Image via Complex Original
Apple pulled back the curtain on its smartwatch, the aptly named Apple Watch, on the same day the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was introduced. While it got some show time back then, a lot of information was left off the table—release date? price?—so today, the company gave their new device a little more shine.
Apple announced a bit of other news today: they're dropping the price of Apple TV to $69; HBO Now is launching exclusively on Apple devices for $14.99 a month in April; and the 700 millionth iPhone was sold last quarter. No small feat. The coolest of those announcements was the new gold MacBook. The Apple Watch, though, is unique in that it's Apple's first attempt at entering a new market since the iPad. There's a lot riding on the device's success, for the company, and for Apple's CEO Tim Cook, who's been the focus of criticism and complaints from shareholders and those in the industry for not innovating fast enough, or often enough. If the Apple Watch flops, there could be a lot of changes on the horizon. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming smartwatch, and whether you should drop a few hundred more dollars for another screen for your life and body.
The new MacBook looks cool. What's the catch?
It's a bit of a surprise nowadays when there's actually a surprise during a press event, especially if it's Apple's, considering how often things get leaked. But today Apple had something up its sleeve, and that was a redesigned MacBook that's 24 percent thinner than the 11-inch MacBook Air.
Aside from coming in the traditional Space Gray and Silver that's been reserved for the company's notebooks, this version also comes in gold. But the color isn't the only thing that has changed: this MacBook is fanless, the trackpad is pressure sensitive, it has a redesigned keyboard that stretches from edge to edge, has a 2304 x 1140 12-inch Retina display, and only weighs two pounds. It's so thin that I wouldn't blame you if you thought it was a MacBook Air at first glance. Because it's so thin, Apple changed the way the battery is structured under the hood, so that they layer atop of each other to take up as much space as they can. You should be able to get nine-hour battery life if you're surfing on WiFi.
The downside to having something this thin is that you lose the space for a larger hard drive. This MacBook comes in 256GB for $1,299, and 512GB for $1,599, each with 8GB of RAM (but, it's nothing an external hard drive won't solve). The new MacBook is available April 10.
What's USB-C?
This is your look at the future.
These new MacBooks are the first computers to use USB-C, a new USB cable that is faster and thinner. USB-C cables can transfer up to 10 GBs per second (the MacBooks are only expected to be able to transfer 5GB per second). You can power your laptop with USB-C, plug it into a video-out port (including VGA and HDMI), and charge your phone with it. It's also about a third smaller than normal USBs, and you don't have to worry about which way you put it in: it's reversible. There will be an adapter that you can buy to plug in your old USB devices, as well. Other companies are going to be adopting this soon, but Apple is just the first major one to do so for its computers.
What's up with iOS 8.2?
A new update to iOS today comes with the new Watch App, which lets you peep some of its features. If you buy a Apple Watch, it'll be the hub where you check out and download apps for the device.
When's the Apple Watch coming out?
Finally, the answer to the question that Apple didn't address when it introduced the Apple Watch last year.
Apple Watch will be available for pre-order April 10, the same day you'll be able to walk down to your local Apple Store and check it out for yourself. The smartwatch will ship about two weeks after that on April 24 in the US, UK, China, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Hong Kong.
How many versions are there?
If you had a tough time deciding to get an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, good luck deciding what Apple Watch you should get.
There are three Apple Watches in all, but there are a ton of combinations once you factor in personalized watch bands, like the fluroelastomer band in five colors, the stainless steel link bracelet, or the stainless steel mesh Milanese loop. The three models are the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and the (oddly named?) Apple Watch Edition. The Apple Watch is meant for your general techie or hypebeast, while the Sport is for those who want something more durable while they're out running or hiking. The Edition, on the other hand, is the Lambo of the group. It's meant to be flashy and luxurious (it's available in yellow or rose gold). It's what your boss's boss would wear.
They sound expensive. How much are they?
They are expensive. No way to get around that.
The most affordable out of the group is the Apple Watch Sport, will runs $349 for the 38mm version (the watch faces come in two different sizes), and $399 for the 42mm one. The stainless steel Apple Watch will run between $549 to $1,049 for the 38mm version, while the 42mm version will run $599 to $1,099, depending the the band you choose. The Edition, which you can pick up in 18-karat gold, will run you $10,000 (there were literally gasps in the audience when Apple CEO Tim Cook announced this). The most expensive version of the Edition can go up to $17,000, and will only be available in limited quantities.
What about the battery life? That's been a big deal for other smartwatches.
This is definitely a deal breaker.
A lot of people, including myself, were worried when Apple didn't touch upon how long the Apple Watch's battery could hold a charge when they introduced it last September. Today, they announced that the Apple Watch will last a whopping 18... hours. Relatively speaking, that's a decent length, considering how much the Apple Watch is able to do, and how much power it'll be using. But, it's a watch, and people aren't used to charging watches. If smartwatches are going to go mainstream like the smartphone did, it's gotta last far longer than that. The upcoming Pebble Steel Time is said to last a couple of days. This might especially become a problem since you can't charge an Apple Watch with the same cable you do for your iPhone or iPad. This is what the connection to the Apple Watch charger looks like:
Apple is trying to spin this as an elegant way to charge the device whenever they talk about it during presentations, when it's essentially going to be another charger to worry about. Eighteen hours should be enough time to charge it while you sleep, though.
What can I use the Apple Watch for?
Everything you use your smartphone for, like taking phone calls, getting notifications, and buying stuff with Apple Pay.
The idea is that having one will make your life easier because you can keep your phone in your pocket while checking things with a glance at your wrist. There are some Apple Watch features that separate it from an iPhone, though, like the heart rate monitor that'll be a plus for people who exercise, and its communication options, like being able to sketch a picture to send to another Apple Watch wearer, or being able to tap your Watch screen to get the attention of a friend, or sending a real time heartbeat.
Apple also showed today that you'll be able to pull up airline ticket information on the Apple Watch so you don't have to carry around your ticket, and its new Workout App will give you detailed metrics on the exercise you're doing. If you don't have an iPhone 6, but have an Apple Watch, you'll still be able to use Apple Pay by linking it to your phone.
O.K., but can I use Instagram on it?
Yep. The above picture is how an Instagram photo will look on your Apple Watch. You'll be able to 'like' photos by tapping on the screen. Apple also showed that you'll be able to use apps like Shazam and Uber, and a new SPG app that will allow you to check in and unlock your hotel room by using the device.
Should I buy one?
If you're fitness-oriented, it's definitely going to provide you some pretty cool data to complement your workouts. Or, if you're not that much into exercising, the smartwatch will at least remind you to get up from your chair and walk around a bit (you can turn this feature off). One of the key things that Apple is trying to tap into—and the other reason you might want one—is its fashion appeal. The Apple Watch looks stylish, and the variety of bands and watch faces that you can use to personalize it can complement a dope outfit, whether you're headed to a bar or a bar mitzvah. But, as I said before, the Apple Watch's square face, for as much as JonyIve might want to hype it up, just doesn't look as good as a the circular one on the Moto 360. But who knows, that might change with the next version of the device.
That segues into another point—it might be worth waiting until the next version of this thing rolls out to buy one. You can expect battery life to be better and more in tune with your needs, and its fitness technology more fine-tuned and precise. Also, it makes sure you won't be making an impulse purchase in the midsts of the fanfare around it next month.
In all, I'm just not sure if I'm down to carry a $349+ smartwatch and a $649+ smartphone on me while I'm out. If anything, I'm happy that the Apple Watch is dropping because it means a thief might be less inclined to steal the "old school" Fossil watch I have on my wrist right now. But the Apple Watch is definitely going to sell come April 24. If there's one thing six iPhones and dozens of laptop and tablet launches will tell you, it's that people will buy Apple's products just because it's Apple. Yet the company has the larger task of making smartwatches go mainstream, because, so far, they haven't exactly done so. Apple will try its damnedest to make it happen, but I can't think of anyone who needs a smartwatch. While a smartphone will definitely convenience your life, a smartwatch just might be overkill—but, with our generation, the desire for convenience is something never to underestimate.