Apple gave world a glimpse of the Apple Watch at the launch of iPhone 6 last year. On Monday, Apple fully showcased the device with the working software in all its glory. For, those who are interested in buying it the Apple Watch will be available in United States from April 10 and is expected to hit Indian markets from June. The device will only be compatible with iPhone 5 and above and Apple is pushing it out iOS 8.2 which makes the devices compatible with Apple Watch. Apple has released the watch in several variants with price ranging from $350 to $17,000 depending on the band and finish.
There will be two different sizes of the Apple Watch to choose from. The smaller option is 38mm tall, while the larger option is 42mm. This is further proof that Apple is actively targeting the female market with its smart-watch. Like all devices from Apple, the Apple Watch also features a retina display with the larger variant sporting a 1.65 inch, 312 x 390 panel and smaller one a 1.5 inch 272 x 340 display.
The Apple Watch sports a heart rate sensor that uses infrared, visible-light LEDS and photodiodes to detect pulse and heart rate. The Apple Watch can track your physical movement by combining this with data from the accelerometer and the GPS in your iPhone. The Apple Watch packs in a Apple S1 processor with no further information available yet. Apple is promising a battery life of just 18 hours which will make night charging necessary for Apple Watch users. The battery life is at par with what competitors like Moto 360, LG G3 have to offer.
Talking about the features, the Apple watch features a customisable version of iOS. Users can now choose which apps are presented on home screen and their order. Turning the Crown of Apple watch lets users scroll through results, zoom in and out on Apple Maps and other features. Pushing it in takes users back to the Home Screen and gives you access to Siri, which is also built into the Apple Watch. Apple will also offer in store training demos from April 10 in the United States.There are endless watch faces to choose from. Apple is also allowing users to further personalize it with different colours and functions. These faces include options for stopwatches, weather updates, stock quotes and other information. Users can also have a brush with the Apple watch through this virtual demo.
The Apple Watch features a new Walkie-Talkie app that allows the users to use the built-in speaker and microphone to send and receive sound bites, while Tap lets users send Morse Code style taps that can be seen on a paired Apple Watch. Pressing two fingers on the screen lets users record and sends heartbeat to a paired device. Apple has also revamped the messages application and users can now send quick replies which the Apple Watch automatically suggests by taking a look at the contents of the message. It also lets users draw custom emoticons and hand drawn messages.
For fitness, Apple has introduced two new apps: Activity and Workout. These apps lets users know of their workout routines, calories burned, exercise time, distance covered and other features. It also sets daily workout goals and notifies users to stand after they have been sitting for an extended period of time. EA is also in the process of developing game content for the Apple Watch. Apple has also released the new WatchKit APIs which lets developers to create new apps and games for the Apple Watch. Apple has also released the Companion app as part of the iOS 8.2 build. Apple expects to have 100,000 Apple Watch apps in the App Store by the release date.
