Apple says it is “the most advanced timepiece ever”, but its new Watch has a battery life of only 18 hours.
The company’s first wearable device, introduced in San Francisco last night, is accurate to within 50 milliseconds of “universal time”. Bespoke apps mean that it can act as a credit card, hotel room key or monitor home security cameras. A heart rate sensor, along with GPS, can measure distance covered to calculate calories burnt.
For the top-of-the range 18-carat model, you will, however, need to stump up £8,000 — even more with a fancy strap. The basic model, Watch Sport, starts at £299 and the mid-range model, Watch, £479. All three are available with a 38mm or 42mm screen.
“It feels a little pricey,” Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner, said. “But they will sell a whole bunch. They will sell millions to their fans in the first few months but we will have to see if real demand emerges after that. Whether that will happen depends on whether the apps for Watch are seriously compelling to the average person.” The apps were good, he said, although there was no “killer”.
Delivering his keynote address at the Yerba Buena Arts Centre last night, Tim Cook, Apple’s boss, was more bullish. Watch was “the most advanced timepiece ever created”, he said, before alluding to its “all-day battery life” of up to 18 hours. “That works for most people, I think,” he added.
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Watch responds to voice commands directed at Siri, Apple’s artificially intelligent personal assistant. It also features Apple Pay, the contactless payment system, which has been introduced in America and is expected to be available in Britain soon.
Every message sent to an iPhone can be passed on to a Watch. When alerts arrive, Watch gently “taps” its wearer on the wrist using what Apple calls its “taptic engine”.
Incoming calls can be answered, or rejected, with a swipe of Watch’s screen. Swiping upwards reveals “glances” – titbits about the weather, your diary, what music is playing, stock market prices and other information.
Watch can be linked with other Watches using the “digital touch” feature that allows friends to share personal information such as heartbeats and drawings, and transmit “taps” to get their attention.
The device can remind its wearer if they have been sitting for too long and send them notifications to be more active. At the start of the week it can send a report on how active the wearer was the previous week and suggest a new target for the coming week.
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“It’s like having a coach on your wrist,” Mr Cook said.
Watch will be available for pre-order on April 10 before going on sale on April 24.
Apple also showed iPhone apps to monitor the progression of diseases such as asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and Parkinson’s. Data can be fed into medical research databases should owners agree to participate. Jeff Williams, a senior Apple executive, promised that “Apple will not see your data”.
The key features
•Taptic engine: gently taps wrist when an alert or notification is received.
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•Digital crown: device that allows scrolling without the user’s finger obstructing the screen.
•Retina display: senses difference between “taps” and “presses”.
•Heart rate sensor: for fitness tracking apps.
•Battery: lasts up to 18 hours.