The Apple Watch has been rumored for over a year at this
point, but Apple finally announced it earlier this year in September, alongside
the iPhone 6 and the iPhone
6 Plus. This device is the first smartwatch to ever be compatible with iPhones, which
is great news for iOS lovers. We can expect the device to be complete with
brand new innovative tools, and a brand new iOS interface, specifically made
for wearables. Today, we’re going to be taking a look at everything there is to
know about the upcoming Apple Watch, from the release date to the specs.
Release Date
Apple has previously stated that the wearable
will not be available until early 2015, but hasn’t offered any information
other than that. We can expect the device to appear at some point after
February, according to Angela Ahrendts, the senior vice president of retail
stores. She previously told employees to expect the device to be available
after the Chinese New Year, eliminating the rumored Valentine’s
Day release from the picture.
We’ll likely be seeing a developer version
released at some point in the future, due to the fact that apps are going to be
what attracts most users to this device. Currently, the company is looking for
an app developer expert, in order to assist third-party app makers in
preparing their apps for the Apple Watch’s interface, as it has entirely
new software to work with. The lack of preparation for app developers could definitely be the cause behind the
non-specific release date.
Price Point
The Cupertino-based tech giant has already
announced that the Apple Watch will start at $349 for the Sport Edition, and
possibly go up to $5,000 for the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition. There are
plenty of models for everyone, from an athletic one to an all-gold fashion
statement smartwatch. It’s suspected that the price of the Steel
Edition of the Apple Watch will be around $500. Either way, the new smartwatch
is going to cost you a pretty penny, but on the plus side, you have a large
choice of free bands to choose from.
Digital Crown
Recent rumors have stated that the Apple Watch
will feature a dial on the side that has been dubbed the Digital Crown. This
dial will contain sensors that will turn movement into data, likely meaning
that the dial will be the main input method for the device, instead of the
touch display. In other words, everything from scrolling to zooming in and out
will be made possible by this Digital Crown.
We’re not sure whether this is a positive addition
to smartwatches or not. While gestures may be made a tad difficult by such a
small display, it may be more obnoxious to rely on using a dial to scroll
through articles. Supposedly, this Digital Crown will also act as the home
button on the
device. We’ll have to wait and see just how this addition to the device comes
to be once its released.
Display Size and
Features
Apple has already announced that the Apple Watch
will be available in two different sizes. The first being 1.5-inches and the
second being 1.7-inches. Supposedly, the display will be made of sapphire, just
as the iPhone 6 was rumored to be. This display will be able to detect force,
and it will be extremely durable. With a flick of your wrist, the Apple Watch
display will turn on. Sadly, the device is not waterproof, so do not expect it to be able to take a
dip in the pool with you. Naturally, it’ll be protected from the odd drop, but
you’ll still have to be careful.
Aesthetics
The Apple Watch will feature a polish or space
black stainless steel finish on the face and your choice of watch strap.
The Watch Sport Edition will instead feature an
aluminum face that you can get in both space gray or silver, and your choice of
a Sport Band.
Then there’s the Apple Watch Edition, which will
truly be a fashion statement, with 18K yellow or rose gold face and your choice
of straps, and that will be exclusive to the Apple Watch Edition lineup.
The straps will be available in plenty of
different styles and colors for everyone’s unique tastes. The Sport Bands will
be available in black, blue, green, pink, and white, and will look a little
more athletic and less professional. The Classic Buckle look will be available
in black and blue, the Leather Loop collection will be available in blue,
brown, and stone, the Modern Buckle will be available in blue, brown, soft
pink, rose gray, and bright red, and last but not least, the Milanese Loop
style and Link Bracelet will be available in stainless steel and polished space
black.
Tech Specs
We can expect the new Apple Watch to feature a
long list of new sensors and an all new processing chip. The new processing
chip has been dubbed the S1 and features a handful of subsystems that are meant
to be put through quite a lot and still be okay.
There will be four infrared, LED, and photodiodes
sensors on the back of the Apple Watch that will be used to detect your heart
rate, which will be paired with the accelerometer and GPS signals in your
device to use with the Health App on your iPhone or Apple Watch, in order
to display your daily activity levels.
Aside from that, Apple has also incorporated a
Taptic Engine into the Apple Watch which will allow the smartwatch to enable an
all new set of alerts that you can hear and feel, which will be able to assist
you in daily activities in more ways than one. For example, when using your
Maps app, you’ll be able to feel something, or hear a certain sound, depending
on which direction you are supposed to turn.
Inductive Charging
Many have been curious about Apple’s method for
charging the Apple Watch, and it seems that we finally know what it’ll be. The
device will supposedly feature inductive charging, which will be paired with a
MagSafe connector, much like the ones used on the Mac lineup of laptops.
According to Tim Cook, you’ll likely end up
charging the device every night due to how much you use it, which wouldn’t be
shocking, especially if consumers use it as much as they use their smartphones.
Software
For the Apple Watch, Apple has invented all new
software that is specifically meant for wearable devices. Supposedly, this new
software displays a handful of watch faces and is easily personalized, much
like other competing smartwatches. Apple has also incorporated a new feature
called Smart Replies into the software, which will allow you to easily respond
to messages. Supposedly, the device will also work with all Continuity features that are currently available on
your iOS and OS X devices, such as Handoff. Not much else is known about the
software, and there’s still quite a bit that needs to be updated, such as
third-party apps. Both way, we’re very excited to see what comes of the
software on this device, and it could mean a whole new world for jailbreak
developers.
