Venu X1 screen size for the next descent model.

dpawlyk said:

Garmin is using it to see if the rectangular format will be sufficiently popular now.

Garmin has had square watches before Apple has even made watches. Old Forerunner's had square one, until 920XT which then made them switch to round one and now they have got people used to round ones as Forerunners and Fenix are round ones. 

There was market for square, but they kind of have themselves made that market go away. I remember it was annoying to switch to round and now probably would be annoyed to swatch back to square. 

Square watches had bigger screen estate but with new better displays that isn't so much a thing anymore, they can fit enough data to it. Looking maps with touch is easy for panning around. For a daily watch, I don't see there's much benefits from square watch.

For dive computer. HUGE screen like X50i is the thing. Unfortunately they released it after I already had bought MK3i.

jmto said:

If it's too big, maybe then you don't want serious piece of kit, but some fancy nice thing.

???

The Mk3 is just “some fancy nice thing”?

Compared to X50i it's a LOT of less "a professional dive computer, a serious piece of kit".

If we talk about serious piece of dive computers. Small round watches really isn't the formfactor of those. Just look at the competitors.

jmto said:

Garmin has had square watches before Apple has even made watches. Old Forerunner's had square one, until 920XT which then made them switch to round one and now they have got people used to round ones as Forerunners and Fenix are round ones. 

You are missing the point (again).

Forerunners weren’t ever “popular” (they serve a smaller market). (Runners might have been bought Forerunners even if they preferred it was round.)

I already pointed out that Garmin had rectangular watches. They replaced them with round watches. They would not have done that unless they thought round watches would sell better.

dpawlyk said:

Forerunners weren’t ever “popular” (they serve a smaller market).

Compared to what? Descent is A HUGELY smaller market than Forerunners. So why would we start comparing Descent to Apple watch as how that comparison then would make any sense. 

jmto said:

Compared to what? Descent is A HUGELY smaller market than Forerunners.

Again, the only rectangular watch that was popular was the Apple watch.

Seems rather obvious the Descent market is smaller than that for the Forerunner. But the Forerunner market is still fairly small.

Garmin has been moving away from rectangular watches for a while.

Again, it seems fairly obvious the X1 is “inspired” by the Apple Watch (which makes it reasonable to talk about Apple).

It’s possible (but I think unlikely) that the X1 will be so popular that Garmin will release more rectangular watches).

jmto said:

So why would we start comparing Descent to Apple watch as how that comparison then would make any sense.

Making that comparison certainly makes sense.

The Apple Ultra can be used as a dive computer. While the Mk3 is a better dive computer, there is some overlap of market share. I suspect that’s why Garmin made the Fenix 8 dive capable.

It seems likely that the Apple Ultra was "inspired" by Garmin watches.

dpawlyk said:

The Apple Ultra can be used as a dive computer

Not as standard. You need the extra cost app. Also I thought we were talking about "a professional dive computer, a serious piece of kit". Which it just isn't even with a 10 dollar per month app.

I dont understand your point, the X50i is a dedicated dive computer like perdix etc, not an every day watch, i like the square shape on a dive computer, I think its better and easier for reading information, 

the round watch is a product of an analogue age marked by gears, thats why watches were traditionally round, mk3i is a professional dive watch it's hardly a 'fancy nice thing'.  Who would buy a mk3i to show off?

As the calculations above show venu x1 is smaller than descent mk3 but packs a bigger screen, i think that's great.

As for square or round, its digital is my point you can make them any shape you want, i think they'd be more succesful if they offered more options for shape, and less confusing overlapping watches, forerunner,venu x1, descent g2, fenix, epix, crazy array of watches all look similar anyway, in the end it's also a watch you want to wear to work etc, what's wrong wanting that to look nice as well?

Apple ultra is a great looking watch but the battery life is a non starter and no serious recreational diver would rent a dive computer imo, its for one off on holiday for those that never tried or rarely dive maybe, i think its a gimmick just for apple to say its a dive watch as well, that's not say it couldnt be a decent recreational dive computer if they wanted to do that but mk3i is a professional dive computer, apple watch only recreational its competition is fenix 8 not the descent

jmto said:

Not as standard. You need the extra cost app.

I know that.

Clearly, the Ultra is more suited to more casual divers.

Note that one only needs to turn on the subscription when you need it. That is, spending an extra $10 for the one or two dive trips a year that is what most divers are doing might not be too big a deal. While people would prefer not to have to pay extra, it might be better than having to buy (or rent) an extra dive computer.

I suspect Oceanic wanted the subscription revenue (every company wants everything to be a subscription).

jmto said:

Also I thought we were talking about "a professional dive computer, a serious piece of kit".

You suggested the Mk3 wasn't "a serious piece of kit". I suspect most "professional" divers (masters and instructors) would pick the Mk3 over the X50i.

Apple is eating into Garmin's market share. Part of that is behind making the Ultra dive-capable. It seems Garmin responded to that by making the Fenix 8 dive capable.