Apple Watch

Apple revealed the first look at its all-new Music app for iPhone and iPad with the first beta release of iOS 8.4 today, which brings a new look to iTunes Radio among other major changes. Pandora Radio, the similarly-modeled music streaming service that’s arguably superior to iTunes Radio in music variety and selection, released a timely update this evening adding Apple Watch support to its iPhone app ahead of the new wearable device’s release on April 24th. Pandora Radio’s WatchKit app for Apple Watch will include a glance for swiping up from the watch face to identify the song currently playing from the iPhone app.

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As Apple continues to approve more Apple Watch apps following the device going up for pre-order late last week, a long list of healthcare companies are showing off apps for the Apple Watch at the HIMSS 2015 conference this week in Chicago.

Inlcuded are apps from HCSC, WebMD, Kaiser Permanente, Dexcom, HealthTap, Vocera and many others, enabling everything from health records for patients to medication reminders and continuous glucose monitoring on the Apple Watch. Head below for a full list of healthcare apps for Apple Watch on show:
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‘Seen’ is something of an exaggeration, but ‘had a small glimpse of’ would have made for a rather lengthy headline.

Despite the fact that I’d placed my Apple Watch order online within a few minutes of pre-orders opening, I also made a same-day appointment for a try-on. This was partly because I wanted to handle the watch right away: Apple PR does not smile on a website that consistently reports upcoming product information, so we are firmly crossed-off the list of invitees to launches. But it was also partly because I was curious how the watch would be presented by store staff.

But let me begin by backing up a step or two … 
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With estimated Apple Watch preorders getting close to a million, a number of polls suggest that the Sport made up between 55% and 60% of these. Our own poll, by far the largest of those featured in a Fortune roundup, put Sport sales at just under 56% based on 11,865 responses at the time.

A second poll of just over 5,000 responses showed a slightly higher number of 59%, while a pre-sale poll of purchase intentions put the number at 60%. Only one poll differed markedly from this range, but that was based on a much smaller number of respondents so is likely to be less reliable … 
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A study by Slice Intelligence estimates that Apple recorded 957,000 Apple Watch preorders on Friday in the US, the first day the device was available to order. On average, customers bought 1.3 watches which means that many customers ordered two or more units. The Sport model was the most popular choice, making up 62% of orders. As the Watch debuted in nine countries, it is possible that total orders were much greater than the 1 million number which only totals US orders. Significant supply constraints may have dampened initial orders however.

The most popular model purchased was the Space Grey Sport, followed by the normal stainless steel Apple Watch, then the Silver Sport. The Space Black Apple Watch model captured just 3% of orders although it was in limited supply (4 – 6 weeks) from the beginning of preorders and is also the most expensive model of Apple Watch. The report ignores sales data for the Apple Watch Edition in its calculations.

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Apple Watch is finally available to preorder, but if you missed the mark at 12:01 a.m. you might be waiting quite a while to get your hands on one. Luckily, Apple is providing try-on appointments that will allow you to get a taste of the experience and feel one out for yourself. Recently, we took that opportunity to get our hands on a few and offer some initial impressions on the hardware and software…

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When unveiling the Apple Watch, Apple heavily touted the fact that the device is an incredibly precise timekeeper. As the Watch has rolled out to retail stores we’ve slowly been finding a few features buried within Settings, including one that relates to the accuracy of the time. In Watch OS, Apple has included the ability to manually adjust the time displayed on the watch face of your device.

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Tim Cook visited the Palo Alto Apple Store today to check out the Apple Watch buzz, as people around the world attend try-on appointments and (failed to) pre-order Apple Watch online. In an interview with CNBC, Cook said that customer response has been extraordinary and “orders are great”.

The interviewer asks Cook what he wears day-to-day. Cook says he swaps out bands depending on the occasion but likes the Apple Watch stainless steel with the white rubber Sport band. Weirdly, Cook’s watch features a custom red crown that is usually only found on certain Apple Watch Edition models. Photo below …

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In addition to opening pre-order sales for the upcoming Apple Watch and launching the new 12-inch Retina MacBook, Apple has refreshed its Beats Solo2 wireless headphone lineup with three new color options: gold, silver, and space gray to match your iPhone, iPad, new MacBook, or Apple Watch…
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You don’t want to admit it, but you were talked into being an early adopter of Android Wear or Pebble before Apple Watch was even a thing. Now that Apple Watch preorders have kicked off and the Watch is almost in your hands, it’s time to unload your Android Wear watches before people catch on and resale values plummet.

Good news: NextWorth, one of the leaders in mobile device trade-ins, today announced it will begin paying out for your old Android, Samsung, and Pebble watches (and soon Apple Watches too).
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Now that the Apple Watch is officially in the wild, it’s clear that stands and docks make sense for two reasons: they keep metal and metal-accented bands from getting scuffed up, and guarantee a stable charging connection all night long. Some stands also serve as beautiful displays for your Watch, as well. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to the best Apple Watch stands and docks to help you choose one that’s great for your needs. Every solution relies upon the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable includes in each Apple Watch box, so what you’re getting is a stand with the ability to manage the Watch and charger.

Inside, I’ll show you a large collection of stands that range in price from $20 to $135, with considerably different levels of sophistication. Some are just basic plastic holders for Apple’s charger, while others have really nice designs made from metal, leather, and wood. Updated with new Apple Watch options on October 22, 2015!

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Dexcom announced today that it’s preparing updates to its two mobile apps that will allow users of its Continuous Glucose Monitor System to track everything straight from Apple Watch. The apps will not only let users view their own glucose information, but also invite others– parents or caregivers for example– to monitor the data from their own Apple Watch.
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You’ll need something to do while you wait for your pre-ordered Apple Watch to arrive — things officially kicked off online at 12:01 PDT last night, or 3AM if you’re on the East Coast like me — so we’re compiling a running list of Watch apps hitting the App Store to keep you busy. When you actually get your Apple Watch — sometime between now and July — will depend on what model and how early you placed your pre-order. 

These apps are either already available on the App Store or plan to update with support for Apple Watch by its launch on April 24th. Install the apps on your iPhone now, and you’ll be ready to go when your Apple Watch arrives on April 24th or after. Head below for the full list of apps:
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You had to be quick to order an Apple Watch this morning. Some models went out of stock within minutes, and shipping dates were soon slipping into May, June and beyond. Within a few hours, almost all models were sold out.

So, with plenty of time to think about it before pre-orders opened, but very little time to actually make your purchase, which model did you buy – and was it the one you really wanted? 
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Reader Mark Davies went into the Berlin Apple Store this morning to try on the Apple Watch/Sport models but got a little surprise from the employees. Here’s the first hand account…

So I go to the Apple store here in Berlin thinking I made an appointment to see the Sport and Apple Watch editions. When I get there, they check me in and tell me to wait in the line. When my turn comes a really nice Apple employee asks me which models of the Edition I would like to see. I was surprised obviously, and explained that there is no way I would consider buying one with the price. He proceeds to let me try on the Sport and Watch versions and walks me through the demos. Then he asks if I still want to see the Edition models. I say, “sure, why not”…

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It didn’t take long for almost all models of the Apple Watch to sell out, and with sad predictability it didn’t take that much longer for the eBay scalpers to take advantage of this fact.

At the time of writing, the second most expensive ad was $1700 for a 42mm stainless steel model with Milanese Loop bracelet (a cool thousand bucks over the retail price), the same model with a link bracelet has a starting bid of $1350 and a buy-it-now of $1900 – and even the $349 Sport is being advertised for over $800.

The most expensive Apple Watch advertised isn’t the Edition, however …

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Someone has taken pictures of the Apple Watch Edition packaging, which unlike the cheaper models doubles as a charging dock. The pictures show the more premium leather lining of the box. The insert for the charging cable is also visible in the pictures. The Apple Watch is suspended on its side whilst charging, clamped by the adaptor. As shown earlier this week, the Apple Watch packaging is similar but does not use the materials and lacks the charging element.

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Update: All Apple Watch models in the US are now at minimum 4 – 6 week shipping estimates in less than six hours.

Whether due to high demand or low supply, all models of Apple Watch have now almost entirely sold out with many slipping delivery date estimates in mere minutes of preorders opening. In the US, the 38 mm Stainless Steel Case with Black Classic Buckle is the only model still on offer with a ‘April 24th – May 8th’ shipping date.

AppleCare+ pricing is now also visible on store.apple.com. AppleCare+ costs $49 for Apple Watch Sport, $69 for Apple Watch and $1500 for Apple Watch Edition. Interestingly, Apple is also offering a ‘combo purchase’ where you can buy AppleCare+ for both your iPhone and your Watch at a bundled price of $100 more. The bundle prices don’t offer any saving over buying both devices  (if you can ignore the negligible $1 difference), so they seem to be offered as a convenience purchase only.

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Update: Shipment dates are all over the place for the Apple Watch. Many models are already showing delivery dates in June, while the Edition shows an August arrival date. Some 12-inch MacBook models still ship in 1-3 business days.

As expected, the highly anticipated Apple Watch is now available for pre-order through Apple’s online store. Likewise, the new 12-inch MacBook is now available for purchase through the online store. Pre-orders of the Apple Watch and sales of the MacBook are also live in the Apple Store app on iOS devices. You can also now make appointments to try-on an Apple Watch at an Apple Store.

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