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It’s shocking how much the Apple Watch looks like the original iPhone

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:59PM EST
Apple Watch vs. iPhone Design
Image: Chris Smith, BGR

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The Apple Watch is not a miniature iPhone when it comes to functionality. I keep telling people this, whether they ask me or not. It’s not a standalone gadget either, but a device that needs to be connected to an iPhone to work as a smartwatch. However, as the image below clearly suggests, the Apple Watch is in some ways a miniature iPhone.

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As Cult of Mac points out, the Watch looks more like the original iPhone than you’d think. Launched in 2007 and ridiculed by many competitors at the time, the original iPhone revolutionized the mobile business, changing our expectations of smartphones.

Like the original iPhone, the first-generation Watch has the same rounded corners and bulky housing. The devices’ designs are actually quite similar, with the Apple Watch being only barely slimmer at 0.45 inches compared to the iPhone’s 0.46-inch housing.

Even the colors are similar, making the Watch look like a miniature 2007 iPhone.

Since the original iPhone, Apple further refined its design, coming up with slimmer and slimmer models – the iPhone 6 is the thinnest iPhone to date. Because Apple still has to struggle with what current technology has to offer in terms of components and battery, it might be a while until the Watch gets significantly slimmer than it is currently.

However, one thing is clear: Watch pictures and videos don’t do it justice. You’ll have to put one on to see how it really looks and feels on your wrist, even if it is as thick as the original iPhone.

A second image showing the Apple Watch body next to a pile of iPhones that includes all iPhone models to date, follows below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.