Apple Watch launched at $349 onwards; available for pre-order starting 10 April

Finally, Apple launched the much talked about **Apple Watch** at an event held at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco at its Spring Forward event. It is designed to serve as a timepiece, a communication device and also a health and fitness companion. Apple Watch will be available in three collections - The Apple Watch Sport priced at $349 (approx Rs 21,908) and $399 (approx Rs 25,000), Apple Watch priced between $549 (approx Rs 34,400) and $1,099 (approx Rs 68,800) and the Apple Watch Edition built from custom rose or yellow 18-karat gold alloys starting at $10,000 (approx Rs 6,27,500). Apple Watch works with iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 or later. iOS 8.2 is available for download. “Conceived, designed and developed as a singular product, Apple Watch merges hardware and software like never before,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Design. “In Apple Watch, we’ve created three beautifully curated collections with a software architecture that together enable unparalleled personalization in a wearable device.”    The Apple Watch comes in 38mm and 42mm sizes. The 38 mm: 21.2 x 26.5 mm, 33.5 mm (1.32 in) diagonally, 272 x 340 pixels; while 42 mm: 24.3 x 30.5 mm, 39 mm (1.5 in) diagonally, 312 x 390 pixels. It is available with different watch faces and straps. The Watch includes interchangeable straps such as the Sport Band, the Leather Loop, Link Bracelet, Classic Buckle, Modern Buckle and Milanese Loop. It also includes a range of faces such as Astronomy, Solar, Modular, Timelapse, Utility, Motion, Photo and Mickey Mouse. The device sports a fresh UI which can be controlled by the ‘Digital Crown’. This wheel allows users to scroll and browse through the user interface. There’s Bluetooth 4.0 support, Wi-Fi and Magsafe wireless charging. A custom-designed S1 chip has been used inside the Apple Watch. Apple has fitted a flexible Retina display protected by a sapphire crystal The Apple Watch’s Taptic Engine will vibrate when you receive a new notification and can also do things like provide slightly different vibrations for left and right turns within the Maps app. A Glances feature lets you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see whatever information you care about like weather forecast, your current location on a map or the music you’re listening to. Using the Apple Watch, one can pay for coffee using Apple Pay, board a plane with a Passbook boarding pass, or just raise your wrist to ask Siri for turn-by-turn directions in Maps. Towards the back, there are four sensors namely that make up the heart-rate monitor. This will allow the Watch to keep a track of all your daily activities. The Apple Watch also has an accelerometer to measure body movement, and uses the Wi-Fi and GPS features on the iPhone to track distance.  An Activity app present in the Apple Watch will track your daily activities and store all that information. The Workout app shows real-time information such as calories burned and distance traveled and also helps set goals. According to Apple, over a period of time the Apple Watch will learn your behavior and know you just like a personal fitness instructor would have. One of the first apps to come to the Apple Watch is Letterpad, a word puzzle from Nimblebit, the developer behind Tiny Tower. The Apple Watch can also nag you to stand up if you’ve been sitting down for the first 50 minutes of an hour as well. Starting April 10, the Apple Watch will be available for preview, try-on by appointment at Apple’s retail stores and also available for pre-order through the Apple’s online store in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US. On April 24, it will be available online or by reservation in Apple’s retail stores and select Apple authorized resellers in China and Japan. Customers who purchase online or in-store from Apple will be offered Personal Setup to customize and pair Apple Watch with their iPhone.