Meet Apple’s first wearable!
As expected, Apple also unveiled their first ever wearable during today’s event, simply called the Apple Watch. It’s clear that Tim Cook is the force behind the new wearable, which has a redesigned UI that’s quite different from other smartwatches out in the market today. The Apple Watch sports a crown on the side which Apple calls the digital crown. This crown allows you to control the display in different ways – zoom in and out of maps, scroll through lists, etc. There’s voice recognition tech built-in the watch, and pressing the crown will take you back to the homescreen.
Unlike other watches that only have a single sensor on the back, Apple’s Watch has multiple sensors built-in to get numerous data points from your body. The Apple Watch also knows when you move your wrist to look at it, and will turn on automatically if it senses you need to check something on it. Apple says that its watch can also communicate with other Apple Watches, so you can trade metrics and other things with your friends if you decide to do so. The touchscreen can also sense force as well as regular touch, so it knows the difference between a tap and a press.
The Apple Watch will use inductive charging, so you’ll only have to place it in its wireless charger to fill up its battery. You’ll be able to personalize it the way you want as well – since it has a digital face, you can change the watch face depending to your liking, and different strap choices allow it to be customized depending on the wearer’s preference.
There will be two sizes of the Apple Watch, which is obviously aimed at both men and women, as well as three different finishes for the Apple Watch.
If you want the Apple Watch, you’ll also need to have an iPhone, as it’s required to use it.
Like most smartwatches, Apple’s Watch is capable of turn-by-turn navigation, as well as sending dictated messages through SMS Â via Siri, which is integrated to the watch. The Watch is also smart enough to pick up on any message sent to you and will select smart responses based on your conversation, audio messages and even your location.
Apple’s Watch also has numerous fitness apps, and has an accelerometer and taps into your phones’ GPS to get your location. The sensors on the back allows it to get an accurate reading of your pulse and heartbeat as well, and there’s even a dedicated workout app that measures calories, duration and distance.
If it wasn’t obvious yet, you’ll be able to get a detailed breakdown on your stats using your iPhone. The Watch can also be used as a walkie talkie (nostalgia hits here), as well as a viewfinder for the iPhone camera (rear camera selfies!) and even control your Apple TV.
If you’re excited for the Apple Watch, you’ll have to wait – Tim Cook, Apple CEO has said that it’ll ship early 2015, and will come with a steep $349 price tag.