The Apple Watch was detailed during yesterday's Spring Forward event, and while the new MacBook and a few other tidbits were revealed, Apple CEO Tim Cook put full focus on the smartwatch that can be pre-ordered starting April 10th for retail availability on April 24th.
But trying to bring back the wristwatch, or even reinvent the current smartwatch market, takes a lot of work. While wristwatches dominated in the time before smart pocket devices (remember those days?), Cook and Apple are looking to not only get us to look at our wrists again, but also do it with style and class.
The Apple Watch comes in either 38mm or 42mm models with a variety of case and band materials ranging from plastic to leather to 18k gold. The touchscreen uses Apple's Retina Display resolution (272 x 340 in the 38mm, 312 x 390 in the 42 mm) with Force Touch technology and either sapphire glass or Ion-X glass, depending on model.
But how can all of that make your life any easier? We took a look at seven ways the Apple Watch can enhance your life.
Be on Time
These days, finding out the time isn't that difficult. Everything from our microwaves to our refrigerators to our cars to our phones tell us the time, but the Apple Watch is bringing the time back to our wrists. And through the use of dozens of highly customizable apps for the specialized Watch OS, reading the time has never been more fun or practical.
Get in Shape
Between the heart rate monitor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and a range of fitness apps from launch, the Apple Watch is well-equipped to get you on the right track to reach your fitness goals.
Pay Without Your Wallet
Apple Pay uses an NFC chip to transmit payment information from your iPhone to a special receiver at select stores, allowing you to pay for certain items without bringing out the old wallet and credit card. Not only is this more convenient, but it will make you look like James Bond for a few seconds.
Communicate with Friends
Not only does the Apple Watch support SMS and iMessage, but it also allows you to make voice calls and send emails just like you would from your iPhone. A handy button on the side of the watch allows for quick access to your contact list and a tap features lets you tap the touch-sensitive screen to send a bit of a love tap to your friends. You can even customize the taps to be different for different people in your contacts.
Stay out Longer
With 18 hours of battery life, you won't be making up excuses for heading home early to recharge your device. Stay out longer, have fun, and enjoy yourself!
Look More Stylish
The Apple Watch starts out at only $349, but if you're looking for true style, the watch tops out at $17,000 for the 18-karat gold version.
Control Your Apple TV or Smarthome
The Apple Watch can act as a remote to control your Apple TV or even your iOS-enabled Smarthome's features like light and climate controls or even the security system. But it goes much further than that. In an interview with Stuff Magazine last year, Tim Cook hinted at the possibilities. ""Because you're not searching for yet another object in your home to get to, this is an object that's attached to you. There's loads of things that you can do with it," Cook added. "The list that we've come up with is really long. But frankly speaking, as we open it up for developers, it's going to get a lot longer, because they're going to come up with things that we haven't even begun to think about."
