expects Apple to launch the next generation Watch Ultra in 2024 with a 2.1-inch micro-LED display.

Add to that the idea of including a 360 camera in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and imagine yourself capturing the surroundings in a truly immersive way, all from the convenience of your wrist. This innovation will allow you to relive your journey capturing every moment in stunning detail: undeniably a refined user experience!

According to the concept, the 360 camera on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 seamlessly integrates camera in the watch body, allowing you to control it directly from your wrist. Even more impressive is the watch’s ability to automatically stitch together the captured images or videos in real-time. This allows the watch to create panoramic images and videos. It means you will not have to be a tech wizard to create beautiful, immersive content; the watch will do the heavy lifting for you.  

With the additional gimmick, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be more intriguing for some photographers; how much it may appeal to an average bloke is undefined. However, what a usual user may be put off by is the bulk this idea will put on the wrist. The watch body fits in all the regular Apple givens along with the camera, which actually adds to the watch’s thickness. Personally, for me, this is just not happening!

The post Apple Watch Ultra 3 with 360 camera is for smartwatch photographers of tomorrow first appeared on Yanko Design.

Genius Apple Watch Strap ‘Wardrobe’ lets you Store and Flaunt your Entire Strap Collection

Posted on by

The ultimate organizer for your Apple Watch straps, Twelve South’s TimePorter holds and showcases all your watch straps on an easy-to-access linear shelf. The TimePorter turns your Watch Strap collection into a displayable art-piece, letting you flex your straps like people would their sneaker collection. The straps attach onto the TimePorter in seconds, and can easily be pocked and worn every day like you would your favorite tie, or an outfit-appropriate set of jewelry.

Designer: Twelve South

Click Here to Buy Now

Any seasoned Watch owner will tell you that every time you upgrade to a new Watch, you automatically get a new Strap to go with it too. Complete 3 upgrade cycles and you’ve got at least 3 straps that are compatible with even the latest Apple Watch series. It’s normal to resell or return your older Watch, but almost everybody hangs onto their straps to be worn over and over again. Hence the TimePorter, a nifty solution to your multiple-strap-conundrum. Hang them, flaunt them, and wear any strap you want, any time you want!

Measuring 10 inches (255mm) across, the TimePorter is a classy IKEA-esque metal organizer that conveniently lets you store Apple Watch straps when not in use. Designed for Watch aficionados who can sometimes own upwards of 4-5 straps for one single watch, the TimePorter is a nifty way to keep spare straps on display and pick and choose the ones you want to wear on any given day.

The continuous design of the TimePorter lends itself to modularity. You can extend your ‘shelf’ simply by adding another one beside it or below it, giving you an extensive organizer that can be used for your as well as your partner’s straps. 3M adhesive backing lets you stick the TimePorter anywhere, from a wall to a wardrobe door, to even a tiled surface in your bathroom. The hanging nature of the straps makes it rather easy to hang-dry your straps after washing them if you end up wearing the Apple Watch to the gym, while playing sports, or while training.

The adhesive 3M backing is also removable, allowing you to un-dock your TimePorter and place it somewhere else with a fresh set of 3M Command glue strips. The TimePorter’s minimal design works well at letting your straps get the spotlight. You can install the TimePorter in a place that’s easy to view, allowing people to admire your Watch strap collection, or hide it in a wardrobe or on the inside of a cabinet door, just in case you’re a little protective about your abundant collection!

Click Here to Buy Now

The post Genius Apple Watch Strap ‘Wardrobe’ lets you Store and Flaunt your Entire Strap Collection first appeared on Yanko Design.

Is the Apple Watch Series 9 secretly going to become the new Controller for the Vision Pro headset?

Posted on by

As Apple revealed the latest fleet of the Apple Watch collection, one feature stood out as the most remarkable as well as the most intriguing. The Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 both boasted of a new gesture input – being able to tap your fingers twice to register a button press. This would work remarkably well if your hands were occupied or dirty, letting you answer/end calls, snooze alarms, play/pause music, and even trigger your iPhone shutter simply by tapping your index finger and thumb together… without touching your Apple Watch at all. Sounds impressive, but also sounds extremely familiar, doesn’t it? Because tapping your fingers is exactly how the Apple Vision Pro registers click inputs too.

Designer: Apple

When Apple debuted the Vision Pro at WWDC in June, their biggest claim was that the Vision Pro was an entirely controller-free AR/VR headset, letting you manipulate virtual objects using just your hands. However, news emerged that Apple was, indeed, figuring out a traditional controller substitute that would be much more reliable than just human hands. It seems like the Apple Watch could be that perfect alternative.

The Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra Series 2 were unveiled this year, with a few standout upgrades. Both watches now come with 2000 Nits peak brightness, doubling last year’s capabilities. They both also rely on the new S9 SiP (the watch’s dedicated chipset) which now runs Siri locally on the device, without relying on the internet. The watches are also accompanied by new bands, including the FineWoven fabric that now replaces all leather accessories in Apple’s catalog… but more importantly, both the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra Series 2 accept the new finger-tapping gesture that does what the home button on both watches would do. The feature’s due to roll out next month as Apple calibrates how it works… but the implications of the feature go beyond just the watch. In fact, the Watch could be the secret controller the Vision Pro truly needs to enhance its Spatial Computing Experience.

Sure, the Vision Pro has multiple cameras that track your environment, also keeping an eye on your hands to see where you’re pointing, tapping, and pinching. The big caveat, however, is any situation where the Vision Pro CAN’T see your hands. If you’ve got your hands under a table, in your pocket, or behind your back, the Vision Pro potentially wouldn’t be able to recognize your fingers clicking away… and that’s a pretty massive drawback for the $3500 device. Potentially though, the Apple Watch helps solve that problem by being able to detect finger taps… although only on one hand.

The way the ‘Double Tap’ feature works on the watch is by relying on the S9 SiP. The chipset uses machine learning to interpret data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor to detect when you tap your fingers twice. The feature only works with the hand that’s wearing the Watch (you can’t tap your right-hand fingers while the Watch is on your left hand), but even that’s enough to solve the Vision Pro’s big problem. Moreover, the new Ultra Wide Band chip on the watch can help with spatial tracking, letting your Vision Pro when your hands are in sight and when they aren’t. While Apple hasn’t formally announced compatibility between the Watch and the Vision Pro, we can expect more details when Apple’s spatial-computing headset formally launches next year. The Vision Pro could get its own dedicated keynote event, or even be clubbed along with the new iPad/MacBook announcements that often happen at the beginning of the calendar year.

The post Is the Apple Watch Series 9 secretly going to become the new Controller for the Vision Pro headset? first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple Reportedly Working On A “Watch X” For The Smartwatch’s Upcoming 10th Anniversary

Posted on by

It’s safe to say that the Watch was truly Apple’s first BIG product launched without Steve Jobs. Debuted in 2015, the Watch slowly but surely became one of Apple’s most valuable offerings, transforming from a fashion wearable into a life-saving piece of tech… and apparently, Apple has major plans to celebrate its 10th year anniversary, quite similar to how Apple debuted the iPhone X in 2017 to mark the iPhone’s decade-dominance.

News of a rumored Watch X broke on Power On, Mark Gurman’s weekly newsletter for Bloomberg, where he described the Watch X as the smartwatch’s biggest overhaul. “With the X model, Apple designers are working on a thinner watch case and have explored changing the way bands are attached to the device,” Gurman said. It isn’t clear if Apple will be transitioning to a new design or shape (given how far the WatchOS has come), but it will mark a significant shift in the watch’s design – mirroring what Apple did for the iPhone X.

Image Credits: Fraser Leid

Apple Watch Concept by Fraser Leid

Apple originally announced the Watch in 2014 and began preorders in 2015. Gurman mentions that it’s unclear if Apple will celebrate the wearable’s 10-year anniversary in 2024 or 2025, but is pretty confident that this year’s Watch Series 9 isn’t going to see any significant aesthetic changes or major upgrades. Rumor has it that the Watch Ultra will get satellite connectivity – a feature that Apple’s been working hard on condensing down to the format of a wearable.

As far as the Watch X goes, Gurman goes into detail talking about how it may eschew the existing watch strap system for a magnetic strap attachment protocol. This new system could help save space within the Watch for a bigger battery. The Watch X may also upgrade from OLED to MicroLED displays which would offer much better color representation and overall clarity… and if past rumors are any indication, hopefully, a non-invasive glucose monitoring system which would be one of the most significant innovations of this decade!

Read More: How One Crazy YouTuber Built The World’s First “Mechanical Apple Watch” from E-Waste

The post Apple Reportedly Working On A “Watch X” For The Smartwatch’s Upcoming 10th Anniversary first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Apple Watch powerbank charges it right on the wrist to face the day once more

Posted on by

In a world dominated by smartwatches, few have captivated the fans quite like the Apple Watch. This ingenious timepiece has won the hearts of millions with its combination of style, functionality, and convenience. Whether you’re heading to a business meeting or embarking on an adventure, the Apple Watch seamlessly complements your attire and lifestyle.

However, like any masterpiece, Apple Watch – in its eighth edition still – has its limitations; chiefly, its battery life. But fear not! A game-changing solution has arrived. The Mark_B_CASE, an innovative Apple Watch powerbank – you can wear direction as the watch case on the wrist – is designed to extend your Apple Watch’s endurance and redefine your wearable experience.

Designer: Mark&Draw Design

With the release of the Apple Watch Series 8, a promise of an “all-day battery” emerged. It was a significant leap forward in addressing the battery life challenges. This latest iteration boasts a commendable 18 hours of usage between charges. Yet, for those who crave even more endurance, the Apple Watch Ultra ups the ante with an impressive 36-hour lifespan on a single charge. Despite the improvement, the reality remains that most users find themselves charging their watches more than once a day.

Since The Apple Watch isn’t just a stylish accessory; it’s a lifeline for long-term tracking, fitness monitoring, and measuring sleep productivity, and its need to collect and retain information perpetually remains imperative. This is where the Mark_B_CASE enters the picture, ensuring that your connectivity remains uninterrupted even during extended periods of activity or slumber.

The Mark_B_CASE is designed to keep your Apple Watch powered and functioning without missing a beat. It comes equipped with a 450mAh battery, extending your Apple Watch’s usability by up to three times its normal duration. This patented Apple Watch Powerbank case is more than just a battery pack; it’s a masterpiece that seamlessly integrates with your Apple Watch as a case.

Crafted with precision, the silicon case not only matches Apple’s design language flawlessly but also offers robust protection against the elements. Its form-fitting structure cradles both the battery pack and the Apple Watch body, ensuring a secure and stylish fit. You can effortlessly attach the Mark_B_CASE when your watch’s battery is on the brink of depletion, and watch your device rejuvenate, ready to face the day once more.

Mark_B_CASE’s wider, more distinctive case design sets it apart from the crowd, but the bulk on the wrist is always going to be a point of contention for many minimalist users.

The post This Apple Watch powerbank charges it right on the wrist to face the day once more first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nomad’s glow in the dark Apple Watch Sport Band recreates style, function, and adventures after dark

Posted on by

Nomad, renowned for its innovative accessories, adds another exciting addition to its Apple accessories with the limited-edition glow-in-the-dark Apple Watch Sport Band.

As evident from the name itself, the new watch band with nice green phosphorescence will redefine the way you approach intense workouts and everyday style. It will complement your modern and athletic journey during the day and nighttime adventures with its glow-in-the-dark form factor.

Pros:

  • Nice green glow in the dark
  • Durable construction
  • Waterproof and breathable design
  • Compatible with all Apple Watch models

Cons:

  • Slightly expensive
  • May not lure you if you like the flat band design
  • Limited availability

Designer: Nomad

During the day, the Nomad Sport Band is an Apple Watch-ready, elegant off-white strap you can carry wherever your routine takes you. And as the sun goes down, a magical transformation occurs: the band comes alive with a vibrant glow, illuminating your wrist green to capture attention and spark conversations.

Made from FKM fluoroelastomer rubber, the Apple Watch Sport Band is engineered to withstand whatever you throw at it. Its rugged construction ensures it will remain a steadfast companion throughout your journey, whereas the band’s 100 percent waterproof design lets you dive into any adventure without hesitation.

Besides the toughness, Nomad has designed the band with all-day-long wearing comfort in mind. Its strategically placed ventilation cutouts enhance airflow around your wrist, delivering a breathable band that’s unlike the flat design of conventional sports bands, including Apple’s own accessory.

It comes with a custom closure pin for a secure fit and cross-compatibility with a range of Apple Watch models from the Watch Ultra to all previous versions. So, this glow-in-the-dark Apple Watch Sport Band from Nomad, priced at $60, basically ensures that everyone in the Apple Watch family can experience its transformative charm!

The post Nomad’s glow in the dark Apple Watch Sport Band recreates style, function, and adventures after dark first appeared on Yanko Design.

How One Crazy YouTuber Built The World’s First “Mechanical Apple Watch” from E-Waste

Posted on by

While tech companies spend more time designing the future rather than reminiscing about the past, YouTuber NanoRobotGeek decided to flip things around by taking a cutting-edge smartwatch and turning it into an analog timepiece. Say hello to the first-ever Apple Watch powered by an automatic movement… or more accurately, the first-ever Apple Watch that works without needing to charge!

Barely a year since Apple launched the Watch Ultra, Jack Spiggle (who goes by NanoRobotGeek on YouTube) decided it was time for the smartwatch to perform a blast from the past too. The project started with sourcing a Gen 1 Apple Watch, which would serve as the perfect outer shell for the project – Apple stopped supporting the Gen 1 Watch in 2020, and most of the first-generation Apple Watches have extremely poor battery life, rendering them useless. Jack bought a handful of second-hand watches off eBay for a couple of hundred bucks, mainly for their stainless steel chassis and sapphire glass. The idea was deceptively simple – to build a mechanical Apple Watch with a functional crown and button.

Designer: NanoRobotGeek

The 25-minute-long video at the beginning details out Jack executes this hefty build. The inside of the watch features a reliable Seiko NH38 movement, but it isn’t as simple as slapping a mechanical movement inside the watch and calling it a day. Analog timepieces are HIGHLY intricate works of art and engineering, and the YouTube video above just makes one appreciate the science of horology even more. The conversion exercise can basically be split into two phases – cleaning out the Apple Watch, and then assembling the mechanical timepiece inside its hollow shell. The former was understandably easy, but required a fair amount of care because Jack didn’t want to risk breaking the glass or any other parts.

Jack’s mechanical Apple Watch features an exhibition back with a visible custom-made oscillating weight with an Apple logo

The mechanical Apple Watch kept beside a functioning Gen 1 Apple Watch

A Seiko NH38 proved to be the perfect mechanical movement for using in the watch. It’s an affordable automatic movement that doesn’t need winding, and relies on an oscillating weight inside the watch to translate hand movements into stored energy that then powers the watch. The NH38 also has a power reserve of 41 hours, which means if you wear it everyday, it should run smoothly for the foreseeable future, making it the only Apple Watch that NEVER needs charging!

Once perfectly optimized and aligned, the Seiko movement was then mounted on a plate and prepared for modifications.

While the entire process involved optimizing and modifying the movement to fit perfectly into the Apple Watch’s stainless steel chassis, perhaps one of the most interesting parts was the creation of a custom oscillating weight for the watch. Visible through the back, this oscillating weight would serve the purpose of charging the watch through minor wrist movements. Jack took an existing weight and modified it by laser-cutting the Apple logo into it as well as etching the movement model number and jewel count onto it.

The movement was then mounted behind a zirconium plate with a small cutout on the front to let you see the watch’s flywheel. As promised, Jack actually made the crown and button functional too – pressing down the button and simultaneously turning the crown would let you set the time. Given the crown’s ability to be turned easily by accident, Jack designed this unique failsafe to prevent the watch from changing the time unintentionally if it brushed against a surface.

Finally, the sapphire glass was mounted onto the front, along with a rear disc-shaped glass unit. Even though the entire process was a sheer pleasure to watch, the fact that Jack attached the stock silicone strap to this magnificent piece took away from its luxurious charm… However, in a later YouTube Short video, Jack shows off the watch with a set of leather straps and I have to say, it does look fantastic. Here’s to hoping someone can make a simple DIY kit so that enthusiasts can recycle old Apple Watches and turn them into fantastic forever-timepieces!

The post How One Crazy YouTuber Built The World’s First “Mechanical Apple Watch” from E-Waste first appeared on Yanko Design.

How about upping Apple Watch’s style quotient with Y24’s durable case

Posted on by

Want to elevate your Apple Watch appeal to the next level without breaking the bank? Then you should consider the bold look of Apple Watch cases designed by Y24 which is a fresh offshoot brand of Swedish label Golden Concept renowned for its luxury offerings at a steep price tag.

Y24 gets the high price tag out of the equation while offering similar quality, and that’s what the average Apple user wants. The cases offered by the brand transform the look of the wearable while keeping all the functionality well intact.

Designer: Y24

The price-friendly collection launched by the brand is inspired by the lifestyle of Tokyo, and the cool vibe resonates in each one of them. According to Puia Shamsossadati, Founder and CEO, Y24, all the Cupertino giant’s products are ubiquitous in their look and feel. Y24’s specially designed cases elevate the young generations’ style for a unique identity without sacrificing Apple’s originality. Puia added that “Y24 is inspired by Japan, crafted in Sweden, and designed for the world.”

They call this collection Apex, and it comprises six different models inspired by each district of Japan. First up the Shibuya is a combination of sleek metallic case and straps done in orange for a sparky look. Then there is the Brera done in a stealthy all-black finish and the Pigalle that comes in a matte black case paired with a verdant colored strap. Söder in rose gold case combined with jet-black straps is for ones who crave opulence while the Soho has a contrasting pristine white and rose gold hue. Lastly, the sober Xinyi has a sleek silver finish with a black strap.

The cool cases are designed for the Apple Watch Ultra in both 45mm and 49mm sizes, as well as, the Apple Watch Series 8. Each one of the Apex cases is crafted out of 316 L stainless steel, and the high-grade silicone straps are extremely durable. Coming at a price tag ranging from $199 to $249, these cases by Y24 are perfect for creating a distinct persona.

The post How about upping Apple Watch’s style quotient with Y24’s durable case first appeared on Yanko Design.

An Apple Watch strap with an integrated pillbox seems like quite a brilliant idea

Posted on by

Although conceptual, the Apple Watch Pillbox highlights a rather novel use-case for the company’s health-tracking smartwatch, building on its personality of being a life-saving piece of tech.

Every year, as Tim Cook takes the stage to announce the next series of the Apple Watch, he simultaneously also talks about how many letters and emails he’s received from people claiming that the watch saved their life. Whether it was detecting a fall or a crash, to any anomalies in body temperature or heart rate, the watch is great at knowing when something is off (either noticeably or not) and alerting you or your caretaker as soon as possible. This watch strap with an integrated pillbox takes the watch one step further, helping people stay healthy by following their medication routine religiously.

Designer: Zhiwen

Designed as a simple silicone strap and sleeve that attaches to your Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Pillbox gives you a tiny pill container right underneath the watch body, letting you easily carry your medication with you wherever you go. The watch permanently sits on your wrist so the chances of forgetting to carry your meds are much lower, and a health-monitoring app on the watch constantly tracks your health and reminds you to take your meds at exactly the right time.

The way the app, at least in this situation, works is by tracking the wearer’s blood pressure – a feature that isn’t there on the Apple Watch yet, but we’re working with hypotheticals, at this point. When the watch detects an anomaly, it gives you a gentle notification, allowing you to be aware. If the situation worsens, the watch lets you know it’s time to take your meds, and if there’s no improvement, the watch alerts your caretaker/guardian so they can check in on you. Caretakers can also remotely keep track of your health stats too, just as a safety measure.

Although the Apple Watch can’t actively measure its wearer’s blood pressure, the idea of having a pillbox attached to your watch has various merits. For starters, the watch can measure your heart rate, take an EKG, and even check your blood O2 levels. It’s estimated that in the future, the watch will be able to non-invasively check your blood sugar levels. In such a scenario, knowing exactly when to take an insulin shot would be absolutely crucial. Similarly, for people suffering from a variety of ailments that require monitoring and medication, having a health tracker on your wrist along with a pillbox sounds like a pretty neat idea.

The post An Apple Watch strap with an integrated pillbox seems like quite a brilliant idea first appeared on Yanko Design.

Alternate-reality Apple Watch comes with an angled second screen just for notifications

Posted on by

As multiple rumors of an Apple iPhone with no buttons, a HomePod with a larger screen, and an Apple XR headset hit the surface, let’s look at this odd little Apple Watch concept that ditches the large always-on display for something a little different. This unique Watch concept from the mind of Tien Hung comes with two displays instead of one, using a secondary ticker-tape-inspired screen right below the primary one to show you notifications. The watch also shifts the crown to the top left corner, creating a template that definitely feels different in a way that I’m still trying to wrap my head around.

Designer: Tien Hung

Just like the MacBook with its TouchBar, this Watch concept has its own TouchBar of sorts, designed as a dedicated notification and quick-action center. The secondary display sits underneath the first one, at an angle that naturally points towards the wearer’s eye so that you can get your notification at a glance without needing to tilt your Watch over to activate the display.

This new kind of Dynamic Island gives the Apple Watch a distinctly different aesthetic. It allows the watch to, for once, multitask by letting you respond to messages on one screen while you track your activity on the other. The Watch’s body perhaps receives its biggest set of changes, while the strap stays the same. The dual-screen design sees a complete shift in the watch’s overall visual DNA. The home button goes the way of the dinosaur, while the crown shifts from the 3 o’clock position to the top-left corner, becoming a little hard to access. I’d prefer a top right, if anything.

This novel concept is far from ever being a reality, given that the Apple Watch is less of a multitasking device and more of a health wearable. Apple’s announcement of the Watch Ultra last year has only further cemented the idea that the Watch isn’t an extension of your phone anymore… it’s a potentially life-saving device that monitors your health 24×7, letting you know the second it senses something wrong. Apple’s been working on a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system that may come to the Watch this year, although realistically it seems like that feature is still a year or two away. If you asked me what the watch was missing, however, a secondary screen wouldn’t be anywhere on the list. I’d much rather have a camera on the watch that lets you FaceTime directly from your wrist!

The sensors on the bottom of the Watch stay the same too.

The post Alternate-reality Apple Watch comes with an angled second screen just for notifications first appeared on Yanko Design.