Apple Watch

Apple Watch

File:White AppleWatch with Screen.png An Apple Watch with white Sport Band
Developer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Quanta Computer (contract manufacturer)
Type	Smartwatch
Release date	April 24, 2015
Introductory price	Watch Sport 38 mm: US$349 42 mm: US$399 Watch 38 mm: US$549–US$1,049 42 mm: US$599–US$1,099 Watch Edition 38 mm & 42 mm: US$10,000–US$17,000
Operating system	Watch OS
System on a chip	Apple S1
Storage	8 GB
Display	Flexible Retina AMOLED screen Strengthened Ion-X glass (Apple Watch Sport) Sapphire glass (Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition)
Graphics	38 mm: 272×340 pixels, 290 (PPI) 42 mm: 312×390 pixels, (302 PPI)
Sound	Speaker
Connectivity	Bluetooth 4, NFC, Wi-Fi
Dimensions	38 mm: 38.6 mm × 33.3 mm × 10.5 mm (1.52 in × 1.31 in × 0.41 in) 42 mm: 42 mm × 35.9 mm × 10.5 mm (1.65 in × 1.41 in × 0.41 in)
Backward compatibility	iPhone 5 and later running iOS 8.2 or later, connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.0. are compatible with this device.
Website	www.apple.com/watch

Apple Watch is a smartwatch created by Apple Inc. and announced by Tim Cook on September 9, 2014. The Apple Watch incorporates fitness tracking and health-oriented capabilities as well as integration with iOS and other Apple products and services. Apple announced the Apple Watch with three "collections": Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition. The watch will be distinguished by different combinations of cases and interchangeable bands. The watch relies on a connected iPhone to perform many of its functions and will be compatible with the iPhone 5 or later models running iOS 8.2 or later. The device will be available for pre-order on April 10 and is scheduled to begin shipping April 24, 2015.

Features

The Apple Watch will work with Apple Pay, a mobile payment announced at the same event as the watch on September 9, 2014. It is capable of receiving phone calls as well as iMessage and SMS texts via a paired iPhone and can track fitness, run third-party apps and use an Apple feature called "Handoff" (see iOS 8). It can control Apple TV, as well as act as a walkie-talkie, a viewfinder for an iPhone camera, give the wearer directions via native Maps app, and can store loyalty cards and tickets in Passbook. Apple Watch will also include Siri, a personal assistant. Apple Watch uses "force touch" input, which allows the watch to know if the force being applied is hard or soft.

Design

Apple Watch has three collections, featuring two case sizes: 38 mm (1.5 in) and 42 mm (1.7 in) spread across 38 individual models. The case of the watch includes a mechanism to enable the straps to be interchangeable. Its screen is a pressure-sensitive touchscreen that can distinguish between a tap and a press, and features a digital crown, which can be turned to scroll or zoom and pressed to return to the home screen. The watch also has a button for displaying a list of contacts. The watch is charged by means of inductive charging, using a cable similar to the MagSafe cable from Apple's MacBook family of laptops.

Apple designed a new typeface named San Francisco for the Apple Watch which Apple says is designed for legibility on the device's small display.

WatchKit is a software framework included with the iOS SDK that allows developers to create applications for the Apple Watch.

Hardware

The Apple Watch uses Apple's S1 processor, advertised as "an entire computer architecture on a single chip". It also uses a linear actuator called the "Taptic Engine" to provide haptic feedback when an alert or a notification is received. The watch is equipped with a built-in heart rate sensor, which uses both infrared and visible-light LEDs and photodiodes. It is water-resistant with IPX7 rating, so water submersion is not recommended. All versions of the Apple Watch have 8 GB of storage, which allows the user to store up to 2 GB of music and 75 MB of photos, however, this limitation only applies when the Apple Watch is untethered from the user's iPhone; when the Apple Watch is paired with an iPhone all music and photos on that iPhone are available from the Apple Watch. It uses a Flexible Retina AMOLED screen. This is the first Apple product to use AMOLED technology.

The watch is compatible with the iPhone 5 and later running iOS 8.2 or later, connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.0.

Collection comparison

Collection	Apple Watch Sport	Apple Watch	Apple Watch Edition
Pricing	38 mm: US$349 / 42 mm: US$399	38 mm: US$549–US$1,049 / 42 mm: US$599–US$1,099	38 mm & 42 mm: US$10,000–US$17,000
Processor	Apple S1
Storage	8 GB
System software	Watch OS (iOS-based)
Display (L x W)	Flexible Retina AMOLED 38 mm: 21.2 × 26.5 mm; 33.5 mm (1.32 in) diagonally, 272×340 pixels, 290 PPI 42 mm: 24.3 × 30.38 mm; 39 mm (1.5 in) diagonally, 312×390 pixels, 302 PPI
Other outputs	Taptic Engine, speaker
Dimensions (L x W x H)	38 mm: 38.6 mm × 33.3 mm × 10.5 mm (1.52 in × 1.31 in × 0.41 in) 42 mm: 42 mm × 35.9 mm × 10.5 mm (1.65 in × 1.41 in × 0.41 in)
Back	Composite	Ceramic
Screen	Strengthened Ion-X glass	Sapphire glass
Models	10 models	20 models	8 models
	2 Cases: Lightweight anodized 7000 series aluminum (in silver, or space gray) 5 Bands: Fluoroelastomer plastic: sport band (in white, black, blue, green, or pink)	2 Cases: Apple Watch collection features highly polished stainless steel and space black stainless steel cases. 6 Bands: Leather: modern buckle (in soft pink, brown, or midnight blue); leather loop (in stone, light brown, or bright blue); classic buckle (in black) Stainless steel: link bracelet (stainless steel or space black) or Milanese loop Fluoroelastomer plastic: sport band (in white or black)	2 Cases: Hardened 18-karat gold (in yellow gold, or rose gold) 3 Bands: Leather: modern buckle (in bright red, or rose grey); classic buckle (in black or midnight blue) Fluoroelastomer plastic: sport band (in white or black)
Input methods	Digital crown, multi-touch, force touch, microphone, connected iPhone
Connector	The watch is charged by means of inductive charging, using a cable similar to the MagSafe cable from Apple's MacBook family.
Connectivity	NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, barometer
Compatibility	iPhone 5 and later running iOS 8.2 or later, connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.0. are compatible with this device.
Battery	Up to 18 hours

Pre-release reception

Following the announcement, initial impressions from technology and watch industry observers were varied; the watch was praised by some for its "design, potential capabilities and eventual usefulness", while others offered criticism of these same aspects. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen said he "can't wait" to try it, and Steve Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson described it as "extremely cool" and an example of future technology that is "much more embedded into our lives". However, Evan Dashevsky of PC Magazine said it offered nothing new in terms of functionality compared to the Moto 360, except the customizable vibration notifications. Benjamin Clymer, a writer focused on the watch industry, generally praised the watch, stating that it "simply blows away anything—digital or analog—in the watch space at $350"; that said, he also suggested the watch would not have the same emotional connection for wearers as traditional watches.

In November 2014, Apple Watch was listed by Time as one of the 25 Best Inventions of 2014.

One of the apps pre-announced as part of the launch, Belle Gibson's Whole Pantry, was withdrawn prior to launch following accusations against its creator of fraud and faking cancer diagnosis.

Forecasts

Financial analysts offered early sales estimates from a few million to as many as 40 million in the first year. Time's Tim Bajarin summarized the breadth of reactions, writing that "there is not enough information yet to determine how this product will fare when it finally reaches the market next year".

Initial Reviews

Initial reviews for the device have been generally positive with some caveats. Reviewers praised the watch's potential ability to integrate into everyday life and the overall design of the product, but noted issues of speed and price. Many reviewers described the watch as functional and convenient, while also noting failure to give as much potential functionality as preceding smartphones. Others conplaints arose due to the high yet unnecessary ambition the watch sets to improve the users' lives, including the consistent notifications from the various apps installed on the watch. Some reviewers also compared it competing products such as Android Wear devices, and claimed "The Smartwatch Finally Makes Sense". Reviewers had negative opinions on battery life though, with Geoffrey Fowler at The Wall Street Journal, saying his watch "barely lasted all day", and others compared it to the Samsung Gear 2 which "strolls through three days of moderate usage."

See also

• Android Wear
• Microsoft Band
• iPod Nano (6th generation) (an iPod commonly used as a watch)
• Pebble
• Samsung Galaxy Gear S

External links

• Apple Watch – official site