Skip to main content

Apple Watch

3,217 'Apple Watch' stories November 2013 - October 2015
See All Stories

Apple Watch is Apple's wearable is designed to help you stay active, motivated, and connected. It runs watchOS, and it comes in 40mm and 44mm size options.

How to see all Apple Watch apps

Table of contents

History

The original Apple Watch (later called Series 0) was released on April 24, 2015, after years of rumors. While there was a lot of initial hype around it, the third-party watchOS apps were slow to launch due to API limitations. Native apps were available in watchOS 2. The original watch came in 38mm and 42mm sizes.

The Series 2 Watch was released on September 16th, 2016 along with a Series 1 Watch. The Series 2 included the S2 chip, built-in GPS, and water-proof construction. The Series 1 included the S2, but lacked GPS and waterproofing.

The Series 3 Watch was released on September 22, 2017, and it included an LTE option and the S3 chip. The Series 4 Watch was released on September 21, 2018. New hardware included the S4 Chip, Electrical heart sensor w/ ECG app, and larger display (40mm and 44mm sizes).

Apple Watch Series 5 was announced during Apple’s fall event on September 10, 2019. Customers were able to purchase the device later that day, and it was released on September 20. The headline feature for this model was the wearable’s always-on display. The new display always shows the time and complications and is also the first from the company to include a built-in compass.

Apple launched international emergency services to every cellular model. Series 5 also brought back ceramic white, and new natural brush and space black titanium models.

Apple Watch Series 6 was unveiled on September 15, 2020 at the “Time Flies” event alongside the more affordable SE and new iPad Air. New features of the Series 6 include blood oxygen monitoring, new watch colors, faster S6 chip, new watch faces, and more.

Apple Watch features

Apple Watch is designed to help you stay active, motivated, and connected. The newest versions are Series 6 and SE while Apple still sells Series 3 as the most affordable option.

Features include:

  • Heart rate monitoring (all models)
    • Including high, low, and irregular heart rate notifications
  • ECG readings (Series 4 and later)
  • Blood oxygen monitoring (Series 6)
  • Workout tracking, Activity Rings, competitions, and awards
  • Works with Apple Fitness+
  • Sleep tracking (with watchOS 7)
  • GPS and GPS + Cellular models
  • Always-on display (Series 5 & 6)
  • Water-resistant to 50 meters
  • Emergency SOS and fall detection
  • Phone calls and Messages
  • Music, Podcasts, and more
  • Third-party apps available through App Store built into watchOS

watchOS

watchOS is the dedicated software that runs on Apple Watch. The current version is watchOS 7 that was released in fall 2020 and is compatible with Series 3 and later.

watchOS 7 brought new features like native sleep tracking, Family Setup, watch face sharing, new workout tracking types, cycling directions in maps, and automatic handwashing reminders.

Apple Fitness+ support and new cardio fitness notifications came with watchOS 7.2 And watchOS 7.4 is coming with the exciting new Apple Watch unlock for iPhone feature.

Current Apple Watch lineup

For all the latest deals on Apple Watch, bands, and accessories, check out 9to5Toys.com.

Subscribe to 9to5Mac Watch Time to get a bi-weekly discussion around Apple Watch and the future of the product.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast

Apple Pay expanding to Australia and Canada this year for American Express cards

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Oct 27 2015 - 2:21 pm PT
13 Comments

On its earnings call, Apple has announced a further expansion of Apple Pay in partnership with American Express, to Australia and Canada in 2015 as well as Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong next year in 2016. Exact details are still murky — Tim Cook very specifically said ‘eligible American Express customers in these regions’ so it isn’t going to be as big as a rollout for Apple Pay as we saw for the US or UK.


Expand
Expanding
Close

How-To: Get the expensive Apple Watch Hermès look for under $100

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Oct 26 2015 - 8:16 am PT
9 Comments

There are now four “versions” of the Apple Watch — the $349+ Apple Watch Sport, the $549+ Apple Watch, the $1,100+ Apple Watch Hermès, and the $10,000+ Apple Watch Edition. Apart from metal and glass differences, all four Apple Watches are virtually identical to one another, enabling DIYers and entrepreneurs to tweak one model to look like another. Earlier this year, gold plating services made the Apple Watch look like the Apple Watch Edition for under $400. Now there are ways to make the Apple Watch Sport or Apple Watch look like an Apple Watch Hermès for under $100.

Apple uses the silver stainless steel Apple Watch as the base for the Apple Watch Hermès, but upgrades it with three Hermès leather watch bands: Single Tour ($1,100 model, 38mm or 42mm), Double Tour ($1,250 model, only 38mm), or Cuff ($1,500 model, only 42mm), representing a premium of over $500 to $900 depending on the band. Here are some third-party alternatives that let you achieve the same basic look without dropping the extra cash….


Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: Sena’s Leather Watch Case gives horologists a luxe platform for the Apple Watch

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Oct 23 2015 - 1:42 pm PT
3 Comments

Horologists, it is said, are very different from casual watch users. They actively collect watches, protect them, and care about small design and functional details in ways average people would shrug off. Apple designed the Apple Watch to appeal to everyone, but it proudly chased horologists with both software features (customizable faces/complications) and industrial design elements, winning the attention of some serious collectors in the process.

Moreso than most of the best Apple Watch docks and stands I’ve covered, Sena’s new Leather Watch Case ($80) is really a horologist’s accessory, not made for the average Apple Watch user. It’s a bespoke leather box designed to do little more than hold the Apple Watch inside, primarily for travel but alternately as a nightstand or desktop dock. Like many of Sena’s other luxurious leather products, you may not find it in a local store, and it may specifically appeal to a narrow niche of people with a lot of spare money. But it’s undeniably well-made — the product of judicious use of black grain leather, a gunmetal accent ring, and hidden magnets. Read on for the details…


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple Watch coming to India on November 6 as Maps hints at Apple Pay launch in Australia

Avatar for Zac Hall Oct 23 2015 - 8:41 am PT
4 Comments

[Update 10/27: Apple Pay through American Express in Canada and Australia coming this year; Spain, Singapore, and Hong Kong next year.]

Apple Watch may have first launched all the way back in April, but the roll out in more countries around the world is still taking place. Availability for India now appears to have an official date with Apple’s website confirming a release scheduled for early next month on November 6th.

Details are limited on Apple Watch pricing and retail availability just yet, as only the date has been added to the India listing. The news comes as Apple CEO Tim Cook met with India’s Prime Minister last month, discussing Apple Pay and possibly bringing Apple Stores to the country, which would require manufacturing in the country, where Apple currently relies on resellers for distribution.

While Apple Watch is set to hit even more countries, signs that the Apple Pay could be expanding too have surfaced…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Runkeeper can now track workouts on Apple Watch without your iPhone

Avatar for Zac Hall Oct 22 2015 - 7:06 am PT
6 Comments

We haven’t seen an awful lot of Apple Watch fitness apps update for watchOS 2 just yet — which lets faster native apps take advantage of sensors like the heart rate tracker — but Runkeeper is out with its iOS 9 and watchOS 2 update today.

Because Runkeeper 6.2 lets Apple Watch users track heart rate with the wearable’s built-in sensor, the app now lets you track runs with it directly on the watch without having to bring your iPhone. You’ll still need the iPhone if you want to track location as Apple Watch doesn’t have built-in GPS, but with a pair of Bluetooth earbuds and Runkeeper 6.2 you can track runs and listen to music using just Apple Watch.

Previously run tracking without iPhone required using Apple’s Workouts app. The updated Runkeeper for iOS 9 and watchOS 2 includes a few other changes as well including an interesting music analytics feature for workouts:
Expand
Expanding
Close

KGI forecasts 23% year-on-year iPhone growth for Apple’s Q4, falling in following two quarters

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Oct 22 2015 - 5:40 am PT
9 Comments

An investment note by KGI predicts that Apple will next week report year-on-year iPhone sales up 23.6% to 48.5M, but says that that holiday quarter sales will be down on last year, and that the decline will continue into the first quarter of next year.

KGI says that China is the big factor, included as a launch country this year, and hence contributing to calendar Q3/fiscal Q4 sales, while last year’s China sales fell into the holiday quarter. It estimates that 22M of the iPhones sold last quarter were the new iPhone 6s/Plus. Apple sold 47M iPhones in the previous quarter.

Despite the launch of the iPad Pro next month, both iPad and Mac sales will fall across all three quarters, predicts the report … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Sprint enables iPhone Wi-Fi Calling for all with today’s iOS 9.1 release

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Oct 21 2015 - 1:37 pm PT
6 Comments

Alongside the release of iOS 9.1 today, Sprint announced that the update officially enables access to the iPhone’s Wi-Fi calling feature for all of its users. That means Sprint users will join T-Mobile and AT&T customers in the US in being able to take advantage of the feature that offers Wi-Fi-assisted voice calling for poor coverage areas and the ability to accept calls on other Apple devices including iPods, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watch.

Following today’s release of iOS 9.1, iPhone customers on Sprint will gain access to Apple’s enhanced Wi-Fi calling feature… “Customers already enjoy seamlessly responding to texts and email from a variety of great Apple devices,” said David Owens, senior vice president, Product Development at Sprint. “Now they can bring that flexibility to the primary phone number their friends, family and colleagues know best. This great feature puts the power of device choice in our customers’ hands.”

Sprint customers will have to update their iPhones to iOS 9.1, released earlier today, make sure Wi-Fi Calling is enabled in the iPhone’s Settings, and sign into the same Apple ID and iCloud account across devices.

Apple’s iOS 9.1 release includes enhancements to its Live Photos feature, over 150 new emoji, refreshed wallpapers, and the usual fixes and improvements for a long list of other features and bugs. We have the full rundown here.

Apple releases watchOS 2.0.1 for Apple Watch with battery life improvements and other bug fixes, tvOS GM for Apple TV

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Oct 21 2015 - 10:10 am PT
23 Comments

Alongside updates to iOS and OS X, Apple has released watchOS 2.0.1 with a whole host of changes and bug fixes. As well as including the new emoji character set like Apple’s other operating systems, watchOS 2.0.1 includes bug fixes for poor battery life, stalling software updates, Calendar event syncing and much more.

It has also seeded developers with the Gold Master release of tvOS for Apple TV. We’ll update with any changes …


Expand
Expanding
Close

No analyst consensus on Q4 Apple Watch sales, estimates range from 2.5M to 6M

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Oct 21 2015 - 5:03 am PT
9 Comments

With Tim Cook stating that Apple is “not announcing the numbers” for Apple Watch sales, it’s been left to the analysts to estimate – or perhaps, ‘take a wild guess’ would be the better description in this case. While Fortune reports the average estimate of 3.95M sales, the range is so wide as to be meaningless: from a low of 2.5M to a high of 6M.

Cook did, however, give one clue that those analysts coming in on the low side are likely to be wrong … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Jony Ive explains motivation behind Apple’s decision to sponsor the 2016 Met Gala

Avatar for Chance Miller Oct 20 2015 - 2:56 pm PT
7 Comments

It was revealed last week that Apple would be sponsoring the 2016 Met Gala, with Chief Design Officer Jony Ive serving as a co-chair for the event. Now, Ive, along with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, another Gala co-chair, and Costume Institute Curator Andrew Bolton, has sat down with The Wall Street Journal for an interview on Apple’s foray into the fashion industry.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple Pay gains over 70 new bank and credit union partners in the US

Avatar for Zac Hall Oct 20 2015 - 8:34 am PT
26 Comments

Apple Pay is picking up a huge wave of newly added banks and credit unions across the United States to support the mobile payment service. Following a couple dozen more banks lighting up earlier this month, Apple has added over 70 additional participating banks to its list of active partners including HSBC in the US. These are the latest banks that now work with Apple Pay:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: Twelve South’s Forté brings more Apple design DNA to Apple Watch stands

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Oct 17 2015 - 5:59 am PT
19 Comments

Twelve South’s original Apple Watch stand, HiRise for Apple Watch, was early to market for a reason: it was derived from the company’s popular HiRise stands for iPhones, tweaked just enough to hold and charge the smaller Watch. It made our list of the Best Apple Watch Stands and Docks because it was a good first stab at the category, but based on Twelve South’s many cool Mac, iPad, and iPhone accessories, I knew that the company could do better.

Five months after HiRise hit stores, Twelve South has released Forté ($60), a considerably classier Apple Watch stand that looks and feels far closer to an Apple design. Replacing HiRise’s sandblasted aluminum with a chrome-plated metal alloy and grain leather, Forté has the good looks and substantial weight of an Apple dock, with only a couple of telltale signs that it’s a third-party product. Read on for the details…


Expand
Expanding
Close

AliveCor shows Apple Watch ultrasonic ECG heart monitoring wrist band, plans 2016 launch

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Oct 16 2015 - 10:42 am PT
5 Comments

AliveCor, maker of the iPhone-compatible Mobile ECG cardiac monitoring accessory (reviewed here), has unveiled a new Apple Watch version that can be worn as a wrist band. The tentatively-titled Apple Watch ECG goes beyond the heart rate sensor built into the Apple Watch, adding a two-electrode electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor directly into a flexible wristband similar in appearance to Apple’s Sport Band.

Combined with a native watchOS 2 app, the Apple Watch ECG can graph the wearer’s heart beat over extended periods of time, as well as recording heart activity and voice annotations (“I feel like my heart just skipped a beat”) simultaneously, a feature not found on the iPhone version. Additionally, thanks to the new accessory’s guaranteed position on the wrist, it “may be able to detect an upcoming event using continuous monitoring,” AliveCor notes. Like the iPhone version, AliveCor’s Apple Watch app will also be able to send annotated ECG readings directly to a technician or doctor for interpretation.

Rather than connecting to the Apple Watch using Bluetooth or the Watch’s hidden data port, Apple Watch ECG uses the same ultrasonic technology as the iPhone accessory, leveraging the Watch’s microphone to receive ECG data transmissions. This reduces the battery-powered accessory’s power consumption by 92% versus Bluetooth, while offering superior data bandwidth. Pending FDA approval, the Apple Watch ECG is currently planned for a 2016 release, and expected to sell for around $199. A video of the new wristband accessory in action is below…


Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Last Call: OtterBox iPhone 6/6s Case $20, USB Solar Panel $50, Bluetooth audio adapter $16, more

Avatar for Oct 15 2015 - 9:15 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

App Store Free App of the Week: Sky Gamblers Air Supremacy goes free for the first time ($1 value)

Anker iPhone 6s/Plus cases in multiple styles and colors from $2 Prime shipped

Anker MFi Lightning Cables: 3-ft $4, 9-ft $7 (Prime shipped), more

iPhone 6s Wallet Case $3 Prime shipped (Orig. $20)

OtterBox SYMMETRY Series iPhone 6/6s Case $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

Daily Deals: Anker Charger w/ 2-Port USB Solar Panel $50, Misfit Shine Activity and Sleep Monitor $50, more

Turn your old system into a Bluetooth speaker with the Mpow Streambot for $16 Prime shipped (Orig. $36)

Apple’s new 4K & 5K iMacs already seeing the first price cuts and tax-free options

Apple Watch 42mm Stainless Steel Case w/ Black Sport Band: $520 shipped (Orig. $599)

Cost-Effective Apple Watch Bands: Deals from $12 Prime shipped on leather, milanese loop, more

Apple 12-inch MacBook 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB from $1,190 or $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,299), more

More new gear from today:

Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year’s must-have holiday gifts

More deals still alive:

Storage: Samsung 500GB 2.5-inch Internal SSD $150 (Reg. $170), WD My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 Portable HDD $70 (Reg. $85)

Apple is dishing out free downloads of the award-winning puzzle game Shadowmatic

1Password secure password manager for Mac: $30 (Reg. $50)

App Store Free App of the Week: Wake Alarm Clock ($4 value)

The Executive for iOS goes free for the first time as IGN’s Game of the Month ($5 value)

Tweetbot for Mac drops to $10 (Reg. $13)

New products & more:

Electric Jukebox doesn’t want to be Spotify or Chromecast, so what is it?

Apple announces new ResearchKit projects studying autism, epilepsy and melanoma

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Oct 15 2015 - 5:48 am PT
2 Comments

Apple has today announced an expansion of ResearchKit into studies for autism, epilepsy and melanoma. ResearchKit enables people to conduct distributed scientific research studies from an iPhone app, enabling higher participation rates than traditional medical research can provide. The new studies are being run by researchers in Duke University, Johns Hopkins and Oregon Health and Science University.

ResearchKit is open-source. In the same statement, Apple says that over 50 researchers have already contributed to the project.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Abu Dhabi and Dubai Apple Stores set to open on October 29

Avatar for Cam Bunton Oct 15 2015 - 3:22 am PT
6 Comments

UPDATE: We were sent some images of the Abu Dhabi store in its current boarded-up state, confirming the grand opening date. Thanks, @7Alsabe:

Apple is set to open its first two retail stores in United Arab Emirates in the next couple of weeks. Apple will host a grand opening in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on October 29 for the new Apple Stores, one of which is rumored to be the biggest Apple Store in the world. The company updated its store locations page recently to include the two stores in UAE, announcing the openings of both stores…


Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Last Call: Apple Watch leather band $10, Shadowmatic for iOS free, Samsung 500GB SSD $150, more

Avatar for Oct 14 2015 - 9:14 am PT
2 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Apple’s new 4K & 5K iMacs already seeing the first price cuts and tax-free options

Cost-Effective Apple Watch Bands: Aukey 42mm Leather $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $20), more

Apple is dishing out free downloads of the award-winning puzzle game Shadowmatic

Storage: Samsung 500GB 2.5-inch Internal SSD $150 (Reg. $170), WD My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 Portable HDD $70 (Reg. $85)

Apple Watch 42mm Stainless Steel Case w/ Black Sport Band: $520 shipped (Orig. $599)

Apple 12-inch MacBook 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB from $1,190 or $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,299), more

13″ Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB: $1,280 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: NHL 16 (all platforms) $40, Until Dawn $40, Drop the Chicken free, more iOS freebies

More deals still alive:

Camabond 10ft Nylon Braided MFi Apple Certified Lightning Cables $11 Prime shipped, more

1Password secure password manager for Mac: $30 (Reg. $50)

App Store Free App of the Week: Wake Alarm Clock ($4 value)

The Executive for iOS goes free for the first time as IGN’s Game of the Month ($5 value)

Tweetbot for Mac drops to $10 (Reg. $13)

New products & more:

This is the Apple TV remote that Cupertino should’ve made…

The BLOCKS modular smartwatch has flown past its Kickstarter goal in a just a few hours

Two key Apple suppliers fighting for control of Taiwanese chip company – billions at stake, say analysts

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Oct 14 2015 - 6:32 am PT
3 Comments

The WSJ reports that Foxconn and the world’s largest chip assembler, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), are fighting for control of the number three company in the chip assembly business, SPIL. ASE assembles chips used in the Apple Watch, while SPIL last year started supplying chips for iPhones.

ASE had planned to take a controlling interest in SPIL in order to protect its market-leading position and remain one jump ahead of competitors. Key iPhone assembly company Foxconn, however, persuaded the company that it would do better by collaborating with the Chinese firm in order to win more of Apple’s business.

SPIL shareholders will vote on the proposed deal with Foxconn tomorrow. Although ASE had already bought some shares in the company, it did so too late to qualify for vote, so has instead sent a letter to other SPIL shareholders urging them to vote against the motion.

All three companies are competing for system-in-package (SiP) orders from Apple, which analysts say will be worth billions of dollars.

There is huge competition for Apple’s business among chip manufacturers and assemblers, with Apple reportedly playing off Samsung and TSMC against each other in order to squeeze out last-minute price cuts for the A9 chip. Samsung’s recent return to profit was attributed to the chips it supplies to Apple.

Apple to sponsor 2016 Met Gala with Jony Ive serving as a co-chair

Avatar for Chance Miller Oct 13 2015 - 6:00 pm PT
7 Comments

As Apple continues its efforts to break into the fashion scene, it was today announced that the company will sponsor the 2016 Met Gala. For those unfamiliar, the Met Gala is an event held every year in New York to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. Each year has a different theme and the 2016 theme will be “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” with Apple sponsoring the event and Jony Ive serving a co-chair alongside Taylor Swift.

Expand
Expanding
Close

B&H Photo begins offering 20 Apple Watch models in stores and online (Tax in NY only)

Avatar for Chance Miller Oct 13 2015 - 4:59 pm PT
4 Comments

Apple today has further expanded the retail availability of Apple Watch, making the device available to purchase online and in stores from B&H Photo. The New York-based retailer currently is stocking 20 variants of the device in both the 38mm and 42mm models and only charges sales tax at time of purchase to customers in New York State.


Expand
Expanding
Close

9to5Toys Last Call: 2TB Portable HDD $65, Apple Watch 42mm (Stainless) $520, 10′ braided Lightning cable $11, more

Avatar for Oct 13 2015 - 9:04 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Apple is dishing out free downloads of the award-winning Shadowmatic puzzle game

Toshiba Canvio Connect 2TB Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive: $65 shipped (Reg. $85, Tax in NY)

Apple Watch 42mm Stainless Steel Case w/ Black Sport Band: $520 shipped (Orig. $599)

Camabond 10ft Nylon Braided MFi Apple Certified Lightning Cables $11 Prime shipped, more

iTunes Gift Cards 20% off w/ email delivery via PayPal: $50 for $40, $25 for $20

Apple 12-inch MacBook 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB from $1,190 or $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,299), more

13″ Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB: $1,280 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

More new gear from today:

Brother Color Duplex Laser Wireless Printer w/ AirPrint: $150 shipped (Reg. $200), more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/653799929907924992 align=’center’]

More deals still alive:

1Password secure password manager for Mac: $30 (Reg. $50)

App Store Free App of the Week: Wake Alarm Clock ($4 value)

The Executive for iOS goes free for the first time as IGN’s Game of the Month ($5 value)

Tweetbot for Mac drops to $10 (Reg. $13)

USB-C roundup: Aukey 3-Port USB Hub w/ Gigabit Ethernet $17, Aukey USB Adapter $7, more

New products & more:

Turn heads at any Halloween party with one of these high-tech DIY costumes

Koto’s smart sensors track your home’s health and can even forecast storms

Apple Pay comes to over two dozen more banks and credit unions [U: TD Canada site says ‘coming soon’]

Avatar for Zac Hall Oct 13 2015 - 7:00 am PT
17 Comments

After a quiet period between the last set of new banks and iOS 9’s public release, Apple has updated its list of Apple Pay participating banks to include more than two dozen more additions. If you bank with one of these banks or credit unions, you should now be able to setup Apple Pay in your Wallet app for use on supported iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watch:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Satechi’s Apple Watch Grip Mount plays music, shows notifications from steering wheels or bike handlebars

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Oct 12 2015 - 9:22 am PT
0 Comments

While it’s not the first Apple Watch bike handlebar mount to be announced, Satechi’s Apple Watch Grip Mount ($15) appears to be the first to actually hit stores — and it’s very affordable, besides. Made from two pieces of mostly matte plastic — an Apple Watch-holding clip and a handlebar- or steering wheel-ready cuff — the Grip Mount comes in either 38mm or 42mm Watch sizes. Side controls are accessible from the right edge of the clip, and you can rotate the Watch’s screen to your preferred orientation relative to wherever you’ve mounted it.

How practical is the Grip Mount? Well, if you want a way to Bluetooth stream a playlist full of music directly to your car stereo or a pair of bike-safe headphones, the Apple Watch is the smallest Apple wireless audio device around. And depending on how you plan to use it, it could be a handy way to check a pocketed iPhone’s map or notifications on the go. On the other hand, you’ll either need to enter a passcode to interact with the Apple Watch’s screen, or disable the passcode lock feature, which means you probably won’t be doing a lot of tapping on the display when you’re riding or driving. But if you want to add a little screen to your handlebars or steering wheel, this is about as good of an option as you’ll find at an inexpensive price point.