This morning at 10am PST, the whole world gathered for the unveiling of the highly anticipated iPhone 6 at the Apple Live event in Cupertino. However, Apple not only revealed the details of the next iPhone but also debuted their very first product in the world of wearable technology. The Apple Watch, described as “a smartwatch with inductive charging, a square face, sapphire glass, swappable bands, a heartbeat sensor and a rotating digital crown” by TechCrunch, is Apple’s sleekest new product proving their innovation in the advancement of technological development.
While Apple made it very clear that the watch is not simply an iPhone on your wrist (the watch is only compatible with iPhone 5 and 5s), the list of applications and functions available on the watch holds its own against its mobile counterpart. The design of the watch is classic Apple, with remarkably clean features and lines. All the watches use the innovative “digital crown”, aka the spinning thing on the side of the watch, to access the different interfaces and utilities.
A quick description of the aesthetic differences between the collections:
WATCH: The standard 38mm and 42mm watch faces with leather and stainless steel bands in a variety of loop designs and colors.
WATCH SPORT: Made to withstand sport-style use, these watch faces are made with a 60 percent stronger alloy case. This collection also includes a “sport band’ made of durable Fluoroelastomer in a variety of bright colors.
WATCH EDITION: This collection seems to be the high-end collection, with Rose and Yellow 18-karat Gold 38mm and 42mm watch faces and leather straps.
Tim Cook stated during the event that “Apple Watch is the most personal device we’ve ever created”. The capabilities and functions of the watch are too numerous that here is a quick list:
—Notifications from your mobile phone show up in a cleaner, simpler interface on the watch
—The watch confirmed it will include the NFC capabilities that had earlier been speculated in this blog post
—Siri works on Apple Watch!
—Digital Touch provided by pressure input will allow you to share images and other things with other watches, instead of texting. You can even send your heartbeat…
—The taptic engine in the watch also alerts you when you receive notifications: you’ll be able to feel them.
—Activity and Workout apps to be health conscious and track your activity from your wrist
One thing this watch does require that other watches don’t is rechargeable power—even with a supposed battery life of “all day”, a wireless induction charing magnet gives the watch its necessary energy.
However, despite all the chaos surrounding the debut of the watch, you won’t be able to order it until Early 2015, with watches shipping around Spring 2015. They cost $349, but it could change depending on the specific model or strap options. For more information and too see more slick photos of the different watch collections, see Apple Watch’s official page here.
