Watch for latest Apple gadget
Kiwis will have to wait to buy an Apple Watch after being left out of the first group of countries getting the device.
The Apple Watch is the company’s first new product line in five years. The last was the iPad, which was launched in 2010. There are three models. The watch will come in three versions: an entry-level Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport and a pricier gold Apple Watch Edition.
The Apple Watch will have a stainless steel or space black stainless steel case, while Apple Watch Sport will have an anodised aluminium case in silver or space grey. The high-end Watch Edition sports an 18-carat gold case and a sapphire crystal display as standard.
Each version will come in two heights, 38mm and 42mm, though they are different widths and have different screen sizes. You’ll need an iPhone. You’ll need to pair the Apple watch with an iPhone for many of the functions and it uses the phone’s data. It needs to be a 5, 5C, 5S, 6 or 6 Plus. Older models are not compatible. It will not work with Android phones. You can’t buy it in NZ yet. New Zealand is not in the first group of countries that will have the watch. We typically get Apple products a few weeks after the US, but since this is a new product the wait may be more like two months.
Customers in Australia, United States and seven other countries can pre-order the watch on April 10 and it will ship on April 24. There are many price options. Prices in the United States start at US$349 (NZ$473) for the 38mm Sport and prices will also vary according to the strap selected. Apple Watch Sport: US$349 to US$399; Apple Watch: US$549 to US$1099; Apple Watch Edition: starting at US$10,000. You can accessorise. There is a large range of bands, including leather, plastic and metal. Sold separately so you can have several straps though not all are available for each size. You’ll need to take your phone running. There are several apps available to help you get or stay fit, or just remind you to get off your seat if you’ve been sitting too long. However, it lacks in-built GPS, which means you’ll need to take your phone if you want to track your run. Cool communication. It’ll also offer a new way to communicate. If you want to send a cute message to a loved one you can send a message that they will feel like a heartbeat from their watch. Notify me. The main use will be for notifications. Each time you get an email, message or call, it’ll buzz and something will pop up on your watch’s screen. There’s an app for that. Apple did not reveal the number of apps available, but it did say how they would be accessed – via an app on your iPhone.
The apps announced so far range from Apple’s own calendar, maps, weather and photos to third party ones from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nike.
Siri, Apple’s personal assistant, can be accessed without touching the phone. There are other options. There are many great smartwatches on the market and several good-looking ones coming soon, especially the Huawei device.
However, your choice of smartwatch is largely determined by the operating system of your phone. So if you have an Android phone, then you won’t be able to use the Apple Watch.
One option is the Pebble watch, which works with both iOS and Android, but you can’t buy it in New Zealand shops. Its technology is a few years old, but a new one will be available soon.
If you are an iPhone owner and don’t fancy the Apple Watch but would like a smartwatch it could be worth waiting, as Google may make Android Wear app for iOS.
If you are an Android user you have plenty to choose from, including devices from Sony, Samsung, LG and Motorola. GADGET: If you use your smartphone for most of your photography but would like to have the occasional print, the Fujifilm’s Instax instant photo printer is worth a look. The portable, wireless printer uses a replaceable 10-print cartridge of instant film, the kind most commonly associated with Polaroid cameras. It comes with its own app that can be used with Apple and Android phones. It costs $215 from Noel Leeming. APP: Handle links three productivity apps into one – the email inbox, calendar and to-do list – to help you get a grip on your life. Handle makes it easy to create todos and calendar events from emails in your inbox, and can show you everything on one screen. When dealing with emails, users simply have to swipe left or right on the message to create a reminder or event, choose to read a certain email later or delete it. The app works with Gmail addresses only. Free, for iOS devices. TIP: When you are pasting something into a Microsoft Word document it can be frustrating when odd colours, fonts and other formatting comes over from the original source. So instead of using the Paste command, open the Edit menu and click Paste Special then click Unformatted Text so you’ll get just plain text. APP: Fans of simplicity should like Blendoku, a puzzle game that challenges players to set a group of coloured tiles into the right sequence, according to the colour wheel. There’s something oddly soothing about clicking the swatches of colour in place so that they flow into one another. And while the game is simple to play during the first handful of levels, the puzzles grow more difficult down the line. Free, for Android and iOS devices.
Blayne Slabbert lists 10 things you need to know about Apple’s new smartwatch.