Apple Watch Series 4 is the most accessible watch yet
The accessibility of the iPhone XS Max
At Apple’s WWDC 2018, accessibility pervades all
Every time I ponder the impact Apple Watch has had on my life, my mind
always goes to Matthew Panzarino’s piece published prior to the device’s
launch in 2015. In it, Panzarino writes about how using Apple Watch
saves time; as a “satellite” to your iPhone, the Watch can discreetly
deliver messages without you having to disengage from moments to attend
to your phone.
In the three years I’ve worn an Apple Watch, I’ve found this to be true.
Like anyone nowadays, my iPhone is the foremost computing device in my
life, but the addition of the Watch has somewhat deadened the reflex to
check my phone so often. What’s more, the advent of Apple Watch turned
me into a regular watch-wearer again, period, be it analog or digital. I
went without one for several years, instead relying on my cell phone to
tell me the time.
To piggyback on Panzarino’s thesis that Apple Watch saves you time, from
my perspective as a disabled person, Apple’s smartwatch makes receiving
notifications and the like a more accessible experience. As someone
with multiple disabilities, Apple Watch not only promotes pro-social
behavior, the device’s glanceable nature alleviates the friction of
pulling my phone out of my pocket a thousand times an hour. For people
with certain physical motor delays, the seemingly unremarkable act of
even getting your phone can be quite an adventure. Apple Watch on my
wrist eliminates that work, because all my iMessages and VIP emails are
right there.
The fourth-generation Apple Watch, “Series 4” in Apple’s parlance, is
the best, most accessible Apple Watch to date. The original value
proposition for accessibility, to save on physical wear and tear,
remains. Yet Series 4’s headlining features — the larger display,
haptic-enabled Digital Crown and fall detection — all have enormous
ramifications for accessibility. In my testing of a Series 4 model, a
review unit provided to me by Apple, I have found it to be delightful to
wear and use. This new version has made staying connected more
efficient and accessible than ever before.
Big screen, small space
If there were but one banner feature of this year’s Apple Watch, it
would indisputably be the bigger screen. I’ve been testing Series 4 for a
few weeks and what I tweeted early on holds true: for accessibility,
the Series 4’s larger display is today what Retina meant to iPhone 4
eight years ago. Which is to say, it is a highly significant development
for the product; a milestone. If you are visually impaired, this should
be as exciting as having a 6.5-inch iPhone. Again, the adage that
bigger is better is entirely apropos — especially on such a small device
as Apple Watch.
What makes Series 4’s larger screen so compelling in practice is just
how expansive it is. As with the iPhone XS Max, the watch’s large
display makes seeing content easier. As I wrote last month, once I saw
the bigger model in the hands-on area following Apple’s presentation, my
heart knew it was the size I wanted. The difference between my 42mm
Series 3 and my 44mm Series 4 is stark. I’ve never complained about my
previous watches being small, screen-wise, but after using the 44mm
version for an extended time, the former feels downright minuscule by
comparison. It’s funny how quickly and drastically one’s perception can
change.
Series 4’s bigger display affects more than just text. Its bigger canvas
allows for bigger icons and touch targets for user interface controls.
The keypad for entering your passcode and the buttons for replying to
iMessages are two standout examples. watchOS 5 has been updated in such a
way that buttons have even more definition. They’re more pill-shaped to
accommodate the curves of the new display; the Cancel/Pause buttons in
the Timer app shows this off well. It aids in tapping, but it also gives
them a visual boost that makes it easy to identify them as actionable
buttons.
This is one area where watchOS excels over iOS, since Apple Watch’s
relatively small display necessitates a more explicit design language.
In other words, where iOS leans heavily on buttons that resemble
ordinary text, watchOS sits at the polar end of the spectrum. A good
rule of thumb for accessible design is that it’s generally better
designers aim for concreteness with iconography and the like, rather
than be cutesy and abstract because it’s en vogue and “looks cool” (the
idea being a visually impaired person can more easily distinguish
something that looks like a button as opposed to something that is
technically a button but which looks like text).
Apple has course-corrected a lot in the five years since the iOS 7
overhaul; I hope further refinement is something that is addressed with
the iOS 13 refresh that Axios’s Ina Fried first reported earlier this
year was pushed back until 2019.
Of Series 4’s improvements, the bigger screen is by far my favorite.
Apple Watch still isn’t a device you don’t want to interact with more
than a minute, but the bigger display allows for another few
milliseconds of comfort. As someone with low vision, that little bit of
extra time is nice because I can take in more important information; the
bigger screen mitigates my concerns over excessive eye strain and
fatigue.
The Infograph and Infograph Modular faces
As I wrote in the previous section, the Series 4’s larger display
allowed Apple to redesign watchOS such that it would look right given
the bigger space. Another way Apple has taken advantage of Series 4’s
big screens is the company has created two all-new watch faces that are
exclusive to the new hardware: Infograph and Infograph Modular. (There
are other cool ones — Breathe, Fire & Water, Liquid Metal and Vapor —
that are all available on older Apple Watches that run watchOS 5.)
It’s not hard to understand why Apple chose to showcase Infograph in
their marketing images for Series 4; it (and Infograph Modular) look
fantastic with all the bright colors and bold San Francisco font. From
an accessibility standpoint, however, my experience has been Infograph
Modular is far more visually accessible than Infograph. While I
appreciate the latter’s beauty (and bevy of complications), the
functional downsides boil down to two things: contrast and telling time.
Contrast-wise, it’s disappointing you can’t change the dial to be
another color but white and black. White is better here, but it is
difficult to read the minute and second markers because they’re in a
fainter grayish-black hue. If you choose the black dial, contrast is
worse because it blends into the black background of the watch’s OLED
display. You can change the color of the minute and second markers, but
unless they’re neon yellow or green, readability is compromised.
Which brings us to the major problem with Infograph: it’s really
difficult to tell time. This ties into the contrast issue — there are no
numerals, and the hands are low contrast, so you have to have memorized
the clock in order to see what time it is. Marco Arment articulates the
problem well, and I can attest the issue is only made worse if you are
visually impaired as I am. It’s a shame because Infograph is pretty and
useful overall, but you have to be able to tell time. It makes
absolutely no sense to add a digital time complication to what’s
effectively an analog watch face. Perhaps Apple will add more
customization options for Infograph in the future.
Infograph Modular, which I personally prefer, is not nearly as
aesthetically pleasing as Infograph, but it’s far better functionally.
Because it’s a digital face, the time is right there for you, and the
colorful complications set against the black background is a triumph of
high contrast. It is much easier on my eyes, and the face I recommend to
anyone interested in trying out Series 4’s new watch faces.
Lastly, a note about the information density of these new faces.
Especially on Infograph, it’s plausible that all the complications, in
all their color, present an issue for some visually impaired people.
This is because there’s a lot of “clutter” on screen and it may be
difficult for some to pinpoint, say, the current temperature. Similarly,
all the color may look like one washed-out rainbow to some who may have
trouble distinguishing colors. It’d be nice if Apple added an option
for monochromatic complications with the new faces.
In my usage, neither have been issues for me. I quite like how the colors boost contrast, particularly on Infograph Modular.
Haptics come to the crown
Given Apple’s push in recent years to integrate its so-called Taptic
Engine technology — first introduced with the original Watch — across
its product lines, it makes perfect sense that the Digital Crown gets it
now. Haptics makes it better.
Before Apple Watch launched three years ago, I wrote a story in which I
explained why haptic feedback (or “Force Touch,” as Apple coined it
then) matters for accessibility. What I wrote then is just as relevant
now: the addition of haptic feedback enhances the user experience,
particularly for people with disabilities. The key factor is sensory
input — as a user, you’re no longer simply watching a list go by. In my
usage, the fact that I feel a “tick” as I’m scrolling through a list on
the Watch in addition to seeing it move makes it more accessible.
The bi-modal sensory experience is helpful insofar as the secondary cue
(the ticks) is another marker that I’m manipulating the device and
something is happening. If I only rely on my poor eyesight, there’s a
chance I could miss certain movements or animations, so the haptic
feedback acts as a “backup,” so to speak. Likewise, I prefer my iPhone
to ring and vibrate whenever a call comes in because I suffer from
congenital hearing loss (due to my parents being deaf) and could
conceivably miss important calls from loved ones or whomever. Thus, that
my phone also vibrates while it’s ringing is another signal that
someone is trying to reach me and I probably should answer.
Tim Cook made a point during the original Watch’s unveiling to liken the
Digital Crown as equally innovative and revolutionary as what the mouse
was to the Mac in 1984 and what multi-touch was to the iPhone in 2007. I
won’t argue his assertion here, but I will say the Series 4’s crown is
the best version of the “dial,” as Cook described it, to date. It’s
because of the haptic feedback. It gives the crown even more precision
and tactility, making it more of a compelling navigational tool.
Considering fall detection
As I watched from the audience as Apple COO Jeff Williams announced
Series 4’s new fall detection feature, I immediately knew it was going
to be a big deal. It’s something you hope to never use, as Williams said
on stage, but the fact it exists at all is telling for a few reasons —
the most important to me being accessibility.
I’ve long maintained accessibility, conceptually, isn’t limited to
people with medically recognized disabilities. Accessibility can mean
lots of different things, from mundane things like where you put the
paper towel dispenser on the kitchen counter to more critical ones like
building disabled parking spaces and wheelchair ramps for the general
public. Accessibility also is applicable to the elderly who, in the case
of fall detection, could benefit immensely from such a feature.
Instead of relying on a dedicated lifeline device, someone who’s even
remotely interested in Apple Watch, and who’s also a fall risk, could
look at Series 4 and decide the fall detection feature alone is worth
the money. That’s exactly what happened to my girlfriend’s mother. She
is an epileptic and is a high-risk individual for catastrophic falls.
After seeing Ellen DeGeneres talk up the device on a recent episode of
her show, she was gung-ho about Series 4 solely for fall detection.
She’d considered a lifeline button prior, but after hearing how fall
detection works, decided Apple Watch would be the better choice. As of
this writing, she’s had her Apple Watch for a week, and can confirm the
new software works as advertised.
Personally, my cerebral palsy makes it such that I can be unsteady on my
feet at times and could potentially fall. Fortunately, I haven’t needed
to test fall detection myself, but I trust the reports from my
girlfriend’s mom and The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, who got a
professional stunt woman’s approval.
Problematic packaging
Apple Watch Series 4 is pretty great all around, but there is a problem.
One that has nothing to do with the product itself. How Apple has
chosen to package Apple Watch Series 4 is bad.
Series 4’s unboxing experience is a regression from all previous models,
in my opinion. The issue is Apple’s decision to pack everything
“piecemeal” — the Watch case itself comes in an (admittedly cute) pouch
that’s reminiscent of iPod Socks, while the band is in its own box. Not
to mention the AC adapter and charging puck are located in their own
compartment. I understand the operational logistics of changing the
packaging this way, but for accessibility, it’s hardly efficient. In
many ways, it’s chaotic. There are two reasons for this.
First, the discrete approach adds a lot in terms of cognitive load.
While certainly not a dealbreaker for me, unboxing my review unit was
jarring at first. Everything felt disjointed until I considered the
logic behind doing it this way. But while I can manage to put everything
together as if it were a jigsaw puzzle, many people with certain
cognitive delays could have real trouble. They would first need to
determine where everything is in the box before then determining how to
put it all together; this can be frustrating for many. Conversely, the
advantage of the “all-in-one” approach of Series past (where the case
and band was one entity) meant there was far less mental processing
needed to unbox the product. Aside from figuring out how the band works,
the old setup was essentially a “grab and go” solution.
Second, the Series 4 packaging is more fiddly than before, quite
literally. Instead of the Watch already being put together, now you have
to fasten the band to the Watch in order to wear it. I acknowledge the
built-in lesson for fastening and removing bands, but it can be
inaccessible too. If you have visual and/or fine-motor impairments, you
could spend several minutes trying to get your watch together so you can
pair it with your iPhone. That time can be taxing, physically and
emotionally, which in turn worsens the overall experience. Again,
Apple’s previous packaging design alleviated much of this potential
stress — whereas Series 4 exacerbates it.
I’ve long admired Apple’s product packaging for its elegance and
simplicity, which is why the alarm bells went off as I’ve unboxed a few
Series 4 models now. As I said, this year’s design definitely feels
regressive, and I hope Apple reconsiders their old ways come Series 5.
In fact, they could stand to take notes from Microsoft, which has gone
to great lengths to ensure their packaging is as accessible as possible.
The bottom line
Three years in, I can confidently say I could live without my Apple
Watch. But I also can confidently say I wouldn’t want to. Apple Watch
has made my life better, and that’s not taking into account how it has
raised my awareness for my overall health.
My gripes about the packaging and Infograph face aside, Series 4 is an
exceptional update. The larger display is worth the price of admission,
even from my year-old Series 3. The haptic Digital Crown and fall
detection is the proverbial icing on the cake. I believe the arrival of
Series 4 is a seminal moment for the product, and it’s the best, most
accessible Apple Watch Apple has made yet.
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