Apple Watch

Most of us expected to appear the Apple clock in 2015, but it is a (semi) Surprise start with the iPhone 6 iPhone and made 6 Plus.

It is not available to view until next year though, which means that it is a deliberate ploy by Apple, to ensure that you are not buying a Samsung, LG or Moto 360 option during the festive season.

But it's a pretty good reason for most to hang - this is a very stylish portable indeed.

Apple's clearly aiming this at the fashion market as much as the person who loves to be an early adopter - given the smartwatch market is still yet to take off, it makes sense to focus further afield in terms of consumer targeting.

Design

The Apple Watch is coming in six different versions: there's the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport and the Apple Watch Edition. And each of these comes in two sizes, for those that like a larger or smaller device for their wrist.

You can't call it a lady or man's watch, but there will be those that do, and it's opened Apple up to a new market in doing so.

While I expected it to be rounded, the fact is the Apple Watch looks like a small fusion between iPhone 6 and iPod Nano. It's not unattractive, but it is on the chunkier side of things.

It's rounded, which works in its favour, and the curved back makes it feel nice, if a little heavy (depending on the band) on the wrist.

The interface is curious, but I really think Apple has done better than most with the way it's approached interacting with a wrist-dwelling device.

The Digital Crown is essentially a scroll wheel that lets you zoom in and out of the interface, so for apps (with a fun new home screen that looks NOTHING like the iPhone's version, more a spherical look at all the apps available on the watch).

Tapping it in sends you back to the home screen, but you can also use the touchscreen on the Watch to to interact with apps.

I'll dive deeper into this very shortly, but the interface is at least intuitive for a smartwatch.

The Apple Clock is neither a training band, watch or fashion accessory but despite taking a little of each of these camps. It's hard to define what it really is, which means that users struggling to justify the purchase.

I think his greatest chance at success in the healthcare market, since Apple has this a good choice for people who made a little healthier to get.

Not only test steps or heart rate once in a while, the clock will be able to help you a little less sedentary and noting if you walk around and how hard the struggle is his.

Of course, there must be an iPhone to really work effectively, but it works very well independently with regard to the pursuit of the above. The built-in GPS means that you can use it as a running clock from the off, although the lack of Nike + compatible surprising.

This partly explains why Samsung has teamed up with Nike to make the Gear S a running companion - but at least Apple has got its own internal system to allow for it.

As a smartwatch, the Apple Watch is a pretty nifty device too. Its discreet dimensions mean that while it's obvious when it lights up, most of the time most won't know you're wearing a smartwatch.

It's annoying needs to be flicked upwards to turn the screen on - unlike the Android Wear devices which are visible when in standby mode - and I wasn't able to test this function during my limited hands on time.

The Apple Watch will also come with the ability to pay for things with the aptly-named Apple Pay - however, this wasn't available for demo, and therefore I can't work out how the security aspect will be handled.

With the phone you'll need to hold the TouchID element to confirm it's you that's paying, and without that on the Watch it's hard to see how you'll manage it.

If you have to press it on your phone, it kind of makes it redundant as a mechanism on the watch.

The many versions

There are three tiers of Apple Watch, but they all feature the same curved design and rectangular display. Inside, they're all the same: features, storage and connectivity are identical. The differences are in materials and bands. Each of the three models is available in two different watch body sizes, 38mm and 42mm. You might call that "women's" and "men's," but that's arbitrary -- you can choose whichever size looks and feels best on your wrist.

Apple Watch Sport comes with a fluoroelastomer (synthetic rubber) band, and has an aluminum-alloy body (silver or space gray), Ion X-strengthened glass and composite back. It costs $349 for 38mm, or $399 for 42mm sizes. In Australia, the pricing runs AU$499 and AU$579; £299 and £339 in the UK.

Apple Watch (the mid-tier model) comes in stainless steel with a sapphire crystal and ceramic back. There are two colors (steel and space black steel), and a number of pre-packaged or separately-sold bands. It starts at $549 (38mm) or $599 (42mm). Depending on which one you pick, you could pay anywhere from $549 to $1100. In Australia, pricing starts at AU$799 and goes up to AU$1,629. The UK starts at £479 and runs up to £949.

Release date

The Apple Watch will be available to pre-order online and in-store from 10 April before it goes on sale on 24 April. 

Apple has reportedly ordered 'five to six million' units ahead of the release, and analysts are expecting around 20 million units to ship in 2015 alone. 

However, a report has claimed that Apple Watch stock might be in short supply at launch, with just 30 percent of units produced being deemed defect-free.

This reported lack of stock unlikely will harm the enterprise market too much, with CIOs dismissing the Apple Watch as not suitable for business.

Price

Apple has finally spilled the beans on UK pricing. The 38mm Apple Watch Sport will be available from £299, while the larger 42mm model will cost £339.

The 'Watch' edition will be available from £479, going up to £949 depending on the case and band combination. For example, a 38mm Apple Watch with a Black Classic Buckle strap will set you back £559, while the 42mm model will be £50 more expensive.

Specifications

The Apple Watch will be made available in 1.5in (38mm) and 1.7in (42mm) screen sizes and with 272x340 and 319x390 resolutions respectively. The smartwatch will feature a square display, unlike the round screen on the Moto 360, coated in a protective layer of sapphire crystal. 

Apple didn't mention this, but the website confirms that the smartwatch is also certified to the IPX7 waterproof standard, which means it's protected against a "short duration of water immersion" at a depth of less than one metre. 

The smartwatch will be available to pick up with different faces and straps, 34 to be precise. Buyers can mix and match these at the MixYourWatch website or try them in-store from 10 April.

The Apple Watch will run a version of iOS designed from the ground up. It supports touch navigation, but the UI can also be controlled by the handset's 'Digital Crown'. This mechanical wheel, like that which you would normally use to set the time on a standard watch, lets you scroll and browse through the user interface.