Apple chief to reveal watch details

Monday 09 March 2015

The Apple Watch will be formally unveiled today, with Apple chief Tim Cook set to confirm key details including the price and launch date of Apple's first wearable device.

Since it was first revealed in September, but only with the launch date of "early 2015", speculation and rumour has been rife as to what users can expect from the first wearable made by the one of the world's most watched companies.

This is expected to change tonight, with the release date of the Watch confirmed, as well as pricing and a more detailed look at what the device will be able to do from an application perspective.

Ernest Doku, technology expert at uSwitch.com, said: "Apple's long-awaited entry to the wearables space will no doubt supercharge a market that otherwise seemed destined to be the preserve of techies and early adopters.

"Mobile World Congress was a watershed when it came to wearables, when we saw a number of manufacturers - some doubtlessly after seeing Apple's effort - change tack of pitching their wristwear from fitness tracker to fashion accessory."

The latest speculation suggests that Apple is still worried about battery life on the Watch - a common issue among existing smartwatches - and a report from Bloomberg has stated that Apple is asking developers to design their apps to only be used for 10 seconds at a time.

The Cupertino-based firm has declined to comment on the issue, but it has been suggested Apple do not want users to feel their smartwatch is bothering them with a notification every few seconds.

Apps on the Apple Watch are a key area, with one of the biggest selling points of the iPhone and iPad being the enormous App Store that both are connected to - a store which dwarfs the likes of Google Play and the Windows Store in terms of available applications.

However, the Apple Watch is a new platform - the company's first since the iPad in 2010, and as a result the big names are being drafted in to ensure that by launch day consumers will have more than enough options for how to use their new device.

The likes of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, United Airlines and BMW are all reported to be working within one of Apple's top secret labs in California on versions of their software for the Watch.