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The Apple Watch is getting a full and proper unveiling tonight, with all the finer details set to be revealed.
All we know so far is pretty much summed up in this video from the Watch’s reveal.
So, with all that to whet the appetite, what are the burning issues we need to know about when Tim Cook steps on stage in Cupertino?
This is the big one. One Apple enthusiast has described it as the “most anticipated slide” in an Apple presentation in years. Cook said back in September the Apple Watch would start at $349 (£230). However this is all we know at the moment – and with three different versions of the Watch there are a fair few numbers to get through. Logic suggests the £230 price tag will be for the Sport version – which with its rubber strap is likely to be the cheapest.
But what about the high-end Edition version with its 18-carat gold frame and wristbands? Some say the top end of this category could be somewhere around £13,000. All will soon be revealed.
When Cook was on a conference call in the wake of Apple’s financial result announcement in January, he was inevitably asked about Apple Watch. “April” was his reply when pushed for a launch date. A live event this time of year is unusual for Apple, so we can expect to get the big date in question, and the countdown under way.
One of the biggest areas of discussion is the amount of software that will be at user fingertips when they take the Apple Watch out of the box.
The simple fact is Apple is playing catch-up in this department, and that’s a first. The Pebble Watch already has over 6,500 apps, while Android Wear has 2,000. The App Store has always been a trump card for iOS over rival platforms, and Cook and co won’t want that to change.
No wonder then that Facebook, BMW, United Airlines, Pinterest and Instagram are just some of the names who have reportedly been locked in one of Apple’s secret labs working on apps for the Watch. There’s also talk of a partnership with a hotel chain that will enable Apple Watch to unlock hotel room doors.
A report from Bloomberg has suggested that Apple is telling developers to limit app usage to 10 seconds at a time. This, combined with the rumour that the Watch will come with a Power Reserve mode that enables users to turn this wearable computer into just a watch in order to preserve power suggests there’s a hint of concern over battery life in Cupertino. Keep an eye out for this being addressed.
As the Jony Ive-led video above demonstrated, the Apple Watch already has some pretty stunning functionality under its belt. But that was five months ago – so what has been added since? How much of what we’ve seen has come to fruition, and what exactly will this new strand of iOS look and feel like?
Expect to see plenty more of the digital crown in action, and a full demo of how Apple Watch will work in day-to-day life.
“…One more thing” has always been something of a Steve Jobs party trick, but Tim Cook has used it once already. Maybe he will do so again here to announce the iPad Pro? Or maybe even a Retina display MacBook Air?
What about a word on Apple supposedly entering the self-driving car space?
The upside to all these questions is that we don’t have long to wait to find out the answers. The Apple live event starts at 6 pm UK time.
