It’s been a great few months for wearables fans. Samsung kicked things off with the slimmer Galaxy Watch 8 series, complete with a higher peak brightness, double the storage, a new Quick Action button, and several new health features.
Then came Google, and the Pixel Watch 4. Except, it took several weeks to go on sale, and in the meantime, Apple launched and released the new Apple Watch 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
I’ve used Apple’s new wearables for the past few weeks and the Pixel Watch 4 for the past few days. I love Google’s hardware design. The challenges include software issues, a mismatch between Google Fit and the Fitbit app, and errant notifications when paired with the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Google’s new wearable has my favorite watch hardware, but Apple’s software reigns supreme. Here’s why Apple should make a round Apple Watch.
The Pixel Watch 4 is the most comfortable smartwatch on the wrist
The biggest surprise during my time with the Pixel Watch 4 is just how comfortable it is to wear for extended periods. The Apple Watch 11 is slimmer and lighter, but its square design and larger display mean it consumes more physical space on your wrist.
The Apple Watch 11 features a 1.96-inch display in the larger 46mm model, while the smaller 42mm model features a 1.77-inch display. I love the large screen on the Apple Watch 11, but it’s considerably larger than the Pixel Watch 4. The Pixel Watch 4 has a 1.4-inch round display on the larger 45mm model and a 1.2-inch screen on the smaller 41mm model.
Yes, the bigger screen is more useful, as is the square form factor — more on that later — but there’s no escaping the larger size. There’s a reason that Samsung and Google have stuck with the round form factor, and I think Apple needs to follow suit.
Fighting the competition head-to-head
The majority of watches sold are round. It’s not just smartwatches; some estimates suggest that round watches account for 80% of all watches sold, whether smart, hybrid, or analog.
Against this trend, the Apple Watch has achieved outstanding returns, with estimates suggesting almost three hundred million Apple Watches have been sold in the past decade since the first version was announced. Tim Cook has already called it Apple’s greatest impact on humanity, and after the Apple Watch also saved my life, I’d have to agree.
Despite the success of the Apple Watch, millions of customers don’t want a square watch. I have family members who fall into this category, and I know many other average customers who won’t consider an Apple Watch because of its shape. That’s understandable: someone switching from most of the best smartwatches will have to make that adjustment, and it’s not as straightforward as it may seem.
For Apple, building a round smartwatch also allows it to challenge Google and Samsung, where their best smartwatches are. Yes, it’s not a direct comparison given the platform lock-in for all three wearables, but it’s an opportunity for Apple to showcase its software and health chops.
Apple could fix the biggest problem with round smartwatches
There’s a key issue with round smartwatches that has existed for years, and none of the major smartwatch makers have opted to address it: how to display notifications on a round watch face.
The Pixel Watch 4 addresses this by opting for a square display in the software, and the round display cuts off different parts of text as you scroll. It’s fairly elegant, but also fairly rudimentary in its approach. Samsung takes a different approach, with the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 8 series featuring a framed square screen atop a round body.
Now consider Liquid Glass, Apple’s new unified user interface design across all of its devices. It was announced at WWDC 2025 and launched last month alongside the new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro series, and the iPhone Air. It brings the experience of the Apple Vision Pro to other form factors and represents the biggest visual overhaul to the iPhone in years.
Apple has already shown a willingness to rethink the software experience on its devices. The company is rumored to be debuting devices with several new form factors over the coming years, and the recent iPhone Air proves that it’s not afraid to be creative with its hardware design.
Apple is expected to debut the iPhone Fold next year; imagine if a new phone form factor were joined by an all-new Apple Watch design?
