Apple Watch Release Date And Additional Details Revealed

The buzz around the release of the Apple Watch continues to grow, and during the company’s event in San Francisco today, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the release date along with a slew of other information about the hotly-anticipated device.

The company will begin selling its new watch on April 24, Cook explained. The Apple Watch “Sport” will start at $349 U.S. for the smaller, 38-mm model. The standard version of the watch will start at $549 and the high-end “Edition” model will be priced from $10,000.

Technology industry experts are eagerly watching to see if Apple’s product will be the tipping point for the sluggish smartwatch market. Although there are some in the technology industry who doubt the likelihood of the device achieving widespread popularity, similar skepticism existed when Apple released the iPad in 2010, yet the company successfully sold millions. Considering the company’s past record of success, there is certainly the potential for an explosion of sales upon the release of the Apple Watch.

During today’s event, Cook further unveiled the details of the product’s abilities, explaining that wearers will be able to make calls, read full emails, control music, and keep up with their workout, all from their wrist.

“It’s the most personal device we have ever created,” said Cook. “It’s not just with you, it’s on you.”

The Apple Watch is designed to be an adjunct to your iPhone. It is meant to stay paired and connected while you wear it for most features, although some functions are available while it is disconnected as well. To pair with an Apple Watch, the user will need an iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6 or 6 Plus. Earlier iPhones are excluded.

Apple’s new wearable device has a massive number of functions. Here are some of the highlights that were revealed:

• A “Glances” feature that allows you to swipe up to check information such as weather, calendar, heart rate, and more.
• You can receive messages, with a slight vibration on your wrist for notification.
• You can accept and receive calls via a built-in speaker and microphone.
• It displays full emails.
• With what Apple calls a “whole new way to communicate”, you can press a button on the side of the watch to bring up a list of your friends, letting you connect Apple Watches together. Once connected, you can send doodles to another watch via Digital Touch, you can tap your watch to get another wearer’s attention, and you can share your heart beat with them.
• Robust fitness tracking, including tracking daily movement, how long you’ve been sitting, and how much you’ve exercised, as well as sending a weekly report with suggestions for improvements.
• You can store and view photos.
• Notifications come from all of the apps on your phone. Any notification that shows up on your phone can push to your watch.
• It works with third-party apps such as Instagram, Uber, Shazam, WeChat, and many others.
• During a “typical day” of usage, the battery will last for approximately 18 hours.

It’s certainly an exciting and robust product, but will a massive number of consumers be prepared to purchase an Apple Watch upon its release?

Many considered the iPad to be a “big iPhone” when it was first released, and didn’t expect it to become nearly as popular as it did. As we suggested above, the Apple Watch is likely to enter a similarly skeptical marketplace. However, Apple has an incredible ability to make its products appealing to consumers, and the company’s new smartwatch could certainly become yet another massive success story for Apple. We’ll be watching closely for developments!