Apple Watch specs, price, release date, apps, news & rumours

 
The Apple Watch is the iPhone and iPad maker's long-awaited entry into the wearables market. Revealed alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the Apple Watch was expected to be called the iWatch but Apple instead made a departure from its standard naming convention. We've collected together all the latest details about the Apple Watch to give you a better idea of how it works, some of its best features, its release date and how much it will cost.

APPLE WATCH RELEASE DATE

Apple has already said Apple Watch will go on sale in early 2015, but a new report from 9to5Mac suggests it may be hitting shop shelves as soon as March, with a retail training program for the device beginning in mid-February. Allegedly, sources close to the project have said that Apple store employees in the US will be sent to Apple's head offices in Cupertino, California or Austin, Texas to familiarise themselves with the smartwatch between the 9th-16th February.
Then, just before the Apple Watch is due to launch, these employees will then pass on their knowledge to their fellow colleagues in their respective stores. Of course, it's still possible there'll be some delays as Apple put the finishing touches to its Watch OS, but 9to5Mac claims March is the current launch window.

APPLE WATCH DESIGN

The Apple Watch might not have a circular display like the eye-catching Motorola Moto 360, but this is still a beautiful looking wearable. Depending on the model the square chassis is either built from stainless steel or 18 karat gold, with curved edges and interchangeable wrist straps.
Apple has designed six different straps along with a mechanism for making it easy to swap between them. The Sport band is made from sweat resistant plastic but people will be able to choose between a leather quilted loop, stainless steel link bracelet and Milanese loop.



The screen uses a flexible retina display, laminated with sapphire glass to protect it from scratches and scrapes. It can also detect force, so know the difference between a tap and a press. Little is known about screen resolution yet, as Apple hasn't made anything official.
Controlling smartwatches purely with a touchscreen is impractical, according to Apple, which is why the Apple Watch will be using the oddly-named Digital Crown in addition to touch inputs. The company described this as a "multifunctional input device that lets you zoom, scroll and select without covering the screen". In practical terms this means you can turn a small knob on the side of the watch to zoom in and out when looking at a map, with the same action also used for scrolling up and down webpages. It also doubles up as a home button.
On the underside are four IR and LED sensors that can detect the wearer's pulse and send this data to the Health app or other iOS 8 apps. People can also share their heartbeat data with other Apple Watch owners - for unknown reasons other than a gimmick at present. Another button below the Digital Crown gives users instant access to their contacts. Press the Friends button and select a contact to send a message, make a call or carry out other functions.

 

The back of the watch is made from tough zirconia and doubles as a charging plate by using a combination of inductive charging and magsafe magnetic locking. This means there's no need to align charging pins or carry a bulky charging cradle. Apple hasn't revealed battery life yet and this remains one of the Apple Watch's biggest mysteries. The Watch is powered by a custom-built Apple S1 system-on-chip, paired with what Apple is calling a Taptic engine - essentially a vibrating motor that provides physical feedback on receiving notifications.

APPLE WATCH VERSIONS

The Apple Watch will launch in two different sizes and three distinct versions. The standard Apple Watch will arrive in stainless steel, the Sport Collection will use a 60 per cent tougher metal alloy, and the Apple Watch Edition will arrive in 18 karat gold.
Each model also uses different glass on the watch face. The standard Apple Watch and Gold Apple Watch Edition both use sapphire crystal glass, which should be able to withstand serious scrapes and scratches, while the Apple Watch Sport uses Ion-X Glass. Because sapphire glass isn't particularly resistant to drops, ion-strengthened glass makes more sense on a watch that will be worn when exercising.

 

The Apple Watch only works if paired with an iPhone and it will not work with Android devices. Apple has confirmed that the only iPhone models that support the Apple Watch are the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 and the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

APPLE WATCH APPS

The brand new Watch UI doesn't look anything like iOS, with a series of circular icons letting users jump into any app from a single screen. The Apple Watch uses Siri for voice control and dictating messages, dealing with notifications and controlling nearly all apps. Users can customise the watch face with different colours, designs and features. Apple will include a range of its own watch faces with third party developers expected to add many more.
Rather than customise the UI on the watch itself, it appears users will be able to tweak its appearance, install apps and adjust settings using an iOS companion app. Information leaked to 9to5Mac has revealed the app's existence, along with screenshots showing exactly what features can be customised. You'll be able to drag and drop apps around the screen to put them within easy reach on the Watch homescreen, install and uninstall third party Watch apps as you like and set a four digit PIN code for locking the watch - presumably to prevent Apple Pay payments from being taken from your credit card accidentally. Finally, you should be able to automatically unlock the watch when you unlock your iPhone.
Apple has also said the Apple Watch can be used to control Apple TV and act as a remote viewfinder for a paired iPhone camera. It will also support Apple Pay for contactless payments, without having to fish your smartphone out of a pocket or bag. The new iOS 8 Handoff feature extends to Apple Watch, letting users dismiss notifications from their wrists to remove them from all connected iOS and OS X devices.



Two health and wellness apps, Fitness and Workout, will track a user's daily movements and measure performance when out on a run or cycling. The Apple Watch must be paired with an iPhone to track GPS location. Both will be compatible with the Health app on iOS, for tracking fitness and wellness data throughout the day.

APPLE WATCH PRICE

Prices for the Apple Watch have been officially announced to start at $349 (at least £220 in the UK) for the standard model. However that really doesn't tell us very much at all, as a watch is as much a fashion accessory as a practical device. If you've always worn gold watches for example, then the 18-carat gold versions of the Apple Watch could easily run into thousands of pounds; a lot of money for a bit of tech but not all that much for a high-end watch. 

Source : http://www.expertreviews.co.uk