Apple Watch

Apple Watch has undoubtedly been a long time in the making, but it’s finally here. Today we’re taking a look at the Sport models to see exactly what you get for between $349 to $399. Apple’s strategy for rolling out this product line hasn’t been favored by everyone, but if you were one of the lucky people to place a preorder two weeks ago, here’s what you can expect…

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After much anticipation, the first batch of Apple Watch orders began arriving to customers today. In this how-to article, we will discuss how to setup the Apple Watch and pair it with your iPhone.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afYnwnCp_D8

As the Apple Watch arrives in the hands of customers, Vogue has shared a video interview with Jony Ive and Marc Newson, in which the two discuss the design process of the device. Ive and designer Newson both discuss the reasons that customers may purchase the Apple Watch, as well as their own opinions on the design and the choices that went into the design process. The interview, conducted by Suzy Menkes, was held at the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference in Florence, Italy.

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Apple has updated the watch bands page on its website to provide an easier selection process for potential buyers. The page now lists each individual band under its own section with a brief description and price. Shoppers will then be able to select an appropriately-sized band for their watch.

Previously the site looked like any other collection on the store with a grid view that featured little more than a photo. The new design gives users a closer look at the clasp of the band without the watch hardware present.

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Starwood Hotels has allowed guests to use their iPhone as their room key since last November, and today announced that guests can now use the group’s Apple Watch app to unlock room doors at more than 100 properties. You can also use the app to get directions to the hotel and to check-in.

“We’re committed to mobile and digital innovation and are excited to be the first hotel company to let guests check in and open their hotel room door with their Apple Watch,” said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty and Partnership Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Apple Watch allows us to engage with our guests and give them the information they need instantaneously in a simple yet extremely stylish way. ”

For regular guests, the app offers two additional functions … 
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If you notice discoloration or deformation of your Sport or Leather Apple Watch band over time, you may not be happy, but it is normal, according to sources briefed on internal Apple support docs.
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I’m a self-confessed smartwatch skeptic. The first one I ever tried, the original Pebble, struck me as an extremely ugly solution in search of a problem. The Apple Watch, when it was finally announced, looked like a rather attractive (if too thick) solution in search of a problem.

Which raises the question: why was I up at the crack of 8 am (time zones can be useful things on occasion …) to order one? Three reasons … 
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Over in Australia, the team at FoneFox have already been putting the Apple Watch through its paces underwater. Apple claims an IPX7 water-resistance rating for its device, which means it can withstand 1 meter of submersion for 30 minutes. However, companies often conservatively state the limits of waterproofness for legal reasons.

The team at FoneFox found this very much to be the case here. The Apple Watch Sport was first subjected to a light shower and then a full shower (including soap) to simulate normal use in a shower. After the Watch was wiped down, the screen was fully responsive and everything was working fine. Tim Cook has previously said he showers with his Watch.

In fact, the Apple Watch survived much more than a shower. Watch the full video after the break.

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iFixit’s teardown of the Apple Watch has revealed that the sophisticated heart-rate monitor used is actually capable of acting as a pulse oximeter, allowing it to calculate the oxygen content of your blood by measuring how much infrared light is absorbed. This data would be useful for health and fitness monitoring, but the functionality is not currently enabled in the watch.

As iFixit notes, there are a couple of possible reasons Apple is not currently allowing to watch to display this data … 
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Customers receiving their Apple Watches today are being offered online personal setup appointments in emails being sent out by Apple. We first reported last month that these at-home personal setup experiences would be offered.

Apple was not initially expected to offer personal setup for the Sport model, but now appears to be offering the experience for all models …

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As users unbox their new Apple Watch units today, customers who bought the Sport version are receiving a bit of a surprise. The inductive charging cable bundled with Apple Watch Sport is actually made of plastic rather than the nice metal finishes of the more expensive stainless steel and gold watches.

The material is very similar to other Apple accessories which have white gloss exteriors. It’s unclear why the Sport does not get the fancier cable: it may be simply for cost-saving purposes to maximize Apple’s bottom line or it may be a design choice to better match the materials of the Watch itself.

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In coordination with the Watch’s worldwide release, Apple has ramped its marketing campaign further with three new ads that are airing starting today. The ads titled ‘Rise’, ‘Up’ and ‘Us’ focus on everyday activities being enhanced by the Watch. Unlike some of Apple’s product-focused marketing, this is more in the style of iPad commercials.

The ‘Rise’ ad focuses on morning activities, such as using the Watch to wake you up or answer text messages in the breakfast queue. ‘Up’ is focused on the Workout and Activity apps, highlighting the ‘Stand’ notifications and related fitness features. ‘Us’ focuses on communication highlighting Digital Touch sketch, tap and heartbeat sharing features as well as the controversial animated emoji.

All three videos are embedded after the break …

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Apple will be doing a visual mechanical inspection of the Apple Watch, like with the rest of its products, when customers bring in a damaged device for repair. But what will be covered under your warranty exactly? And what issues will Apple be looking for to determine what is eligible for repair under or out of warranty? Head below for all the details…
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As the Apple Watch slowly starts arriving to customers, the folks at iFixit have gotten their hands on the device and have started the teardown process. As usual, the site has shared detailed images of the teardown process and anecdotes along the way.

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Customers wait in line outside Maxfield in Los Angeles (via CNET)

Despite the fact that Apple’s own retail stores won’t be carrying the Apple Watch on launch day, a handful of boutiques across the world will get a few models to sell starting tomorrow. Customers have already started lining up outside these locations in the hopes of getting their hands on one of the few launch-day watches available to the public.

The image above comes from outside Maxfield in Los Angeles, where it will still be several hours before doors open and the Apple Watch goes on sale. Other images are already hitting social media from electronics stores in Japan:

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As promised two days ago, Apple is now contacting developers who applied for expedited Apple Watch shipments, notifying them that they’ve either won or lost the random selection process. Selected developers are now entitled “to place an expedited order for one (1) Apple Watch Sport that’s guaranteed to ship by April 28, 2015” paying full price for the Watch and, if chosen, AppleCare. Developers have until 5:00pm “local time” on April 27 to complete their orders.

Apple Developer Relations invited registered developers to the random drawing on April 21, enabling some of them to get faster access to Apple Watch hardware for testing purposes. The Apple Watch Sport being offered is a silver model with a blue band, and Apple promises that the orders will be shipped by April 28 regardless of the availability date listed on the Apple Online Store.

Developers who were not randomly selected received letters noting that “you can still order Apple Watch on the Apple Online Store and receive your order as it becomes available.” Both of the full emails are below…

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Although the US will not receive their watches for a few more hours yet due to timezone discrepancies, some international customers have already taken delivery of their Apple Watch orders. For instance, some customers in Australia are now receiving their Watches, such as the one pictured above.

The image also clearly shows the packaging for the Apple Watch Sport finally. Unlike the gold Edition and stainless Watch models, the Sport is shipped in an elongated skinny rectangle with the Watch laid flat across the box.

More photos after the break …

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Apple’s recently published User Guide for the Apple Watch appears to reveal that Apple is planning an authorized program for non-Apple branded Apple Watch straps:

Apple is yet to announce such a program, but such an offering for the future makes sense given Apple’s official “MFI” accessory programs for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. A marquee feature of the Apple Watch is its ability to be quickly attached to various bands via a standard connection on the two sides of the device.

While Apple has not yet announced an authorized program for third-party bands, some enterprising accessory makers have already announced bands ranging from unique leather designs to bands that pack in backup batteries for on-the-go charging. Apple sells branded straps such as the Link Bracelet and Leather Loop.

Thanks, @MacTimeTV. 

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Update: Developers are still waiting for Apple to update the backend distribution infrastructure, before they can utilize the update to the TestFlight client app.

Apple has updated its TestFlight app to support Apple WatchKit apps embedded inside beta iOS apps. This has been a significant frustration for developers in the run up to the Apple Watch’s release, as it made testing apps for the new platform difficult.

Developers should now be able to deploy beta versions of their iOS apps without removing the Watch extensions.

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