After months of speculation and purported “leaks”, the Apple Watch was finally unveiled by Apple CEO Tim Cook from the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The hour and a half long event kicked off with an update on Apple TV, the price of which has been dropped to $69 from $99, and the announcement of HBO Now, a new channel available on Apple TV. HBO’s internet-streaming subscription service will also be exclusively available on other Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad for the next three months before being released to other devices. Just in time for the season premier of HBO’s top-rated show “Game of Thrones”, the $14.99 a month service will be available in early April.
Next up was the announcement of ResearchKit, a new open source framework that has been released to medical researchers to build iOS apps that can be used in conjuncture with patients in various fields. This tool has already aided in creating five different apps for patients with asthma, diabetes, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The Parkinson’s app, for example, records the patient wearing the Apple Watch as they take 20 steps and detects any progression of the disease which affects motor skills.
The new 1/2″ MacBook was then revealed, weighing in at only 2 lbs, 24% thinner than the current model. Being touted as the most “energy-efficient” laptop on the market, the new MacBook’s screen provides the same brightness while using 30% less power and claims to have a 10 hour battery life. Offering a touchpad design using “Force Touch” which responds differently depending on how much pressure is applied and a thinner keyboard that has larger keys which are backlit with LEDs. A 12″ high-resolution “retina” display, previously only available on MacBook Pro series, is now included and an all-new USB-C port replaces all other ports in an all-in-one feature. Available April 10, the MacBook begins at $1299 for 256 gigabytes of storage and, because this is Apple, will be available in three different colors – silver, space gray, and gold.
Then, finally, it was the big unveiling of the Apple Watch. Apple Technology VP Kevin Lynch ran through the basic features which will allow wearers to answer phone calls without removing their iPhones from their pockets, swipe the watchface to check their calendar, music, or heart rate. A “tap” from the Apple Watch will notify the wearer when a new email comes through or other alerts and the Siri feature can be activated simply by saying “Hey Siri.” Lynch went on to demonstrate buying groceries with Apple Pay (which is integrated into the watch), receiving a boarding pass via the American Airlines app, then called for a car wit the Uber app. He finished by displaying the Digital Touch option which allows wearers to draw and send messages to other users. Some fitness features include reminders to get moving when the Apple Watch wearer has been sitting too long, monitors their heart rate and steps, gives weekly fitness summaries, and makes goal suggestions for the upcoming week. As Lynch remarked, “it’s like having a coach on your wrist.” Developers have been creating thousands of apps since tools were made available last November and will be exclusively offered in the Apple Watch app store.
Three different models will be available starting at $349 for the Apple Watch “Sport” which is being aimed at fitness enthusiasts and will feature an aluminum casing. Next is the stainless steel edition, simply called Apple Watch, offered in two sizes which start at $549 and $599. Then there is the luxurious “Apple Watch Edition” featuring 18-karat gold and will only be released in limited quantities at select stores and will run from $10,000 – $17,000. All models will be available in either 38-milimeter or 42-milimeter band sizes of various colors and styles as well as either 1.5″ or 1.65″ face sizes.
The Apple Watch will be available for pre-order beginning April 10 and will be on display in Apple stores so shoppers can start exploring all the features. Actual sales will commence April 24 in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, China, Hong Kong, and Japan.
