Prepare yourself to start looking at your wrist for the time again: the Apple Watch has been confirmed to start shipping in April, according to Apple's CEO, Tim Cook.
This puts the anticipated wearable device on a long list of new Apple products that are expected in the March-April timeframe, including the MacBook Pro Retina and MacBook Air Retina.
"I'm using it every day and love it and can't live without it," Cook said during an earnings meeting that revealed that 2014 was a great year for the Cupertino, California tech company. "I see that we're making great progress on the development of it."
The Apple Watch was originally given the ship date of "early 2015" and Cook says that it's right on schedule. While it was announced at the same time as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus which both released in September, the Apple Watch needed a bit more polish time considering the fact that it's the biggest product category to be introduced to the company's product line in several years. Described as the "most personal device ever," the Apple Watch would also be the first new product under Cook's reign as CEO for Apple.
As for the price, Cook just reassured eager consumers that the $349 price tag is still in place. We first heard this price when the wearable was announced in September, so it looks like there were no bumps in the road there, which is a good thing. But keep in mind that this price tag is for the base model. The Apple Watch will extend from there to an Apple Watch Sport aimed at the fitness crowd, and the premium yet-unnamed edition that will cater to the high-end crowd looking for a luxury accessory.
Just how luxury? Think 18-karat gold, leather wrist bands and more that could fetch a price tag into the thousands of dollar range. Interestingly enough, these versions won't have any advanced technological features over what's offered in the base model.
But Apple is also allowing customers to mix and match features to create the perfect watch for them. This would allow consumers to create a display that ranges from 38mm to 42mm, a variety of colors including stainless steel, aluminum, space black, space grey, or that high-end 18-karat gold.
The 42mm display version will have 390 x 312 resolution while the 38mm version will stick with 340 x 272. You'll even have a choice of watch bands, ranging from leather, plastic, metal links, and availability in a variety of colors depending on the material chosen.
So it looks like Apple isn't just making a mini iPod that you can wear on your wrist, but are instead introducing fashion with high-tech. In fact, Apple has already snagged employees from Tag Heuer and Burberry to join the Apple Watch team.
As we get closer and closer to seeing a full spec list revealed for the Apple Watch, one point of contention that has been revealed is the seemingly lackluster battery that will be included. The company reported during the product's unveiling that the Apple Watch will need to be charged daily, and now we know why. With the processor power packed into the watch, it's no surprise that it will drain power easily, but 9to5Mac is reporting that the device is expected to run 2.5 to 4 hours during active usage before needing a charge.
If that seems low, reports state that when used only as a timepiece, users can expect a battery life of only three hours. But this is only if the clock face is turned on for those three hours, which won't be an issue considering the fact that it automatically powers down when not in use. If users passively use the Apple Watch throughout the day, then it's possible that the 19 hours of passive usage battery life predicted by Apple would be true.
