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Expert lauds Apple Watch for its ‘excellent’ display

Published Apr 27th, 2015 8:45PM EDT
Apple Watch Display Brightness Analysis
Image: Apple Inc.

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DisplayMate president Raymond Soneira has never been shy about ripping Apple’s display quality in the past and he’s almost always had effusive praise for Samsung’s gorgeous displays. With this in mind, we were interested to see that Soneira on Monday had high praise for the Apple Watch’s display, which he deemed “excellent.”

DON’T MISS: Apple Watch tips: The good, the bad and the ugly about talking to your wrist

This doesn’t mean he had no criticisms of the Apple Watch’s display, mind you. But these criticisms were tempered by the fact that all smartwatches right now have display issues.

First, Soneira found that Apple’s decision to implement an automatic brightness correction feature left something to be desired in outdoor situations as it “significantly reduces the contrast ratio and color gamut as the ambient light level increases and there is no way for the user to make any adjustments other than just shading the watch somehow.”

The other issue he had was the sapphire glass used for the higher-end Apple Watch displays had issues with reflecting too much ambient light. That said, he expects the second-generation Apple Watch will have an improved sapphire display that will both reflect less light and maintain high resistance to scratches.

Check out his full analysis by clicking here.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.