APPLE WATCH
"The most personal device Apple has created" - TIM COOK
Introduced alongside the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last year, the
Apple Watch has been in lots of talk between tech enthusiasts worldwide. Some
even saying that the Smartwatch industry is finally going to get the boost and
start it needed with the launch of the Apple Watch, and in a way I agree with
them.
It’s not that other smartwatches are bad. Look at the Pebble
for example. With battery life that lasts up to 7 days, compatible with iPhone
and Android phones, beautiful steel design and the latest iteration of the
device, have E-ink colour display. It’s just that they are not catchy enough.
It does not tempt the non-tech. enthusiasts as much. Who better than Apple with
their milliards of loyal followers and their ability to make devices that
people simply want could be the answer.
At 1:00 a.m. local time today, Apple event finally went
underway. For those who have an Apple device (iPhone, iPod, Macbook and Apple
TV) are able to watch it live. The features shown are very impressive and it makes me salivate just watching the video demonstration (and jealous at the people in them as well).
To begin with, there are 3 versions of the Watch : the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport, and the Apple Watch Edition.
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| Apple Watch with the stainless steel strap |
The Apple Watch is the standard edition while the Apple Watch Sport, well as you guessed it, is for Sports. Feature wise they don't differ much but material wise they do. This apply to the Apple Watch Edition as well.
While the Apple Watch case is made from stainless steel which is supposed to be able to withstand scratches and hits by up to 80% more than normal steel (through a specialized
cold forging process), the Watch Sport is made with anodized aluminum, that is 60% (added with other materials such as magnesium and zinc) stronger than normal aluminum and is also lighter.
On the display, the Apple Watch is protected with a sapphire crystal while the Watch Sport's display uses strengthened Ion-X glass.
The Apple Watch has choices of between a link bracelet, a Milanese loop, a fluoroelastomer band and 3 different leather bands.
The Apple Watch Sport bands made from fluoroelastomer, a light yet strong material, comes in 5 different colours: Black, Blue, Green, Pink and White.
All three of the Apple Watches can be found in 38mm or 42mm size.
Colours available for the Apple Watch are the Stainless stell and Space black stainless stell which has diamond-like carbon layer is added for aesthetics.
Colours for the Apple Watch Sports are silver and space gray.
The Apple Watch Edition, the most expensive of the three, is enveloped with 18 Karat Gold! Talk about luxurious! The gold used is twice as hard as standard gold. Prices range from $10,000 to $17,000. These Watch Edition will understandably be in limited quantity and limited stores.
FEATURES
To the features now. We know that other smartphones have been playing the dual-role as health companion and Apple Watch was too.
What sets Apple Watch apart is just how well the apps are designed, how well the ecosystem is managed. Apple Watch is a health companion but it's not just that. You just have to see it to believe it.
Apple has managed to get most of the famous and popular apps working with an Apple Watch version of the apps. Some of the
apps are:
- Instagram
- UberX
- Alarm.com (allows you to control your house connected features (e.g:
- Email
- Facebook
- WeChat
The Apple Watch connects with your iPhone through Bluetooth but it can also use Wi-Fi. As long as your iPhone and the Watch is connected to the same Wi-Fi, you have to be in close proximity to your iPhone to receive notifications.
Apple also said that the Watch would display all the notifications from any apps on your iPhone to your Watch. A feature that is not found in many other smartwatches.
The display that you're probably going to be looking at most of the time. Apple has designed several watch faces to suit every user. You have the traditional watch, digital watch, simple traditional watch and even fun ones like a Mickey Mouse watch face.
What great is that the customisation level of the watch face. For example in the traditional watch face you can opt to have all the hours or none at all. You can just have the 12,3,6 and 9 showing or add date, day, weather and even up and coming events.
Other than that, the Apple Watch has the ability to display the Weather information,
control the music you're listening to on your iPhone,
detect your heartbeat through the skin sensor on the back of the Watch,
read and reply to messages (instead of trying hard to type on the tiny screen there is a voice dictation to make things easier),
you can receive and answer calls, yes you read right, you can answer calls on the Apple Watch with its built-in microphone and speaker,
Read and reply to emails,
Browse through your photos gallery,
and of course view your contacts.
One new feature is the ability to send drawings (more to doodles I suppose), gestures and even your heart beats to another Apple Watch. And it's not just computerised heart beat, is the actual live beating of your heart as detected by the Apple Watch. Think of it as way to tell your special someone that you're thinking of them.
Like I said before, the Apple Watch is also designed to be a fitness and health companion.
It monitors your activities, movements and heart rate. It even tells you to stand up and start walking when you have been sitting too long.
The Apple Watch also gives out weekly report on your activities and even suggest future goals.
It can track your workout either indoor or outdoor.
The picture on the left is like the Apps Menu on the Apple Watch where you'll see all the apps installed on the Watch available to you.
To control the interface, Apple has incorporated Force Touch which means the Apple Watch is able to distinguish between a tap and a long hard press. A "force" press would act like another button/double-tap.
An ingenious solution for fine control is the use of the crown. Not only giving the Watch the classic look, Apple has given it a new function with the Apple Watch.
With all the high-tech features you'll be wondering if the Watch can handle it. You don't want to be using it for 2 hours and be finding yourself with a low-battery notification all day long.
Well according to Apple, the Apple Watch has an All-day battery. In other words, Apple has designed it to last, with mixed usage, up to 18 hours which should be sufficient for most people.
Where do you charge it? Well the back of the Apple Watch has the skin sensor as well as the connective charging. It easily attaches to the charger with the help of magnets, in a way similar to macbook ports.
The prices for the Watch Sport are:
- 38mm: $349 (~RM 1295)
- 42mm: $399 (~RM 1480)
For the Watch:
- 38mm: $549-$1049 (~RM 2036 - RM 3891)
- 42mm: $599~$1099 (~RM 2222 - RM 4076)
Pre-orders for these gadgets is on the April 10, and first shipping would be on April 24 this year. The sales of the first batch of Apple Watches would only be in selected countries and based from the list Malaysia would not be the first. Based on the iPhones period of arrival on our shore, the Apple Watch should arrive in Malaysia around 2-3 months after its first sale. Fingers crossed it doesn't take that long or longer.
So far that's it guys! Thanks for taking the time to read this long blog post ;)
I'll be updating this page with the latest information as time passes.
Sources: www.apple.com/live, www.apple.com/watch
