I saw a Series 3 Apple Watch in the wild before I saw an iPhone Air in the wild.

An older nurse was wearing it while we were in the hospital, and I’m assuming it was a Series 3. It could have been a Series 2 or older, but either way it’s pretty cool to see an almost 10 year old Apple Watch being used in 2026.

It was the 38mm variant and of course she had the best Apple Watch face - Utility.

The straight-line text on her complications was a dead giveaway that it was the first-generation body. The straight-text complications look great on the more squared off body, but it was a necessity since the screen was much smaller than what the dimensions of the watch would assume.

Series 3 42mm versus Series 10 42mm.

42mm was the large size when the Series 3 was released, and now 42mm is the smaller Apple watch size.

The screen to body ratio has changed dramatically from the 1st generation design to the 4th generation design.

Buying a Milanese Loop for your aluminum Apple Watch? Think twice.

Milanese Loops are great, until they aren’t.

If you own an aluminum Apple Watch, the Milanese Loop can work with it, sometimes really well like in this Space Gray example, but you have to know its limitations.

The Milanese Loop is made out of stainless steel or Titanium, and both materials scratch glass. Technically the Titanium Milanese Loop shouldn’t scratch glass since it has a lower hardness than glass, but it could scratch the glass indirectly if there’s grit stuck in between the crevices and the silica rubs against the glass. I had a horrible experience in the past where my stainless steel Milanese Loop created scratches in a hashtag-like pattern on my aluminum Apple Watch display back in 2015.

I put my watch in my pocket when using an airplane bathroom and didn’t want to wash my hands while wearing the watch. This was when Apple Watches were not officially water resistant, so I didn’t want to take any chances. Funny thing is I would have been better off wearing the watch while washing my hands to avoid what was to come…

I came out of the bathroom and held my daughter on my lap, and she was naturally bouncing around on my lap like any 3-year old would. The watch was still in my pocket (I forgot all about it), directly underneath her bottom, and it was getting pummeled unbeknownst to me as she was squirming around. In the end the Milanese Loop left the hashtag pattern of scratches on the display which is why I avoid aluminum Apple Watches altogether. I made an exception for Jet Black last year, but I knew not to wear a Milanese Loop with it, nor put it in my pocket.

If you do choose to get a Milanese Loop for an aluminum Apple Watch, be extra careful and don’t allow the band to sit on the glass. This is not a problem if you get a Stainless Steel or Titanium Apple Watch since the display is made of sapphire.

How to share your Apple Watch face with others.

After yesterday’s advice, it only seems right to explain how to share your watch face with others:

1. Go to the Watch app.
2. Select the watch face you want to share.
3. Click on the Share icon.

Maybe there is a way you can save your favorite Apple Watch face from being eliminated?

With watchOS 11, Apple discontinued several watch faces, the most notable one being the Explorer watch face. The cancelling continued with watchOS 26, with more (admittedly worth cancelling) watch faces that got burned and bit the dust. I’m not sure how Apple decides what faces to discontinue, but it has to be based on user preference. Apple has a ton of data on what Apple Watches are active, and they must know what watch faces are actively being used. There is probably a different metric for a watch face being active on your display, vs a watch face that is in your carousel of watch faces but isn’t actively being used. You made the watch face, but it rarely becomes your active watch face.

My guess is if you really want a particular Apple Watch face to live another year, make sure you’re actively using that watch face. If you want to go beyond the call of duty, you can share and promote that watch face to your friends, family, and even foes. The more people using it, the less likely it will be discontinued (at least that’s my theory).

In that regard, I’m evangelizing the Motion Watch face with the beautiful Jellyfish.

watchOS 27 feature request: more triple, bite-sized widgets in Smart Stack please.

Smart Stack is great, but it becomes a drag to scroll through all your widgets when you just need a lot of different, small bits of information as quick as possible. I love the default triple widget, but can we get more than one as an option? I know it will eat into my total widget count, but I’m OK with 6 of my 10 widgets being tied up into 2 blocks.

There are other triple widgets such as alarms, messages, and even the weather widget, but I want the truly independent triple widget that is not a subset of a particular app. My 2 triple widget setup would look like this:

1. Messages

2. Digital seconds

3. Weather temperature

4. Activity Rings

5. Prayer timings

6. Start a Workout

Apple shows off rare prototypes to the Wall Street Journal.

Nice little video with Tim Cook and Ben Cohen from the Wall Street Journal talking about key moments in Apple’s history, showing some rare prototypes, and, “one more thing” from the Wall Street Journal for Tim Cook. Worth a watch.

Summer’s (almost) here, which means two tragedies and one adjustment…

The tragedies are real:

1. No more secret stash of chocolate in my car - it would melt before I could say, “milk chocolate with almonds is the best.” You could also file this “tragedy” under the, “blessing in disguise” category.

2. I have to iron my shirts again - jackets keep wrinkly shirts hidden in the winter, and lab coats at work keep wrinkles hidden all year long, but stepping out and touching some grass would require me to iron my shirts again.

One tech adjustment I’ve noticed so far:

1. I need to add one more link to my link bracelet to get a comfortable fit due to heat-induced wrist expansion. Do note - Apple only sells extra links for the larger 46mm link bracelet, so don’t lose your links if you use the smaller 42mm bracelet.

The European Union gets major features with iOS 26.5 Beta 1

Juli Clover at MacRumors mentions all the new features as part of her iOS 26.5 Beta 1 coverage:

European Union Third-Party Wearable Changes

Apple is working on new interoperability features in the EU to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act. Apple has tested these features in prior betas, but the Live Activity sharing feature is new.

Proximity pairing - Devices like earbuds will be able to pair with an iOS device in an AirPods-like way by bringing the accessory close to an iPhone or iPad to initiate a simple, one-tap pairing process. Pairing third-party devices will no longer require multiple steps.

Notifications - Third-party accessories like smart watches will be able to receive notifications from the iPhone. Users will be able to view and react to incoming notifications, which is a capability normally limited to the Apple Watch. Notifications can only be forwarded to one connected device at a time, and turning on notifications for a third-party device disables notifications to an Apple Watch. Notifications from select apps can be forwarded, or from all apps.

Live Activities - Live Activities are able to sync to a third-party wearable, similar to other notifications. This is a feature that appears to be new to iOS 26.5.

There's no word on when the EU third-party wearable features will launch, and Apple also tested them in the iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 betas before removing them when the software was released to the public.

Proximity pairing sounds neat and convenient, but Notifications and Live Activities on third-party smart watches sounds like a huge mess:

1. What if the manufacturer of a 3rd-party smartwatch releases an update that accidentally breaks iPhone notification compatibility?

2. With Apple Watch, you can pair up to 5 Apple Watches with one iPhone and easily switch them out to activate them, simply by wearing the other watch. Notifications only go to the Apple Watch you’re wearing. How smooth will the transition be when going from a 3rd-party watch to an Apple Watch or vice versa?

3. What 3rd party devices will be supported and for how many years? iPhone and Apple Watch compatibility already has a lot of tiers depending on how far back you go, but you almost need a Doctorate just to figure out if an iPhone and Apple Watch are compatible. I can’t even imagine how that will be for 3rd party devices.

Smart Stack on Apple Watch needs this cool upgrade for older watch faces.

If you notice all of Apple’s newer watch faces, they have a mini version of said watch face in Smart Stack. It’s a nice little touch that Apple cares about, but not enough to back port it to older watch faces.

At least, not yet.

We had a similar issue when the Series 10 was released, with only 3 watch faces having the Always On Display with ticking seconds hand. I won’t give Apple too much grief over this Smart Stack request because they didn’t announce it as a feature of the watch. They didn’t get on stage and say:

“We’ve updated Smart Stack to have a more lively watch face in the corner, giving you a more intimate look at the time representing your current watch face.”

Every new watch face since the debut of the Series 10 has this new feature. Take a look at Flux for example:

The smaller time in Smart Stack looks and behaves just like the real version with the solid line filling up the screen.

Here are more examples of newer watch faces having this feature:

Apple started keeping the “soul” of the watch face in Smart Stack.

The detail is pretty impressive, especially for Exactograph and Waypoint. In Waypoint, the compass is actually functional in Smart Stack which is overkill, but cool. We need some of this love for older watch faces. I say “some” because it doesn’t make sense for certain watch faces, and the generic analog and digital watch faces are fine.

Here are some analog watch faces that could be spruced up:

BEFORE: Notice how the Utility watch face is used as the generic Smart Stack watch face for most analog faces.

AFTER: Smart Stack keeps the watch face identity intact.

There’s also a ton of digital watch faces that could use this new feature: For example, having the digital time with a small typeface doesn’t make sense on the X-Large face, which is all about accessibility. In Artist, sure the color is matched in Smart Stack, but the face can be shrunken down to fit with similar sized font as the current digital clock.

Before - not enough distinction with just a few color variations.

After - Each watch face keeps its identity and makes Smart Stack a fun place to hang out.

Will we see an updated Smart Stack in watchOS 27? Maybe, but let’s hope we also get smoother swipes between watch faces.

Apple releases updates for watchOS 5 and watchOS 8 in order to keep core functions alive.

Juli Clover from MacRumors:

watchOS 5.3.10 is available for the Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, and Series 4, while watchOS 8.8.2 is available for the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, Series 7, and original Apple Watch SE.

According to Apple's release notes, the updates extend the certificate that features like device activation, iMessage, and FaceTime need to function. The certificate update ensures that these apps and features will continue to work after January 2027, which is when the existing certificate was set to expire.

watchOS 8 is the final version of watchOS that's supported on the Apple Watch Series 3.

watchOS 5 is the final version of watchOS able to be installed on an Apple Watch Series 1 or Series 2 using an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus. The Series 1 and Series 2 do support watchOS 6, but installing watchOS 6 requires an iPhone 6s or later.

To add to Juli’s bit:

• Series 4, Series 5, and the original Apple Watch SE can be updated to watchOS 10, but watchOS 10 requires an iPhone XR, XS, or later, and relearning the controls.

• Series 6 and Series 7 can be updated to watchOS 26, but watchOS 26 requires an iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE 2nd generation or later.

Update to Series 5 Ceramic Apple Watch hands-on.

Posted in my official hands-on, but just in case you want the “line notes” of what was updated:

1. Series 5 Smart Stack only holds 6 widgets. The Series 9, 10, 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3 can have 10 widgets. I’m sure the SE 3 can also support 10 widgets since it has the same S10 processor (what qualifies as a widget?).

2. Added some photos with the neon yellow band.

   1. On wrist

   2. Off wrist

Apple corrected its spelling mistake for turmeric.

Updated my watch to the latest watchOS 26.4 Developer Beta, and lo and behold, they spelled it right. Maybe someone at Apple does read my posts? I’m quite flattered.

New updates for old Apple Watches says a lot about what people are really using.

Apple just released new software updates for older iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, but let’s just focus on Apple Watches for now. From Aaron Perris (reported by 9to5Mac):

Apple has released the following new software updates:

watchOS 10.6.2 (build 21U594)

watchOS 9.6.4 (build 20U512)

watchOS 6.3.1 (build 17U224)

These releases are all for older versions of iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch software. […]

Per Apple’s online support documents, they appear to be focused on extending iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation certifications on older devices.

From Apple’s website regarding the Big Sur update:

“This update extends the certification required by features such as iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation to continue working after January 2027.”

watchOS 10 is actually smoother than watchOS 26 in a lot of ways, partly because Liquid Glass has made watchOS more buggy and even my iPad Pro 4th generation isn’t as speedy as it was on iPadOS 18. This update isn’t much of a surprise, but I’m glad they have extended compatibility for these older watches, especially the Series 5.

watchOS 9.6.4 is a “black hole” version of watchOS because all watches compatible with watchOS 9 (Series 4, 5, SE 1st gen), are able to upgrade to watchOS 10, but if it is synced to an iPhone 8 or iPhone X, it won’t upgrade to watchOS 10.

That means we still have a lot of iPhone 8 and iPhone X users out there. Phones released in late 2017.

WatchOS 6.3.1 is compatible with, wait for it, the Series 1, released back in September 2016. It featured the same dual-core processor as the Series 2, while the original Apple Watch was too slow for its own good.

The main reason for all these updates: to extend device functionality past January 2027.

Wow.

It’s great that they released the update now because it might take till January 2027 to sync your iPhone 6S Plus with your Apple Watch Series 1. And yes, there are still people using an iPhone 6S Plus.

Will Apple make another Ceramic Apple Watch?

Apple Watch Series 5, released in September 2019, was the last time Apple made a Ceramic Edition watch, and it will probably be their last as they push towards Apple 2030. Most of the minerals used in ceramics need to be mined, which goes against Apple’s environmental goals:

Recycled and renewable materials often have a lower carbon footprint than mined materials. By sourcing more recycled and renewable content, we aim to one day end our reliance on mining.

It also requires a lot of energy to make the casing for the Ceramic Apple Watch as stated in their booklet when you purchased one in the past. Details straight out of the Series 3 Ceramic Edition booklet:

Material

Apple's advanced material development team created a custom ceramic powder made from zirconia, yttrium oxide, and alumina. This combination gives the ceramic its unique color and ensures that it maintains its beauty and strength.

Molding

To create the blank from which the case will be machined, the ceramic powder blend is mixed with a binder and formed in a precision-engineered compression mold.

Sintering

After the blank is machined into the case form, it is sintered at 1500 degrees Celsius for 35 hours. This isotropically reduces its size by 20 percent.

Finishing

More than 70 diamond-grit CNC cutters machine every Apple Watch Edition case—a process that takes up to six hours. Each case then undergoes two hours of polishing to increase strength and achieve its characteristic depth and lustre.

Image source: BasicAppleGuy

If you were to ask me, the sintering process, where the powder is transformed into a hard, durable, solid, is the deal-breaking process that put the kibosh on Ceramic Apple Watches, at least from an environmental perspective. I’m sure it also had something to do with sales numbers since $1,299 for an Apple Watch that has the same software and performance as the $399 watch is ludicrous. At least with Apple Watch Hermès, you are buying a reputable brand that demands a high price tag.

Aluminum is very recyclable and Apple has increased the efficiency of making Titanium Apple Watches with 3D printing, so I wouldn’t hope for a Ceramic comeback. In the meantime, see for yourself if you think getting a used Series 5 Ceramic Edition is worth it.

Apple Watch Series 5 Ceramic Edition - is it worth buying in 2026? Full hands-on.

Update 3/11/26 - added some Neon Yellow Sport Band photos, and updated the performance section in regards to widgets in Smart Stack.

There’s only one 6 year old Apple Watch worth buying, and even then it’s only for the die-hard Apple fan:

Apple Watch Edition, Series 5 Ceramic.

It came in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm, equivalent to today’s Apple Watch SE 3. If you’re OK with the thicker bezels on the SE 3, you’ll be fine with a Series 5. I’ve been using mine over the past few days, and it still holds up really well today - much better than the Series 3. Of course, the Ceramic Edition has some perks, with the main one being the premium pearly white finish that is smooth and scratch resistant. You get the bonus of a sapphire display which is also scratch resistant.

It better be sapphire when you consider this bad boy was $1,299 at launch.

Ceramic Edition Series 3 and Series 5.

Fun fact: the larger Series 3 case (left) has a slightly smaller screen than the smaller sized Series 5.

The downside - both ceramic and sapphire are more shatter prone, so you don’t want to daily this watch or use it for workouts since replacement units can cost up to $800. If your battery has less than 80% health, it is worth the additional $99 to get it replaced since more than likely, Apple will simply swap out the device, giving you a new watch for an additional $99. Hurry up though, because the Series 5 is now vintage. Apple’s definition of vintage per Apple:

Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago. […]

Owners of iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and Beats products may obtain service and parts from Apple service providers for a minimum of 5 years from when Apple last distributed the product for sale.

Service and parts may be obtained for longer, as required by law or for up to 7 years, subject to parts availability.

In less than two years (if not sooner), the Series 5 will become obsolete, ceasing all repairs and service.

If you’re still interested, I’ve done some testing to see if it’s worth it for you.

Initial boot up

Once again I did a boot up test to see how quickly it can ping my iPhone Air. With this test you get a feel for how quickly the watch connects to the phone. From the Apple logo boot up screen to a successful phone ping I got the following times:

• Series 3 - 8 minutes, 50 seconds

• Series 5 - 1 minute, 53 seconds (1st attempt)

• Series 5 - 2 minutes, 27 seconds (2nd attempt)

• Series 5 - 2 minutes, 27 seconds (3rd attempt)

• Ultra 3 - 1 minute and 6 seconds

2.5 minutes is perfectly acceptable for a 6 year old watch, especially compared to the extremely sluggish Series 3.

Size comparison

When you compare the Series 5 to any modern Apple Watch of the same size, the size is very similar, and almost unnoticeable to the naked eye. It’s when you get to full-screen watch faces that you notice the bigger bezels. Not a huge deal if you ask me, especially if you use darker watch faces.

Each small Apple Watch generation body style. Left to right: 38mm Series 2, 40mm Series 5 Ceramic, 41mm Series 9, 42mm Series 10. The Series 5 display is smaller, but not by much.

The Series 3 bezels are ancient (far left), making the Series 5 (2nd from left) more acceptable. The Series 10 (far right) looks like it has a bigger bezel than the Series 9 to its left, but it’s actually more complicated.

What bands look best on the Ceramic body?

The great news is most bands look amazing on the white ceramic body, the only exception being silver bands. It’s not ugly, but it definitely has a retro Nike type of vibe.

It kinda works if you really try hard.

Not a fan of this look though.

This look…this works…this works well.

Honestly, any band from Apple that doesn’t have silver lugs looks amazing with Ceramic. Sorry Grand H owners.

I have a plethora of sport bands but none that are punchy except for my purple band, making the watch more spunky and fun. Lighter colors give it a more adventurous look, while darker colors scream business casual. The ultimate flex is the black link bracelet, giving you that nice contrast at the upper echelon of business casual, leading to big merger acquisitions on the golf course.

Spunky.

Business casual.

Vacation.

Vacation from your vacation.

Bruce Wayne on the golf course.

Hardware

If you want to know the look and feel of the Series 5, look no further than the new Apple Watch SE 3. It has the same exterior hardware when it comes to screen size and dimensions. The one difference? I’ll pull up what I said about the Series 3 Ceramic Edition since it applies here:

The Ceramic models have a distinct lip or “shelf” between the display and the body, resulting in a break in the fluid feeling when you slide your finger off the screen and onto the body. This was a limitation of the Ceramic manufacturing process because even the entry-level aluminum and mid-tier stainless steel models had the seamless feel and look between screen and body. As beautiful as the Ceramic Edition is, it’s a shame they couldn’t make it as seamless considering the original $1,299 price tag.

Series 3 Ceramic’s bigger shelf vs the more flush display on the aluminum Series 3.

Series 5 Ceramic maintains the bigger shelf vs the Series 5 Stainless Steel. Both displays are Sapphire, so the only variation here is the body.

Battery

The Series 5 was the first Apple Watch to feature an Always On Display (AOD), making it a game changer for many. I tested the battery with the AOD on the smaller 40mm size, and got pretty good results. I have a replacement watch from Apple so I also had 100% battery health.

• Day 1 - 100% at 9AM…24% at 10:15PM

• Day 2 - 94% at 7:26am…8% at 10:39PM

You can easily get a full day, but you will have to strategically charge the watch if you like sleep tracking, which this watch supports. I say strategically because the Series 5 does not support fast charging. Going back to sleep tracking, it’s nowhere near as robust as more modern watches, and you won’t get sleep apnea notifications nor a sleep score if that’s your thing. Expect a solid day of battery life for casual use, and 24 hours (or more) on Low Power Mode, with even better numbers if you’re going for 44mm.

Performance

I was surprised by the performance considering this watch is over 6 years old. I never noticed any lag or hiccups during my casual daily use, mainly replying to messages or using voice activated Siri to turn on and off lights. If you’re a power user, you might run into some slowdowns, especially if you use cellular or On-device Siri frequently. Sorry, no 5G here.

The Series 5 ended software updates with watchOS 10 as its last major release, so you do get the same controls as current Apple Watches, without the hiccups and slowdowns of Liquid Glass on watchOS 26. Some of my favorite features on watchOS 10 are still supported:

1. Configuring a specific watch face with specific Focus Modes.

2. HomeKit compatibility.

3. ECG and heart rate notifications.

4. Fall detection.

5. Menstrual cycle tracking (for the ladies of course).

6. Auto workout detection - I was standing up and patting my baby girl’s back, and the watch thought I was starting an elliptical workout.

Here’s a full feature list comparing it with the SE3 and Series 11.

Update: 3/11/26 - the Series 5 supports 6 widgets in Smart Stack compared to 10 widgets in newer watches. Still plenty of widgets for most people. Just make sure you know what constitutes as a widget.

Unique quirks

Besides being the last generation of Ceramic Apple Watches, the only other quirk you will notice is some older watch faces that were removed with future updates. Of course that also means you won’t have many of the newer watch faces. I ain’t going to lie though - most of these now extinct watch faces are not worth bringing out the pitchforks for, except for the Explorer watch face, and maybe Numerals.

Full list of watch faces available on watchOS 10.

Explorer was a Jony Ive favorite…

That pollen colored band 😮‍💨. Source: Hodinkee

At least with Numerals, you can tell what hour it is without having to guess.

How much do they cost today?

The market is highly varied online, with eBay being your main source to purchase one. People are asking anywhere from $300-$2,000 depending on size, condition, battery health, and other accessories that are bundled together.

The best strategy - buy one for cheap with a battery health lower than 80%, and take it to Apple to get the battery replaced for $99. You’ll most likely end up with a brand new watch with a new battery from my personal experience and also from others on reddit. I was fortunate enough to get a free replacement, which I explained in detail.

Who should buy the Series 5 Ceramic Edition?

You know who you are if you’re trying to get a Ceramic Series 5. You can get an infinitely better Apple Watch by buying an SE 3, but that’s not what you’re here for.

You want the Ceramic finish.

You want the luxurious feel.

You want a different look on your wrist.

If you’re that type of enthusiast, you won’t regret it. It’s a weekend watch, and if you get one with good battery health, it can still last you for another 5 years.

How I got a free replacement for my Series 5 Ceramic Apple Watch.

Initially purchased on eBay, I was ecstatic to get a Series 5 Ceramic Apple Watch for around $350. It was the smaller 40mm variant which was fine since that’s my preferred size and I have invested in too many small bands.

After a few days, I noticed something that wasn’t noticeable from online photos: a greenish tint on the display. It was very obvious and disappointing at the same time. The display was never repaired or replaced per the seller (I believe him) and it was just a bad example. I compared it to my wife’s sapphire display on her Series 5 stainless steel.

A true apples to apples comparison in more ways than one.

The photos speak for themselves.

Wife’s stainless steel (left) vs green tinted Ceramic (right).

That premium look just isn’t there with the greenish display.

I double checked the “edit color” screen, and these were both the same color.

I was able to call Apple Support, and I explained the situation. I didn’t want to spend $800 for a repair, since it’s really a manufacturing defect. Once again, the OLED display should not look this bad after a few years especially when my wife’s display is equally old. Even my Series 3 display looked amazing by comparison. I was able to convince the Apple rep that it shouldn’t cost me the “other damage” price of $800 since it’s not really damaged by the user. I got quoted a much lower and reasonable price ($150). My goal was not to get a free repair because I know the watch is out of warranty and I just wanted to pay a fair price for what was most likely a manufacturing defect. Plus, this way Apple at least makes some money instead of nothing because I don’t think anyone will pay $800.

When I submitted the watch for repair, I got it back with a standard repair note that (roughly) said, “we didn’t find anything wrong with the watch.” I had a feeling this would happen. I called Apple again and we went through diagnostics, resetting the watch from scratch, and unsurprisingly the display had the same issue. Now I was getting quoted $849 (probably included tax and shipping), but I told him about my initial $150 quote. He said to take it into an Apple Store and have the technicians look at it and they can better estimate a cost to repair.

The closest Apple Store to me was an hour away, so I made the next logical move:

Fly cross-country to Cupertino myself to get this resolved.

My brother was there attending to some business, so I visited him and made an experience out of it, of course visiting the Apple Park Visitor Center as a side quest. Maybe going to an Apple Store in Cali would resolve the issue faster especially when they can see both watches side by side?

When I did show the Genius both watches, he immediately saw the difference and started tapping away documenting everything on his iPad. After he was done, he said I had to call Apple to get the process resolved since they have “special access” that in-store employees don’t have to submit a replacement. I went back to the Airbnb and called Apple, trying to be a bit more aggressive yet also not trying to be a douchebag.

Now they instructed me to go back to the store and have them send it out for repair. Finally, we’re getting somewhere (or so I thought). This is where my second mini side-quest took place.

A few weeks later back home, I got the watch back, and it was the same watch with no display replacement, with the same, “we found nothing wrong” note. I called again and was frustrated because no one was acknowledging the issue, even though it was proven with photos and shown to an Apple rep. Finally this Apple rep on the phone gave me some UPS instructions that sounded extremely shady, but at this point I had nothing to lose (besides the watch!).

I go to UPS and give the guy the Ceramic watch, and only the Ceramic watch. These were the instructions from the Apple rep. He put it in a baggie, wrapped it up, slapped three separate labels on the package, and off it went. A week later, I got a legitimate replacement watch this time, with no green screen tint, at no cost to me, (minus a few hours of phone time).

I wasn’t trying to get a free replacement, but they probably hooked me up because of all the rigamarole I had to go through. The new display speaks for itself:

At first glance, the new Ceramic (left) has the same color temperature as my wife’s even though the ambient sensor isn’t picking up the light in the room…

and it’s barely noticeable in this photo, but when you go off-axis…

my wife’s display (right) looks green now compared to my “new” Ceramic??

What is up with the off-axis green screen tinting?

Rating all three displays, I would say my first ceramic was definitely the worst, my wife’s stainless steel is 2nd, and my new replacement is top-tier. I would consider this variation based on three factors:

1. A normal variance where Apple gets displays from different suppliers who have a range of tolerances, even for color temperature. I’ve seen this on modern iPhones that shift color temperature off-axis. The problem is when it is just stupidly green, like my first Ceramic watch (1st photo in this article).

2. It could be due to the display being six years old, and on OLED displays, blue pixels do degrade faster than green and red pixels, causing a greenish tint.

3. One of the suppliers for this display, Japan Display Inc., was new to OLED technology, potentially having inferior OLED longevity compared to LG or Samsung.

Dear Apple: It’s turmeric, not tumeric

I will not acquiesce to such deviance. Turmeric is a miracle spice that deserves respect and has a right to be spelled with dignity. I typed “tumeric” in Docs, Pages, and even on Squarespace, and sure enough, it was flagged as a misspelled word.

Five “Fahadx” observations I made when at the hospital.

Baby girl got sick again this past week, making a total of 8 days at the hospital over a one month period. A few observations I noticed:

1. Almost every healthcare worker wears an Apple Watch.

2. This particular Modular Compact configuration with no bottom widget is more common than I would like.

3. The chapel is occupied by Muslims 99% of the time.

4. Sushi is great, and cheap. You can literally park at the hospital and get cheaper sushi at the cafeteria than the grocery store.

5. Masimo blood oxygen sensors are a real thing. A wrap-around for the foot, using the big toe as the sensing point. Thank you Masimo - now please (Apple and Masimo), make a deal and give us proper Apple Watch blood oxygen capability.

The best watch band for your new Space Gray Apple Watch Series 11.

The new Space Gray color on the Series 11 is not as exciting as Jet Black was when announced for the Series 10, but the subtle gray does have nostalgic iPhone 5S and SE vibes. The perfect band to pair with it is undoubtedly the Black Titanium Milanese Loop. You will have to purchase the larger 46mm size for band compatibility. Both the band and the watch have a brushed finish, and the contrast between the two works well.

I know it’s a $199 dollar band for a $429 watch (crazy deal on Amazon right now for $329!), but the band will outlast the watch and really looks good.

Make sure you pick the right size for your wrist.

Smart Stack on Apple Watch - how many widgets can you really have?

Assuming you turned off widget suggestions, you can have up to 10 widgets on the Series 9, 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. I’m assuming you can also have 10 widgets on the Ultra 2 and Series 11, which I don’t have for testing but they all use the same processor. On my much older Series 5, you can have 6 widgets.

The tricky thing is determining what actually is a widget, because you would think each rectangular block is a widget, but if you use the rectangular block with 3 circle widgets, each circle counts towards your total widget count. So on my Ultra 3 for example, I can have 7 widgets, and an 8th widget that holds the 3 circle widgets (total of 10). You can have only 1 or 2 circle widgets if you like, and add more full-sized widgets totaling 10.

Bottom line - you can’t treat the 3 circle widgets that occupies the space of one widget as one widget. They count as 3 separate widgets.

That would be one widget, two widgets, and three widgets Sire.