Apple on Monday announced watchOS 9, the next major update to the Apple Watch operating system. It comes with features such as better sleep control and a new medication reminder app and also offers new and updated clock dials. Keep reading as we detail what’s new on the faces of Apple Watch in watchOS 9.
Apple Watch stands out for the many options available to users to customize the dials of the watch. Rather than choosing different styles, you can change the colors and add different complications to see them when you lift your wrist.
Over time, Apple has added new watch dials to watchOS, but the old ones have stayed pretty much the same. Now, with the Apple Watch Series 7, it has become even clearer that these watch dials were not created with the latest Apple Watch models in mind. With watchOS 9, Apple not only added three new watch dials, but also updated some of the old ones.
First, let’s take a closer look at the new watch dials that include watchOS 9.
Lunar
Lunar is one of the new watch dials that includes watchOS 9, and Apple describes it as a clock face that “represents the relationship between the Gregorian calendar and the lunar calendar.” Basically, it is inspired by ancient timing methods based on the phases of the moon.
This clock face, which shows the moon in the middle with the time surrounded by the lunar phases, bears four complications. There aren’t many other customization options except hand colors, analog or digital time, and Chinese, Hebrew, and Islamic calendars.
Users can rotate the digital crown to explore other phases of the moon and the clock vibrates every time it does so.
Game time
Playtime is a dynamic, interactive clock face created in collaboration with illustrator and artist Joi Fulton. It has a more fun atmosphere as it shows the numbers in the form of stuffed toys.
There are no complications in this clock face, but it allows users to change the background color and add or remove some decorative elements to the background. Time moves on the screen with a parallax effect as you move your wrist, and you can interact with the numbers by touching them.
Subway
Metropolitan is more of a classic watch face, as it replicates an analog watch. However, it has multiple customization options.
Like other modern watch dials, Metropolitan also supports up to four corner complications. Here, the user can change the background color and also the time in the center of the face of the clock. By rotating the digital crown, the numbers stretch more or less, allowing users to create even more unique looks.
Astronomy
While Astronomy is not a new watch face, it has been completely remastered with watchOS 9. In addition to highly detailed 3D versions of Earth and the Moon, the changes made to the face of the Astronomy watch go further.
Users can choose to see the Earth or the Moon in full size or zoom in on a specific part. There is also a version that shows the entire solar system, and you can interact with it using the digital corona.
When it comes to personalization, the face of the Astronomy watch offers options for changing the font and complications at the top and bottom of the screen.
Updated watch dials
Other watch dials have also been updated with watchOS 9, but with less aggressive changes. In watch dials such as Modular, Modular Compact and X-Large, users can now change the background by adding a solid color or gradient.
Some of the original dials of the watch, such as Simple and Utility, have also received minor updates, now with support for more modern complications.
The face of the Portrait watch, which shows photos taken in Portrait mode and merges them with time, has also been updated to work with pet portraits.
Availability
Fortunately, all new watch dials will be available for Apple Watch Series 4 or later, so there are no new exclusive Apple Watch Series 7 watches.
watchOS 9 is currently available as beta software for developers through the Apple Developer Website. A public beta will be released next month, while the official release is expected this fall.
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