Apple today unveiled Apple Watch — its most personal device ever — featuring revolutionary new technologies and a pioneering user interface with a beautiful design that honors the rich tradition of precision watchmaking. Apple Watch introduces a specially designed and engineered Digital Crown that provides an innovative way to scroll, zoom and navigate. The Digital Crown is Apple’s most revolutionary navigation tool since the iPod Click Wheel and iPhone Multi-Touch. Apple Watch will enable you to communicate in new ways right from your wrist by sending and receiving messages, answering calls to your iPhone, and with Digital Touch, sending something as personal as your own heartbeat. Apple Watch also introduces comprehensive health and fitness apps that can help people lead healthier lives. Apple Watch is available in three distinct collections—Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition.
“Apple introduced the world to several category-defining products, the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “And once again Apple is poised to captivate the world with a revolutionary product that can enrich people’s lives. It’s the most personal product we’ve ever made.”
“With Apple Watch, we’ve developed multiple technologies and an entirely new user interface specifically for a device that’s designed to be worn. It blurs the boundary between physical object and user interface,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Design, in a statement. “We’ve created an entire range of products that enable unparalleled personalization.”
Apple Watch introduces a revolutionary design and iOS-based user interface created specifically for a smaller device. Apple Watch features the Digital Crown, an innovative way to scroll, zoom and navigate fluidly, without obstructing the display. The Digital Crown also serves as the Home button and a convenient way to access Siri®. The Retina® display on Apple Watch features Force Touch, a technology that senses the difference between a tap and a press, providing a new way to quickly and easily access controls within apps. Apple Watch introduces the Taptic Engine and a built-in speaker that together discreetly enable an entirely new vocabulary of alerts and notifications you can both hear and feel. Apple custom-designed its own S1 SiP (System in Package) to miniaturize an entire computer architecture onto a single chip. Apple Watch also features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.0 to pair seamlessly with your iPhone.
Apple Watch comes in three distinct collections — Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition — available in two different sizes, 38 mm and 42 mm. The beautifully designed and durable enclosures are crafted from custom alloys of polished or space black stainless steel, space gray or silver anodized aluminum and 18-karat rose or yellow gold. Apple also created an entire range of watch straps: the high-performance elastomer Sport Band; the Milanese Loop in a flexible magnetic stainless steel mesh; the Leather Loop in soft, quilted leather that conceals magnets for quick fastening and adjustment; the leather Modern Buckle, which closes with a solid metal clasp; the leather Classic Buckle; and the stainless steel Link Bracelet. Apple Watch comes with a unique charging system that combines Apple’s MagSafe® technology with inductive charging for a quick connection that snaps into place.
Apple Watch is an extremely accurate timepiece that’s also customizable for personal expression. Apple Watch comes with 11 watch faces ranging from traditional analog faces to new faces like the dynamic Timelapse face; the Astronomy face with its interactive, real-time 3D model of the earth, sun, moon and planets; and the Solar face, a contemporary sundial. Apple Watch can be personalized in appearance and capability with additional information such as upcoming events, moonphases or your activity level, enabling millions of possible configurations.
with Milanese Loop
Taking advantage of its location on your wrist, Apple Watch provides timely information that can be viewed at a glance. Smart Replies and dictation let you respond quickly to messages, and with Handoff, you can start a message on your Apple Watch and continue where you left off on your iPhone. Swipe up from the watch face for Glances that quickly show you information you care about, such as your current location, stocks or your next meeting. Pressing the side button brings up Friends, a view of your favorite people, so you can contact them quickly and easily. Digital Touch allows you to send a sketch, a gentle tap, an audio message through Walkie Talkie or even your own heartbeat. Apple Watch lets you interact quickly and conveniently with the world around you, so you can pay for coffee using Apple Pay,* board a plane with a Passbook boarding pass, control your Apple TV or get directions.
Apple Watch includes a groundbreaking Activity app designed to help motivate you to be more active throughout the day, and an all-new Workout app designed to provide the metrics you need during dedicated workout sessions. Apple Watch uses the accelerometer, a built-in heart rate sensor, GPS and Wi-Fi from your iPhone to provide a comprehensive picture of your daily activity. The Activity app measures three separate aspects of movement: calories burned, brisk activity and how often you stand up during the day. The Workout app provides goal-setting and pacing during popular session-based workouts, such as running and cycling. The companion Fitness app on iPhone collects your activity data so you can see your activity history in greater detail. Apple Watch uses this history to suggest personal, realistic goals, reward fitness milestones and keep you motivated.
Apple introduces WatchKit, providing new tools and APIs for developers to create unique experiences designed for the wrist. With Apple Watch, developers can create WatchKit apps with actionable notifications and Glances that provide timely information. Starting later next year, developers will be able to create fully native apps for Apple Watch.
Pricing & Availability
Apple Watch will be available in three collections. Apple Watch, with a polished or space black stainless steel case and a choice of straps; Apple Watch Sport, with a space gray or silver anodized aluminum case and Sport Band; and Apple Watch Edition, with an 18-karat rose or yellow gold case and a choice of straps exclusive to this collection. Apple Watch straps include the Sport Band in black, blue, green, pink and white; the Classic Buckle in black and midnight blue; the Leather Loop in bright blue, light brown and stone; the Modern Buckle in midnight blue, brown, soft pink, rose gray and bright red; the Milanese Loop in stainless steel; and the Link Bracelet in brushed stainless steel and polished space black. Apple Watch will be available in early 2015 starting at $349 (US). Apple Watch is compatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus running the latest version of iOS 8.
See every Apple Watch here.
* Apple Pay is only available in the US.
Source: Apple Inc.
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The digital crown must have Patent written all over it.
And I would make the encapsulated brain sealed during manufacture in the US. Zero repairability and destruction if you attempt to open it. Just to stop copycat rip offs for as long as possible.
Like the iphone, the level of complexity and the jump in technology is going to give them 2-3 years headstart.
Is so good that you want to wear it
What about a left hand version?
It is a digital screen. Rotate the watch 180° and the crown is magically on the other side.
I thought the same thing, I just didn’t see anything about it. Did I miss something somewhere?
They didn’t tell us nuthin’ about battery life, and
that’s what everyone was thinkin’ when that
stock got spanked. Spanked but good.
Them fellers were gettin’ a little too precious
too, what with Jon Ive throwin’ out the bull
about ‘watch vocabulary’. Seems to me
a gizmo like this just adds more busybody
stuff to your life. Instead of doin’ things, now
you gotta check with the watch for each step
you take.
But…but… The whole point of the iPhone is holding it in your hand and staring at it all the time so you can ignore the real world!
–What is important beyond the products (which are great) is the incredible development of the Apple Ecosystem linking everything together. The systems makes every part stronger.
— what is demonstrated today shows a great foundation for the future. Like the iPhone, wait for the app developers to get a crack at it and see even greater stuff…
— so far the few ‘hands on’ reviews are positive and most say in real life it’s looks greatz: ‘premium solid’ (slash gear) , ‘reluctant to take off’ (gizmodo)
— Apple has pushed so far ahead of Android now due to the eco system. Android, fractured mess, with OEMs and Google building different parts and most OEMs trying to save money and build the cheapest will never get the seamless integration (cloud, apps, support) that Apple can. (how can you do credit card for most android phones as most do not have fingerprint sensors? etc) Apple’s Eco system is so complex they will never get it.
as a consumer I am happy
as an aapl investor I am also happy.
Like I said above the foundation is very strong. You’ll get this if you link all the hardware announcements with Yosemite and iOS8 revealed over the last few months.
I expect the naysayers to go at it just like the did the iPhone (Dvorak was saying ‘Apple should pull the plug’, Ballmer was laughing, RIM was saying ‘where’s the keyboard’). I was arguing with people on other sites how great the iPhone was , that it could ‘morph’ due to the screen and apps into many different devices etc and was laughed at at other websites (“what are you smoking Fanboy” ).
I simply poured every spare cent into aapl (around 70 bucks pre split). Made hundreds of thousands of bucks.
Once again the naysayers don’t get it.
The stock might actually drop because the big (conservative investors) don’t get it. But eventually it’ll be ok. Apple’s tech advantage now is so huge.
Years back I with the iPhone launch I argued : “imagine how companies like real estate companies will function with a device like that: take photos, show clients other properties etc while Walking around’ ).
The haters didn’t get it.
TODAY some of them are not getting that Apple’s ECOSYSTEM is getting so strong that a person or business using Macs, iPhones, iWatches etc would be able to accomplish so much more than their competitors depending on a mish-mash .
Once again apple’s going to kill them, not just the single product ‘Apple Watch’ but the Ecosystem (watch . phone, macs, pads are just like the hardware interfaces). I’ll argue for example: Small companies using a mess of Win PCs, android phones etc in an unholy difficult to synchronize mess will be run over in this super competitive world with companies using Apple’s Eco system: Just Watch.
Starting at $350? For a watch that no one wears anymore. I smell an iFlop.
This is just a “Watch” like the iPhone is just a “Phone”
You just don’t get it. This will sell in the millions
Do an internet search on iPhone and you will see multitudes of people (including reviewers on TheStreet.com etc) calling the original iPhone the iFlop. Dvorak said “Apple should pull the plug”.
any of them reminding us today what they predicted?
dangerous thing to call an Apple thing an iFlop.
Even the apple TV sells in the millions and Apple Maps is more used than Google’s on iOS.
And the Apple Watch is bigger than Apple TV…
Some aspects of Watch appear to be hard to sell.
Part of the reason I feel this way is that the webpages were written by lawyers.
So if I understand correctly, you can tell Siri an address, she will map it, and the watch gives vibrations for which way to turn? The watch is worth $350 for that feature alone
My takeaway from the Apple Watch thing is simple:
intensely personal, highly customisable
Steals a match from Android, and dulls one of their key advantages
W•O•W !!!