HODINKEE Podcast: “All About The Apple Watch”

Guests: Alan Dye (Apple VP of Human Interface Design), John Gruber (Daring Fireball), Om Malik (Writer, Entrepreneur)
Host: Stephen Pulvirent
Release Date: October 5, 2020

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the design philosophy, technological evolution, and cultural resonance of the Apple Watch. Host Stephen Pulvirent is joined first by Alan Dye, Apple’s VP of Human Interface Design, for an insider’s look at how the Apple Watch—and especially its faces—are conceived and executed. The episode continues with a lively roundtable discussion featuring two keen Apple observers and mechanical watch enthusiasts, John Gruber and Om Malik, who talk about the latest product updates, Apple’s broader strategy, and the interface between smartwatches and traditional horology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Designing the Apple Watch: A Chat with Alan Dye

(03:08–21:55)

User Feedback & Iterative Design

• Positive Response: Alan reports strong feedback from both public channels and his own children—his "super secret focus group"—regarding WatchOS 7, Series 6, and new watch faces.

  • [03:26] “I've got two little ones at home who just got watches. They're a little more critical, but for the most part, fairly positive.” — Alan Dye

• Design Responding to Real-World Events: The hand washing feature was fast-tracked due to the pandemic, combining motion and sound detection for a safer user experience.

  • [04:56] “We scrambled to come up with a UI and an experience that would encourage users to wash their hands for 20 seconds.” — Alan Dye

• Iterative Product Development: Apple constantly adapts the design as new product capabilities and user behaviors emerge.

What’s New in Series 6 & WatchOS 7

• Health Features: Blood oxygen sensor and expanded sleep tracking are highlighted as substantial advances.

• Watch Faces: The new faces (including GMT and Count Up) integrate inspirations from classic watchmaking while expanding digital potential for personalization and function.

  • [10:46] “We love to not just draw on inspiration [from horology] but also through the capabilities of Apple Watch and technology, go a whole lot further.” — Alan Dye

Balancing Tradition and Modernity

• Analog vs. Digital: Apple intentionally straddles the line between modern digital design and the aesthetic cues of traditional horology (e.g., the digital crown and analog hands).
  • [13:36] “From the very beginning, we wanted to establish the watch as an icon for... the future of what a watch could be, but also reference back to the past.” — Alan Dye

Systems, Not Just Objects

• Personalization Challenges: Designing faces as ‘systems’—modular, endlessly customizable—requires huge rigor in typography, iconography, and maintaining a visual family across diverse variants.

  • [16:40] “How do you continuously design a series of faces... whereby each one can stand on its own, and yet even within each one, you can have so many variations and customization options?” — Alan Dye

Managing Complexity

• Growth of On-screen Information: Increases in hardware capability allow more complications and denser information layouts—but the team is careful to maintain clarity.

  • [19:03] “We're getting better and better at the art of displaying a very robust and rich and detailed amount of information, but in a very small space.” — Alan Dye

• Not Every Idea Ships: Most studio work is never released—“99% doesn’t make it into the world”—but unused ideas often migrate into future projects.

2. Apple Watch in the Wider Tech and Watch Universe: Gruber & Malik Roundtable

(22:03–72:58)

The New Normal: Apple Events & Product Cycles

• Virtual Events: The trio discuss the pros and cons of Apple’s pandemic-prompted shift to virtual keynotes.

  • Om appreciates the democratizing effect—more people access news at once, less environmental waste.

    • [24:17] “Let people... get all the information at the same time and make their own conclusions. And also it saves a lot of energy... It's good for the planet.” — Om Malik

  • John values the “press privilege” of in-person hands-on time, crucial for nuanced design details (fit, feel, finish) that visuals can’t convey.

Incremental Innovation vs. Step-Change

• Series 6 as Evolution, Not Revolution: Both Om and John agree that Series 6 is a refinement—a very good one—rather than a radical leap.

  • [30:39] “They are upgrades... but I don't think of it as like... the way the device looked was very different... This one is actually... just feels right.” — Om Malik

• The Maturation of Apple Watch: Om posits that Series 4 was the first Apple Watch that Steve Jobs would have approved for launch; Series 6 is the one “he wouldn’t stop talking about.”

  • [30:39] “The Apple Watch 4 would have been the watch Steve would have been okay releasing and this... [Series] 6 would be the one he wouldn't stop talking about.” — Om Malik

Hardware, Battery, and Sleep Tracking

• Battery Life Still a Limiting Factor: Users must strategize charging if using sleep tracking, echoing the maintenance quirks of mechanical watches.

  • [37:19] “It feels like a huge step backwards if you wear the watch every day, that you still have to find time... to charge it.” — John Gruber

• Om’s Dual-Watch Routine: He wears Apple Watch on one wrist, mechanical on the other:

  • [40:03] “I'm wearing a health sensor and a real watch. That's how I think about it.” — Om Malik

Apple Watch as Platform & Strategy

• Product Line Stratification – 6 / SE / 3: Apple’s “SE” philosophy allows multi-tier pricing, drawing more users into the ecosystem while maintaining older models at budget price points.

  • [43:11] “It exemplifies the sort of Tim Cook era of Apple... Introduce new ones at the high end... [and] keep older... hardware and move it down to lower price points.” — John Gruber

• Ecosystem and Services: Watch is a gateway to Apple’s services (Health, Apple Pay, Fitness+, etc.), encouraging broader engagement and lock-in.

  • [50:52] “If that gets the customer to sign up for a 999amonth service, that service very quickly outstrips the Watch in terms of financial firepower.” — Stephen Pulvirent

The Little Things: Bands, Details, & Craftsmanship

• Solo Loop & Sizing Drama: New bands come in precise sizes, complicating online sales (especially amid pandemic store closures).

  • [55:16] “It's like buying shoes. You really do want to try these straps on in person and you can't in most of the country.” — John Gruber

• Apple’s Design Precision: Both hosts and guests marvel at Apple’s attention to detail, citing the Milanese loop, sports bands, and the simple interchangeable mechanism as disruptive even for Swiss watchmakers.

  • [57:37] “It's the things they do... the little things they do which no one actually sees. That's what makes them a better company than others.” — Om Malik

• Influence on Swiss Watches: Apple’s innovations have nudged even long-established watchmakers (like Cartier) to improve bracelet and strap usability.

Apple’s “Craftsman at Industrial Scale”

• Enduring Philosophy: Om calls Apple a “company which takes craftsmanship to an industrial scale,” suggesting this is their differentiator.
  • [65:29] “They have taken that ideology of being craftsmen... to making mass produced industrial scale products. That is what makes them Apple.” — Om Malik

3. Should You Upgrade?

(66:46–71:33)

“Should I Upgrade?”—The Panel Responds

• Om’s Take: Upgrade if you have health priorities (especially heart, diabetes, blood pressure conditions) and want new sensors. Otherwise, SE or Series 3 are great.

  • [67:32] “If you are someone who has health as your priority... this is a no brainer, you should get it... If you're not in that category... the lower priced models... you'll be fine.” — Om Malik

• John’s Take: If you care about the always-on display and have an older Watch (pre-Series 5), it’s worth it; for Series 5 owners, not necessary unless the new sensor is essential.

  • [68:19] “It is as game changing as you think to upgrade to one that has the always on display. If you have the Series 5 from last year, I would say no, definitely not.” — John Gruber

The Future of Tech-Human Integration

• Apple Watch as a “Sensor View” Prototype: Om emphasizes the Watch as a microcosm and prototype for how humanity will interact with a world of networked sensors, where privacy controls and human-centric design matter.
  • [69:57] “Apple Watch is the ideal representation of what I've been writing about, which is called Sensor View. Our future is all about taking all these sensor inputs, cobbling them together into a beautiful user experience and making it relevant to people...” — Om Malik

Timely Highlights & Memorable Quotes

On Apple’s Design Ethos

“The genius of Apple design is that they make you products which you don't really talk about in like how good they are. They just only talk about when they don't work as well as they should because we expect them... Just the little things. Not the ooha, big bang announcement. Just the little stuff they do is so, so much more exciting for me.”
— Om Malik [00:01 / 57:37]

On Adapting to Real-World Needs

“We scrambled to come up with a UI and an experience that would encourage users to wash their hands for 20 seconds.”
— Alan Dye [04:56]

On Apple’s Influence

“It took Apple stepping in to say, maybe you should be able to size [a bracelet] at home... we've seen brands like Cartier introduced it... the easy interchange of bands has also pushed watchmakers.”
— Stephen Pulvirent [59:26]

On Apple’s Product Line Philosophy

“It exemplifies the sort of Tim Cook era of Apple... introduce new ones at the high end... and keep older... hardware and move it down to lower price points.”
— John Gruber [43:11]

On the Watch as a Model for the Future

“Apple Watch is the ideal representation of ... how technology and humans are going to interface... it has given us a template of how we are going to live and coexist with sensors into the future in a more humanistic fashion...”
— Om Malik [69:57]

Timestamps for Core Segments

• [03:08]–[21:55]: Alan Dye on Design, Faces, and Apple’s Iterative Process
• [22:03]–[30:39]: Gruber/Malik on Apple Event Changes & the Evolution of Series 6
• [34:54]: What’s New in Series 6 Hardware
• [41:31]: Using Apple Watch as a Health Device & Wearability Choices
• [43:11]: The Apple Watch Product Line: 6, SE, and 3
• [53:04]: Band Design, Solo Loops, and Attention to Detail
• [64:40]: Apple as “Craftsman at Industrial Scale”
• [66:46]: Should You Upgrade? Personal Recommendations
• [69:57]: The Watch as a Template for a Humanistic Sensor Future

Summary

This episode offers a wide-ranging, in-depth look at the Apple Watch as both a cutting-edge device and a cultural touchstone. Alan Dye provides rare insights into Apple’s design processes, explaining how the company draws on traditional horology while striving to invent what a digital watch can be. The conversation shifts into a spirited roundtable between Om Malik and John Gruber, who position Series 6 as a mature, refined device and dissect how Apple’s attention to detail—from bands to UI—continues to set industry standards. Strategic and technical discussions are interwoven with personal stories and broader industry impact, making this a must-listen (or read) for anyone interested in where tech, design, and personal computing converge—at the wrist.