Apple Watch first impressions

We were also treated to a range of different watch faces, including the traditional clock face, extra ‘complications’, which are sort of like customisable notifications that appear on the watch face such as calendar appointments or a stop-watch. We liked the simplified face with just the ‘hands’ and, of course, the always-fun Mickey Mouse face.

We love Mickey!
We love Mickey!

‘Glances’ is a feature that allows you to check things very quickly for information that you need often by swiping up from the bottom. For example, you can control your music, check your heart rate, view calendar events or the weather forecast.

On the communication front, you can receive messages right from your wrist through a ‘haptic’ alert that ‘taps’ your wrist.

You can receive calls with a built-in speaker and microphone or read full emails and messages. Pressing the side-button to bring up a collection of your friends, and you can use the smoothly operating digital crown to make your selection.

Check your friends via the digital crown.
Check your friends via the digital crown.

The ‘Digital Touch’ feature will let you draw a sketch on your watch, and it will draw exactly as you drew it on your friend’s Apple Watch. You can also send your heat beat for an intimate touch.

Like many smart-watches, the Apple Watch is also a health and fitness companion. It tracks daily movement, reminds you if you’ve been sitting too long and presents your fitness information as a simple 3-ring graphic.

There are reminders for you to be more active, and a ‘fitness coach’ will even send you a report on how you did the previous week, and set new targets for the week ahead.

Yes, it's time to stand up.
Yes, it’s time to stand up.
Track your fitness at a glance.
Track your fitness at a glance.

 

There’s also new workout app that provides detailed metrics about your workout such your distance, time or calories burned.

The Apple Watch is a ‘companion’ to iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 smartphones, as it needs to be connected in order to perform many of the features. To support this, iOS 8.2, which includes the Apple Watch ‘app’ is available for download today.

Hands on

In real world use, one of the first things that we noticed when trying on the watch is that it’s significantly thinner than most of the smart watches available today. Much of these are quite chunky, while the Apple Watch is svelte and lightweight. Also, the screen is excellent, in terms of legibility and brightness, and you can’t see any pixels thanks to the Retina resolution.

The ‘digital crown’ interface is a great way to interact with the onboard apps, and has a very precise and smooth action. There’s also a button beneath the dial to call up your contacts. Add to this the touch-screen, and navigating the Apple Watch is intuitive and allows direct access to many functions.

Apple Pay in action.
Apple Pay in action.

When trying on the $14,000 model in 18 karat rose gold, it is certainly beautiful, with exquisite detailing in the band and buckle, and feels very special on the wrist.

However, the given that smart-watches will become obsolete when the new models arrive, this top-of-the-range version will probably only appeal to those who are very wealthy and must have the very best, and probably have a large watch collection already. Also interesting is that the watch’s value could appreciate over time if the price of gold goes up.

Where and when?

So when can you get your hands on one? Pre-orders start on the 10th of April, and you’ll also be able to go into an Apple store in Australia to try one out, and actual sales will begin on the 24th of April. Will there be a queue lined up around the block on launch day? Only time will tell.

Valens Quinn travelled to the Apple Spring Forward event in San Francisco as a guest of Apple Australia.