Amidst all the excitement surrounding the Keynote and iPhone 6 launch at the Apple event in California, the Apple watch made its debut. And after much speculation about what it would be named, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc. unveiled the Apple Watch. Yes is it not the iWatch, but the 'Apple Watch'.
The watch is a completely new product in Apple's computer, phone and tablet portfolio and competes with the likes of Samsung Gear and similar smart-watches from manufacturers such as Sony.
Look and Design
While the new iPhone 6 took to a more rounded edge form, the screen of the Apple watch is decisively more rectangular shaped with rounded edges, where the glass screen blends in with the rim concealing the edges of the display.
It will come in 3 different versions: Standard, Sporty and High-end edition with two sizes: the larger 42 mm and 38 mm casing. The wrist bands too can be selected from flexible plastic to leather to metal. The Sport version takes advantage of the light-weight aluminium and can be ordered in ether silver or dark grey and will have the Ion –X display and composite back. The standard version uses steel and is a space black colour with a ceramic back and a sapphire crystal face. The third more premium edition uses 18 karat gold for its body and has a ceramic back and sapphire crystal face.
Charging
The watch requires charging and is said to last for 24 hours+. The MagSafe style induction plate will not only hide the heart rate sensor that was mentioned during the September 9 launch but will also charge the watch.
The feel
The touch and feel of the device is different from its iPhone cousins, not only in its squared appearance but also in the way in which the icons appear on the display. The one showcased during the launch shows a flower like arrangement of different apps that sit inside circular multisized icons. To navigate the apps one can swipe in the direction and a tap would launch the app.
Interaction
The knob on the right-hand side is used for apps such as photos and maps while Siri interaction can be called upon for dictating messages and using voice commanding. The knob or the crown lets the user run through the apps and zoom in or zoom out.
Another button just below the ‘digital crown’ is the digital touch, which on pressing, would lead you to your favourite contacts and allows a variety of ways to interact with them. The system prompts the logical response options to incoming calls, messages and so on.
Check out the LIVE coverage here: Complete coverage: Apple launches iPhone 6, iPhone 6 plus, Watch and ApplePay
The body
Inside the metal body there is a heart rate monitor, near field communication chip along with wireless charging mechanism, apart from the essentials like the S1 chipset and processor. However, the watch is dependent on the iPhone, more than one would want it to be.
Price and launch
Despite the usual launch of new devices before the holiday season, the Apple Watch may launch only in early 2015. However, no official word is out yet. It will also be priced on the higher end at $349 USD which might mean it will be even more expensive in India by the time it hits markets.
Compared to other smart watches
Among all the competition that has already planned to enter the market, Samsung S gear comes closest to what Apple may have to beat to gain a formidable market share. The S gear can be used in combination with a phone or can also fit a sim card and be used as a phone itself, which means the Apple Watch may just need to step up their game if they need to beat this one. As compared to the Apple Watch, it has a more curvy display and a really minuscule keypad. Despite being the best in the category come October, it is heavy (2. 36 oz) and bulky (12.5 mm thick). If the Iphone’s design is anything to go by, Apple seems to prefer sleek and thin.
Read: Google, Apple & Wearable Technology: A chat on fashion and technology with Bandana Tewari
The Sony smart watch 3 is also scheduled to launch in late 2014. It is 1.58 oz and only 10 mm thick with a 1.6 inch 283 ppi resolution display. The yet to be launched watch has been critiqued for its plain design but it is said that the device is water resistant. It can also be used when not near a phone because of its data storage capacity.
The Motorola Moto 360 is currently in the market and runs on Android Wear. The display resembles a regular plain watch and has, like the Apple Watch, health and heart rate monitoring features. It is about 1.72 oz and has a 1.56 inch display. Another lesser known entrant into this category is the LG Watch R that was recently announced. It however required to be connected to an Android phone to run and operates on Android Wear. Unlike the Apple watch, the Watch R has a round dial like appearance and uses the entire screen.
For those who wish to have the stunning piece of technology, the Apple Watch, would have to wait until 2015 to strap it around their wrist. For Apple fans, it might be time to save up for what will be the most expensive in category smart-watch by then.
Read: Apple on medical tech hiring spree, a possible hint of iWatch plans
Samsung unveils 'Gear 2' and 'Gear 2 Neo' on Twitter
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