Apple’s new watch is currently being shipped to those who have pre-ordered the much anticipated device, so we will begin to see early adopters don the latest bit of tech wizardry this week. Admittedly we were initially sceptical of this gadget and what it could do for us, but now we are really looking forward to getting our hands on one. The first Apple Watch sales projections indicate it sold more on day one through pre-orders than Android Wear watches did in in all of 2014. New orders have been pushed back as far as July with arrivals in select Apple Stores beginning in June. Here we give you the down low on the product that will no doubt revolutionise wearable computing.
1) So long as you have at least £300 to spend, there is a version you can afford. The lowest cost version is the aluminium Sport edition which starts at £299. The shinier stainless steel collection starts at £479 and goes up to to £949, depending on the Apple Watch band and size configuration. The gold Watch Edition’s price ranges from £8,000 to £13,500, and is in limited supply at select Apple Stores. It comes with fancy VIP treatment and a charging stand.
2) The Apple Watch has 8GB of storage (but with restrictions) limiting the amount of photos and music that can be stored directly on the watch, but most content streams from the phone, and it is double the space of 4GB Android Wear watches.
3) The watch displays messages, Facebook updates and simplified apps, eliminating the all-too-common need to take out our devices to constantly check notifications. But it isn’t just a display device, you can control and play with all sorts of Apple Watch apps with its touchscreen and ‘digital crown’.
4) Apple’s 20 built-in apps include: Messages, Activity, Workout, Calendar, Weather, Mail, Photos, Camera Remote, Music, Passbook and Apple Maps for navigation.
5) The Apple Watch can work without an iPhone for select apps, including Apple Pay, Passbook flight check-ins, listening to music during a run and tracking fitness metrics.
6) Apple Watch’s has two built-in fitness apps. The first, Activity app, tracks movement, exercise minutes and how long the wearer stands. It can also ping you when you have been sitting unhealthily idle for far too long. The second, Workout app, gives real-time stats for your total exercise time, calories and pace.
7) The Apple Watch is water resistant, but not totally waterproof. Its waterproof rating has been certified at IPX7, which means that it can be immersed in water up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.
8) The Apple Watch battery life lasts about 18 hours of a typical day.
9) Beyond calling and messaging Apple Watch wearing friends, you can get their attention with a gentle tap. It vibrates the tapticfeedback on their smartwatch. No longer will you need a special sign to tell you friend you are ready to leave the party!
10) You can share your heartbeat with someone in real time. Cool? Or Creepy? We will leave that one up to you.
