The cat’s out of the bag, and Apple has made its new wearable device
official, which is being dubbed as: Apple Watch. We have all the details
and everything you need to know right after the break.
Features and Specs
Design
The Apple Watch features a slick, and rather traditional design, and
since it’s the first ever smartwatch coming out of Cupertino, we’re dead
sure that critiques will go at it with their axes and spears.
Cupertino’s new smartwatch comes with a square face – sorry Moto 360
fans – and features a beautiful sapphire display at the front.
Moving to the side of the device, we’re treated with what Apple is
dubbing as the ‘digital crown’, which is the go-to button for many
tasks, such as zooming in, scrolling, going back a menu, etc.
The Apple Watch has been designed in such a way that it’s fit for
pretty much any occasion, which is, obviously a good thing in our books.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, the Apple Watch is indeed
water-proof, and is ready to take a few splashes here and there in your
everyday routine.
The Apple Watch will be available with 6 different types of straps,
so you can put your mind at ease that Cupertino’s smartwatch will get a
tinge of boringness over time.
Moving to the side of the device, we’re treated with what Apple is
dubbing as the ‘digital crown’, which is the go-to button for many
tasks, such as zooming in, scrolling, going back a menu, etc.
The Apple Watch has been designed in such a way that it’s fit for
pretty much any occasion, which is, obviously a good thing in our books.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, the Apple Watch is indeed
water-proof, and is ready to take a few splashes here and there in your
everyday routine.
The Apple Watch will be available with 6 different types of straps,
so you can put your mind at ease that Cupertino’s smartwatch will get a
tinge of boringness over time.
Taptic Engine:
Its Apple’s haptic feedback system for the Apple Watch. It taps you
on the wrist whenever you receive a notification or an alert.
Taptic Engine creates a discreet, sophisticated, and
nuanced experience by engaging more of your senses. It also enables some
entirely new, intimate ways for you to communicate with other Apple
Watch wearers. You can get someone’s attention with a gentle tap. Or
even send something as personal as your heartbeat.
Display
The Apple Watch has a rather small touch-screen display, therefore it
does not support multi-touch gestures and such, but, to overcome this
issue, this is where the ‘digital crown’ comes in, as we mentioned
above.
The display of the device wakes up automatically as soon it senses
movement, which is a big plus, considering it doesn’t involve the
rigmarole of pressing buttons and such.
Charging
The Apple Watch uses MagSafe to charge up, the connector for which
goes on the back of the smartwatch. So yes, there’s no wireless charging
which users were hoping for.
Software
The Apple Watch runs custom designed software, which has been tailor
made for a device of this nature, and instead of relying on taps and
button presses, most of the notifications can be interacted with using
voice.
And since voice plays a huge role on the Apple Watch, therefore Siri
has been thrown into the mix and is ready to take up your queries on a
moment’s notice.
Just like any other smartwatch, the Apple Watch will push all
notifications from your iPhone to your wrist, and unlike a Pebble
smartwatch, the notifications are actionable, and you can send off
replies without having to touch your smartphone. Pretty slick.
There are a bunch of watch faces thrown into the mix, ensuring that
your wrist worn gadget doesn’t get boring as it sees daily used.
Apart from voice interaction, users have the option to doodle on the
display to interact with notifications, but considering the small size
of the display, what more could we ask for, right?
And since the Apple Watch is also a fitness ‘band’, therefore a
dedicated workout app is also thrown into the mix. Want to track
running, cycling or just walking? It’s all there under the hood.
Also included in the support for emojis, custom animated emojis,
voice navigation using Maps, phone dialing, email, Mobile payments using
Apple Pay, Calendar, Passbook, controlling music, Apple TV, iTunes,
Photos, Weather, Stocks, World Clock, Timer Stopwatch, Alarm, Remote
Camera, Walkie-Talkie, and more.
WatchKit
Using WatchKit, developers can extend the functionality of their apps
to the Apple Watch in App Store. So yes, you’ll be able to create notes
on Evernote, send replies to your WhatsApp or Facebook contacts, etc.
Sizes
The Apple Watch will be available in two different sizes, so yes, if you have a smaller wrist, then you don’t need to panic.
Different Models
The Apple Watch won’t be a lone device, and will come in 3 different models:
- Apple Watch
- Apple Watch ‘Edition’ – features 18 karat gold casing
- Apple Watch Sport
All the above models are available in two sizes.
Compatibility
The Apple Watch will be compatible with the following devices:
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5
Price and Release Date
The Apple Watch will start at $349, which is, we’re presuming for the
entry level mode, and prices will go up if you’re looking for something
a bit more fashionable.
As far as availability is concerned, the Apple Watch will hit shelves in early 2015.
This new Windows 10 Transformation/UX Pack carry the same installation
procedure be it on Windows XP or Windows 8.1. As with most
transformation packs, this one takes you through the setup allowing you
to choose the customizations you want made to your existing Windows, but
if that confuses you, you can always go the default way, which should
be fine for most novice users.
The setup integrates new themes, wallpapers, icons, fonts, sounds etc.
along with various third party tools to emulate certain looks and
functions of Windows 10, such as the new Start Menu. You might think
that it’s the same that is to be found on previous version of Windows,
but in reality it is the new Windows 10 Start Menu with tiles which
gives Windows 8 and 8.1 users a good chance to experience the new look
and feel of the OS without actually installing it.
No transformation pack would be complete till it offered a comprehensive
ability to allow the user to roll back to the original settings, and
this one is no different. It features a complete uninstall option to
take you back to the previous state.
Windows 10 is currently available as a Technical Preview build for
testing purposes only. If downloading and installing the Technical
Preview is too much of a work for you, you can take the easier approach
by downloading the transformation pack from here, something that you can easily remove later.
