Apple will be jumping on the wearable tech bandwagon as they prepare to release their new Apple Watch on April 24th of this year.

Pre-orders, Previews, and Prices

Alright, before we jump into the complicated technical aspects of the new watch, let’s cut to the chase. The new Apple Watch will be released on April 24th with pre-orders being available starting on April 10th. As for the price, since the watch will be highly customizable with different faces, bands, and sizes, prices will vary. It will range from $350 for the cheapest sports edition to as high as $17,000 for the 18-karat gold editions.

How is it different from other smartwatches?

With hundreds of similar and cheaper smartwatches already out on the market, why choose the Apple Watch (other than because it’s from Apple)? Well, although smartwatches have a high potential to facilitate everyday activities, the main reason why they are not as popular as expected is because of their unattractive and dull design. By targeting this problem with a highly customizable watch, Apple gains an edge over the competition. With nine faces, six bands, three versions (normal, sport, luxury), and 2 sizes, users will have an abundance of combinations that they can use to style their watch.

Compatibility and Connection

The Apple Watch will only be compatible with Apple iphones (what a surprise). The watch can be paired with the iphone versions 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 plus. Connected via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Apple Watch can connect with your iphone and be used anywhere in the house, not just in a certain Bluetooth range. The Apple watch will also be able to work without being connected to an iphone, but as expected, functions will be limited.

Technology

New technologies such as the taptic engine, digital crown, and digital touch will also be introduced through the Apple Watch. With the taptic engine, Apple aims to introduce a new form of technology that alerts users of notifications through sending sensory signals that will translate as gentle taps on the user’s wrist. As for the digital crown, Apple has revolutionized the traditional clock dial to serve as a zoom and home button. Digital touch will be an app that will allow fellow Apple Watch users to directly communicate with one another through personally drawn messages, vibrating “love” taps, and/or audio messages.

Health and Fitness

For those health conscious users, the Apple Watch sports edition will include health sensor to help regulate fitness levels. It can also be used to measure and track heart rate, calories burned, body movements, etc.

Battery Life and Design

Apple claims that the watch will have an average daily battery life of 18 hours; however, judging from other Apple devices, we have to take that statement with a grain of salt. As for other design aspects, the face of the watch will be coated in a protective layer of nearly “indestructible” sapphire crystal. The new watch also claims to be waterproof, but only for a short period of time and in waters with a depth of one meter.