It’s finally official! The new piece of hardware that was rumored to be called iWatch was revealed on stage earlier this month during the iPhone 6 launch event, and it has an unexpected name – Apple Watch.
Design and Features
Judging by what was seen, it will be a standard looking smartwatch. In terms of the design, it offers nothing new. Apple Watch will feature rectangular chassis available in two different material versions, stainless steel/aluminum alloy and 18 karat gold, with edges curved and straps interchangeable. The smartwatch will push messages, Facebook updates and Siri to the user’s wrist without the need to take out the phone to check notifications. The display comes in two sizes measured by height (38 mm and 42 mm), and features Retina display with a sapphire glass coating to protect it from scratches. Screen resolution remains unknown, as nothing has been made official by Apple yet.
Digital Crown
Lack of innovation by using the rectangular chassis is compensated by a circular knob feature known as digital crown, which turns rotational movement input into on-screen digital output. Apple says that implementing pinch-to-zoom touchscreen mechanic that’s used on everything else would be too impractical on a tiny display. Rotating the Apple watch will zoom into your app selection, a photo, or scroll through the calendar, or a list. Digital Crown replaces the home button as well. Under the watch four IR and LED sensors are housed and are able to detect your pulse in order to push the data into the Health App.
Apple Watch Battery Capacity
Tim Cook didn’t say much about Apple Watch’s battery life, but he did say that it was designed to be worn all day and charged at night. That statement gave us a hint that the battery will last one day, just like competitor’s smartwatches. Apple Watch will be chargeable through the back of the watch and will use inductive charging and (or technology similar to) MagSafe magnetic locking, omitting the need to align the pins when trying to charge it.
Different Versions
Initially, Apple Watch will launch in two sizes and three distinct versions. The Standard Apple Watch will be made of stainless steel, while the Sport Collection will use a reinforced, stronger alloy, and finally, Apple Watch Edition will consist of 18 karat gold. Of course, this means that you will get different glass to protect your screen. Apple Watch and Edition models will use sapphire crystal glass, while the Apple Watch Sport is getting Ion-X Glass. The difference is that sapphire glass can withstand scratches and Ion-X Glass is more shock-resistant.
Six different straps will be available, and unlike on Moto 360, you will be able to change them yourself with an easy-to-use swapping mechanism. Some of the straps listed include: a sport band, a leather loop, a stainless steel link bracelet, a Milanese loop, and a classic buckle.
The watch features a range of digital faces that can be customized by changing colors and images, or by pulling information from apps.
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