Everything the stylish, sporty, or practical person needs to know about the much buzzed about Apple Watch, including a breakdown of the different versions and how to figure out which one is most compatible with your lifestyle.
Apple Inc. has popularly been known as the king of innovation and design and the record shows that last quarter their products brought in the biggest profit in corporate history, according to an article that appeared on CNN earlier this year. Every once in a blue moon, Apple comes out with a game-changing product that makes it easy to see how it's earned its universal praise, but most of the time they're just updating already existing products -- take the iPhone for example, with it's never ending evolution into a (literally) bigger, and better device.
Nevertheless, Apple is killing it and they know it, which is why it comes as no surprise that their new Apple Watch is already making a splash as both a highly fashionable item and technological leap.
Although the Apple Watch is getting heaps of media attention, smartwatches aren't an unexplored frontier. There's a long yet uncredited history behind smartwatches. According to Smartwatch Group:
AT&T patented a wrist phone in 1993, and various companies started R&D activities in the nineties. Samsung launched its first product in 1999. IBM developed a watch with built-in Linux, Bluetooth, fingerprint reader, and accelerometer.
However, none of these gained much commercial success.
Today, there are actually a bunch of smartwatches that aren't created by Apple: Among these include the Moto 360 which is powered by Android and is probably the classiest looking smartwatch out there, flaunting it's minimalistic design; and Pebble, which has a battery life of what seems like forever and is compatible with both iOS and Android.
But if there's anything I've learned over the years of coexisting with Apple users and everyone else is that there isn't a whole lot of crossover. This probably has something to do with the fact that Apple products aren't usually compatible with any other devices. Apple and it's users like to keep it exclusive.
The Apple Watch currently comes in three versions and I've broken them down to see what they're all about:
The Apple Watch is their take on the basic smartwatch. It's made of stainless steel and looks beautiful and simplistic, giving you the choice of shiny chrome or space black finish. You're given the choice of six different band styles which come in several colors. There's something for everyone, from the classic man to the modern woman and everyone in between. As for usefulness, the watch internally includes a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, speaker and microphone (so, yes, you can use Siri and even make calls), bluetooth, wifi, and it even claims to be water resistant -- but not waterproof.
Apple Watch Sport is an excellent exercise companion being that the case is made of anodized aluminum, making it significantly lighter than the classic Apple Watch. Although it has all the same inner workings of the first iWatch listed above, the face is Ion-X glass instead of sapphire crystal which creates a much more rugged device. This version is designed to be the ideal accessory for the active user. There's only one choice of band for this version, but at least it comes in five colors.
Apple Watch Edition is my personal favorite, as I love to dream about things I can't afford. This beauty is the luxury vehicle of watches, and it costs just about as much as a car. Unlike the previous two, the Edition has an 18-karat gold casing, your choice of rose gold or yellow gold. Albeit beautiful, this version is noticeably heavier and does all the same things as the others. The band choices are just three: sport band, classic buckle, and modern buckle -- with a choice of two colors for each type.
When determining which watch is right for you, the first thing you should probably think about is money. If you're a celebrity like Drake or Katy Perry who has between $12,000 to $17,000 to spare, the obvious choice is the most luxurious: the Apple Watch Edition. It's elegant and will certainly serve as proof that you're worth a large stack of Benjamins.
Otherwise, for the ideal on-the-go consumer, the Sport is perfect. It's light, resilient, and the least expensive of the three. The basic Apple Watch meets somewhere in the middle (price wise) and is the optimal gadget for someone who wants to jump on the smartwatch band wagon and have the world at their fingertips, simply because they can.
According to a poll, only 18 percent of respondents claimed to be interested in buying the watch, showing that 76 percent are not that interested at all. This is surprising given that the majority of people who own an iPhone or iPad seem eager for the always upcoming editions and updates for those devices. Perhaps smartwatches have not yet caught on past the small niche group that either already have one or have pre-ordered. But like with any other Apple product, I won't be the least bit surprised if there are lines around the block once the Apple Watch officially hits the stores in June.