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Apple announces Apple Watch, its first wearable device and smartwatch Apple announces Apple Watch, its first wearable device and smartwatch
(about 2 hours later)
Apple’s highly anticipated entry into the world of wearable technology is the Apple Watch. Apple’s highly anticipated entry into the world of wearable technology is the Apple Watch, CEO Tim Cook announced on Tuesday.
The Apple Watch will monitor health and fitness, tracking the wear’s movement, heart rate and activity with built-in sensors, feeding the information into Apple’s Health app for the iPhone and iPad, allowing review and analysis of the data. The Apple Watch will monitor health and fitness, tracking the wearer’s movement, heartrate and activity with built-in sensors, feeding the information into Apple’s Health app for the iPhone and iPad and allowing review and analysis of the data.
“This is the most personal device we’ve ever created,” said Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook. “We’ve set up to make the best watch in the world. One that is precise. It’s synced with a universal time standard.”“This is the most personal device we’ve ever created,” said Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook. “We’ve set up to make the best watch in the world. One that is precise. It’s synced with a universal time standard.”
It uses a “digital crown” on the side of the watch, that turns like a jog dial for adjusting functions on the watch, like zooming and setting the time – no pinching to zoom required. It also functions as the home button. It uses a button on the side of the watch - dubbed the “digital crown” by Apple - which turns like a jog dial for adjusting functions including zooming and setting the time – no pinching to zoom required. It also functions as the home button.
The screen is covered by a curved sapphire glass screen touch screen that can also detect pressure as well as simple touch to differentiate between a tap and a touch, complete with vibrating haptic feedback and loud speaker. The screen is covered by a curved sapphire glass touchscreen that can differentiate between a tap and a touch, and vibrates with alerts using a haptic feedback component and a speaker.
The Apple Watch is charged by a wireless, inductive charging pad that magnetically aligns to the back of the watch. The Apple Watch is charged by a wireless, inductive charging pad that magnetically connects to the back of the watch.
Three editionsThree editions
The smartwatch will be available in three editions: the stainless steel Watch, aluminium Watch Sport and 18c gold Apple Watch Edition. The smartwatch will be available in three versions: the stainless steel Watch, aluminium Watch Sport and 18c gold Apple Watch Edition. Six different straps will also be available, each with a quick-remove clasp.
Six different straps will also be available, complete with a quick remove clasp that attaches to the watch. All three will rely on a iPhone paired using Bluetooth to sync data, and will be compatible with iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6 and 6 Plus, but the device will not be available until early 2015. The starting price will be $349 in the US.
All three will will requires the iPhone for connectivity via Bluetooth and will work with iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6 and 6 Plus, but will not be available until early 2015 starting at $349 in the US.
Apps, taps and touchingApps, taps and touching
Several of Apple’s apps will be available on the Watch, including Siri, Messages, Maps and lots of at-a-glance information pulled from calendars, email and other apps on an iPhone. Several of Apple’s apps will be available on the Watch, including voice-control tool Siri, Messages, Maps as well as information pulled from calendars, email and other iPhone apps.
Maps will provide walking directions right on your wrist, buzzing for each turn required in the same way Google Maps operates on Google’s Android Wear smartwatches. Maps will provide walking directions right on your wrist, buzzing for each turn required in the same way Google Maps operates on Google’s Android Wear smartwatches. Siri will be accessible through the side button, as will voice dictation.
Siri will be available, launched by holding in the digital crown, as is voice dictation. The watch has a quick-reply panel on the face board for messages and suggests text or emoticons for a reply - perhaps for when dictating a reply isn’t appropriate.
Apple also has a quick reply board for replying to messages that analyses the text coming in and suggests responses, or pick from a selection of customisable emoji, for when talking into the watch for voice dictation isn’t appropriate. Apple’s new payment tool Apple Pay will also be available on the Apple Watch, allowing users to pay for goods and services in the US using the watch like a contactless credit card.
Apple’s new contactless mobile wallet, Apple Pay, will also be available on the Apple Watch to enable users to pay for goods and services in the US using the smartwatch like a contactless credit card. Hundreds of third-party apps, including Twitter and Facebook, will also be available, arranged in clusters for easier launching on the smaller screen, zooming in using the digital crown.
Hundreds of third-party apps, like Twitter, Facebook and others will also be available, arranged in clusters on the screen for easier launching on the smaller screen, zooming in using the digital crown. Apple also includes a new communication app called digital touch, which allows users to share taps, small drawings and even their heartbeat with other Apple Watch users.
Apple also includes a new communication app called digital touch, which allows users to share taps, small drawings and even their heart beat with other Apple Watch users.
The Apple Watch can also control music playing on iPhone or iPad devices around it, as well as storing music locally on the Watch, playing through Bluetooth headphones.The Apple Watch can also control music playing on iPhone or iPad devices around it, as well as storing music locally on the Watch, playing through Bluetooth headphones.
Health and fitnessHealth and fitness
Apple’s focus on fitness extends to the Apple Watch plugging into the Health app on the iPhone for sharing with third-party apps. Apple’s focus on fitness extends to the Apple Watch, which can be plugged into the existing iPhone Health app so that fitness data can be shared with third-party apps.
Two new apps on the watch track two different levels of activity. The Fitness app tracks general activity, steps and calories burned throughout the day, like many fitness trackers currently available like the Misfit Shine or Jawbone Up. Two new apps, Fitness and Workout, track different levels of activity. The Fitness records general activity, steps and calories burned throughout the day, similar to fitness trackers currently on the market like the Misfit Shine or Jawbone Up, but also notes how sedentary the wearer has been and encourages them to move throughout the day.
It tracks both activity, but also how sedentary the wearer has been to avoid sitting too long in one place by prompting desk workers to get up and move throughout the day. The Workout app tracks activity for custom workouts, acting like a personal trainer and responding to the wearer’s heartrate and movement.
The Workout app tracks specific activity for custom workouts, acting like a personal trainer on your wrist based on your heart rate and motions.
Tough competitionTough competition
The wearable technology market is a growth area for mobile technology as smartphones reach a 70% saturation point in developed markets including the US and UK. In 2013, 9.7m wearables, including fitness trackers and smartwatches were sold worldwide, according to data from research firm CCS Insight. That number is expected to reach 22.3m in 2014. With as much as 70% of the market for smartphones saturated in developed markets, gadget makers have released a slew of smartwatches in the past few years to try and create appetite for a new type of device. In 2013 9.7m wearables, including fitness trackers and smartwatches, were sold worldwide according to data from research firm CCS Insight. That number is expected to reach 22.3m in 2014.
In the first week of September, Europe’s largest electronics trade show, IFA in Berlin, saw more than 10 different wearable devices introduced by big name electronics manufacturers. Samsung, Sony, Asus and Motorola all launched smartwatches, many running Google’s Android Wear software. Earlier this month more than 10 rival smartwatches were released at IFA, Europe’s largest electronics trade show in Berlin, with devices by Samsung, Sony, Asus and Motorola all launching smartwatches - and many running Google’s Android Wear software.
Wearable technology has struggled to become mainstream, with few convincing use cases and ugly designs for devices trying to replace jewellery on peoples’ wrists. Smartwatches and other wearable technology have seen a high rate of abandonment too, with one third of Americans ditching the devices within six months of trying them, according to research by Endeavour partners. But wearable technology has struggled to become mainstream, with few convincing use cases and ugly designs for devices failing to convince consumers to replace their wrist watches. Smartwatches have also been shown to have a high rate of abandonment too, with one third of Americans ditching the devices within six months of trying them according to research by Endeavour partners. Many devcies have launched in time for the Christmas market, but the Apple Watch will not launch until 2015.
Whether the Apple Watch will become mainstream is unknown but this Christmas will be the wearable season as shops and online stores push the myriad of devices, which Apple will not be playing part in this year.