Re-inventing the watch is no easy task. Samsung, LG, Sony, Pebble and Motorola have spent the last year trying to create the ultimate smartwatches. The Gear 2, Gear Fit, G Watch, Moto 360, Pebble Steel and Sony Smartwatch are all good attempts, but they fail at one thing: being fashionable for both men and women. All of those smartwatches are a one-size-fits-all device — with limited customization options.
The Apple Watch is a new breed of smartwatch which will lead the pack. The stainless steel-bodied watch with sapphire glass display will be available in two sizes: 1.5-inch and 1.65-inch displays. The touchscreen accepts taps and “force touch” (a harder press) and swipes, but the real genius is in the crown — correction, digital crown located on the right side.
The digital crown can be used to zoom in and on the screen and scroll up and down. This way, Apple says, the screen’s content is never obstructed by your finger.
First and foremost, the Apple Watch is an incredibly accurate timepiece; it syncs up to your iPhone to constantly check the time and update when switching between time zones and auto-adjust for Day Savings Time.
There’s a lot of things you can do with the Apple Watch and Apple is just scratching the surface in terms of ideas. Examples include using the Apple Watch to control music on your iPhone, control your Apple TV and iTunes, act as remote viewfinder for your iPhone camera, a stopwatch, a timer, an alarm, display stats, show weather, display photos, dictate messages and make phone calls with Siri, and more.
In addition to being a hub for all of your notifications, the Apple Watch is also a personal communicator — a really personal one. It has a built-in Walkie Talkie feature, a way to send emoji’s (and modify a smiley’s facial expressions to send exactly the right expression you want), Sketch — a way to send quick doodle’s to a friend, Tap — a way to “let friends or loved ones know you’re thinking of them with a silent tap they can feel on their wrist”, and Heartbeat — an intimate way to share your heartbeat with a loved one by pressing two fingers on the screen. Yeah, the receiver can feel your heartbeat – digitally.
Just like with the new iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite connectivity, the Apple Watch will work seamlessly with the iPhone. Start a message on the Apple Watch and continue on the iPhone; it transitions just like that because they’re within range.
And of course, the Apple Watch is a fitness tracker. Apple created two apps, Fitness and Workout, to monitor all of your activities and motivate you to move, exercise and stand more. It’ll also monitor your running, walking and cycling stats so you can track your performance and progress.
But there’s still more! Like the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the Apple Watch has NFC so you can use Apple Pay to buy things quickly and securely without your wallet.
While Apple is still mum on how long the battery life for the Apple Watch is, other than “it lasts all day”, we do know that it charges wirelessly via a MagSafe connector. It’s very much like the MagSafe on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, only its connector is circular and auto-aligns to the back of the watch.
The Apple Watch is compatible with the iPhone 5, 5s, 5c, and the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
There will be three Apple Watch collections: Watch, Watch Sport and Watch Edition.
The Watch collection is the standard edition and designed for everyday wear. There are 18 watches in this collection and they’re made from 316L stainless steel and sapphire Retina display screen. There are a variety of bands in 38mm and 42mm aimed and fashion-first wearers including the link bracelet, Milanese loop, Modern buckle, Leather loop, Classic buckle, and sport band. See more pics here.
The Watch Sport collection includes 10 models and is made from lightweight anodized aluminum in silver or space gray and strengthened Ion-X glass. The watch case comes in 38mm or 42mm. This collection is 30 percent lighter than the stainless steel model and comes with the option of five different colored rubber straps; the better for a fitness lifestyle. See more pics here.
The Watch Edition is the most premium collection and features a watch case with 18-karat gold or rose gold. See more pics of and straps here.
When can you get your hands on the Apple Watch? No firm date. Apple says it’s coming in “early 2015.” It’ll start at $349.
Price: $349+
Source: Apple
