AND IT EVEN TELLS TIME
But does Apple Watch live up to the hype? The early reviews are in,
With preorders set to start on Friday morning, the first wave of Apple Watch reviews are out. The general consensus is that it’s not for everyone and there are some issues, but there is great potential for this piece of wearable technology.
It is already being called the best smartwatch available, but some of the complaints include being slow as a watch as it takes the screen a second to turn on, glitchy third-party apps and some overall confusion about setting it up and getting it to work smoothly.
On the plus side, reviewers liked that it was successful at making them look at their phones less.
Some of the apps provide useful experiences (such as decent Twitter access) and even if it’s in a bit of an early rough stage, there are many possibilities for the device.
Two innovations in particular are receiving praise: Force Touch, which allows the watch to measure pressure on the screen and allows different sensitivities tied to a function, and the Taptic Engine, which the watch uses — it taps you on the wrist — to signal reminders or that there is an onscreen notification.
Officially, 125 companies and developers were invited to work with Apple to create apps and experiences for the Apple Watch.
The company has said more than 1,000 apps have been submitted for approval.
From the initial reviews, Apple’s officially made apps work well, while many third-party apps still have some work to do. As well, while Apple Pay is a universally praised feature, it’s something that is still U.S.-only.
There are three tiers of Apple Watch: The Watch Sport, which starts at $449; the Watch (starting at $699); and the Watch Edition, a luxury version that starts at $13,000. While made of different materials, all models have the same functionality, but also different choices in watchband styles, which, depending on the style you choose, may add to the price.
If you are determined to be an early adopter, you should know that preorders start at 3 a.m. and there will be a limit of one per customer. Customers can also order through the company’s app. They will be in stores on April 24, and buyers can get it shipped directly to them, or arrange a15-minute in-store fitting session to try on different bands. People who buy the top end Watch Edition can get a special hour-long fitting session.
Customers can only reserve to buy one Watch and will need to show a piece of government issued ID to claim their preorder.
Initially, Apple said people could order two, but changed that policy in order to help meet demand.
There have been warnings that inventory could be limited, but the company seems to want to avoid long lineups as with previous products, which is one reason for the in-store appointment process.