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Kchrpm
March 9th, 2015, 10:48 AM
http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/9/8162455/apple-watch-price-release-date-2015


The Apple Watch will go on sale April 24th, with prices starting at $349 and running to over $10,000 for its top-of-the-line models. Apple Watch Sport, the low-end model housed in aluminum, starts at $349 for the 38mm model and $399 for the 42mm model. The stainless steel Apple Watch will start at $549 for the 38mm model and $599 for the 42mm model, with prices ranging up to $1,049 and $1,099 depending on the band they're paired with. The 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition will start at $10,000. Those will only be available in select retail stores.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/09/apple-watch-is-available-april-24/

http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/7a54bcbafe01ca105bd8a18b9a4ea1a6/200726115/apple-iwatch-960.jpg


First up, before all that, was the latest word on that much talked about battery life. Expect 18 hours of "general use" according to Cook. Basically, as assumed/feared, you'll be charging this once a day. On a plus note, there's a magnetic charger that'll make connecting it a little bit more satisfying than fiddling with a USB cable and cradle.

Kchrpm
March 9th, 2015, 02:31 PM
Day 1 apps: http://bgr.com/2015/03/09/apple-watch-apps-list/

Jason
March 10th, 2015, 02:55 AM
There's gonna be a lot of pissed off Apple fans when they realize their watch stops functioning half way through the day. Apple should have held back on this until wearable tech is more capable, imo.

Dicknose
March 10th, 2015, 05:57 AM
My pebble gets a day with some reasonable use.
About 4 or 5 if it's just sitting around.

Kchrpm
March 10th, 2015, 07:11 AM
Odd, I thought Pebbles got several days with normal use. Never used one, and you're the only person I know that has one, though.

The official battery time (with realistic amounts of use, from how they've described it) is 18 hours. That's enough for me.

KillerB
March 10th, 2015, 06:40 PM
For $349 I'd be in. But the steel case version with the Milanese band is more like $650. I'm not ready to drop that much on tech that I think is still a few years away from being fully baked.

Yw-slayer
March 10th, 2015, 11:50 PM
18 hours is a joke. Seriously, having to charge your watch every night is ridiculous.

Kchrpm
March 11th, 2015, 04:33 AM
I take my watch off every night anyway, putting it on a charger means I always know where it is.

Yw-slayer
March 11th, 2015, 05:18 AM
Yeah, but I know where my watches are without putting them on a charger.

Kchrpm
March 11th, 2015, 06:01 AM
I have three non-smart-watches right now, mostly because I would lose one for months, give up and buy a new one. The old one would then reveal itself.

Of course those three watches combined probably cost a tenth of what one of your watches costs, so I was never very precious with them.

Yw-slayer
March 11th, 2015, 06:06 AM
Maybe one fifth.

thesameguy
March 11th, 2015, 07:20 AM
I'm still struggling with why I need a watch when I have a device in my pocket that tells when I need to be somewhere without me looking. I check the clock maybe once a day at the most. If an alarm isn't going off, I don't care what time it is because I ain't sheeeeeeeeiiiiiittttt to do. I stopped wearing a watch in '94!

Kchrpm
March 11th, 2015, 07:30 AM
Maybe a smartwatch isn't for you, then :)

I find it a lot easier to glance at my watch when it vibrates than to pull out my phone, turn it on and check the notification bar/shade. That's the normal daily functionality for me, and it gets better for travel, but it's *far* from a necessity.

Yw-slayer
March 11th, 2015, 08:01 AM
I always check the time on a watch, rather than on my phone. There are places in HK where looking at a phone just isn't allowed, and I find it very off-putting when people pull out their phone to look at the time.

Kchrpm
March 11th, 2015, 08:25 AM
There are places in HK where looking at a phone just isn't allowed
Do you mind expanding on that?

thesameguy
March 11th, 2015, 10:00 AM
Maybe a smartwatch isn't for you, then :)

Like I said, I struggle with the concept. :)

Blerpa
March 11th, 2015, 10:46 AM
I want to know about the verboten-places in HK as well!
It's like 13 years since I last used a wristwatch. Not going to happen again.

Kchrpm
March 11th, 2015, 10:57 AM
The "eh, no thanks, I don't get it" response is what I get from most people who notice mine and want to ask about it (either because they don't care about what it does, or because they want it to do more, like play videos and take calls), but I'm honestly surprised that it's only maybe 70/30, if not 60/40. I thought it was going to be almost completely negative.

thesameguy
March 11th, 2015, 12:01 PM
It's not smart watches I don't get, it's watches. I don't want more stuff on my person, I want less stuff. Until I can make phone calls, surf the net, and send emails from my watch I have to carry a phone, so the watch has gotta go. Actually, the watch went when I had to start carrying a pager.. but back then nobody could surf the net or make phone calls from a device in their pocket. IIRC, my 1994 cell phone didn't even have a clock in the first place. :lol:

Blerpa
March 11th, 2015, 01:09 PM
Exactly what tsg said.
I've a phone, I don't need a watch.
Also I don't like Google Now at all (deactivated it on all of my devices), so an Android Wear smartwatch would be kinda useless on me, aside from notifications.

Yw-slayer
March 11th, 2015, 06:06 PM
Private members' clubs here usually don't allow use of phones on the premises. This is to prevent people taking calls and disturbing others, and/or to promote conversation between members and guests.

Plus I can't see how taking your phone out of a pocket, or even just looking at its huge screen, can be any less obvious or more polite than looking discreetly at your wrist.

Kchrpm
March 12th, 2015, 06:38 AM
This may not be universal, but looking at your watch here denotes "what time is it, I can't wait to get out of here!" or the like, so to some it's actually more insulting than looking at your phone. I've had the watch long enough that I've gotten past the checking every buzz immediately stage, so I will wait until a lull in conversation and then go through all of them quickly. Still usually faster than pulling out the phone.

The fact it's visible means other people will point out that I'm getting a message, though, but that sets up the "you're more important" reply which THE LADIES LOVE.

Yw-slayer
March 12th, 2015, 07:02 AM
People are busy and anyway, there are acceptable ways of looking at your watch. Phone? Not that I know of.

Kchrpm
March 12th, 2015, 07:25 AM
It does depend on who you're with. In my experience at least, older people are less accepting of people checking their phone (or watch), but it slowly transitions into people that have no problem with it and/or doing it themselves. As long as you aren't staring at your phone (which I have to get on one of my friends for doing), they don't mind.

As for people being busy, again, I think that's more of an indication of who you hang out with :) I'm talking to/with mostly single people with no responsibilities in between work and sleep, so repeatedly looking at your watch during a conversation simply means you're bored, not that you're deftly managing your time.

Jason
March 13th, 2015, 02:59 AM
The "eh, no thanks, I don't get it" response is what I get from most people who notice mine and want to ask about it (either because they don't care about what it does, or because they want it to do more, like play videos and take calls), but I'm honestly surprised that it's only maybe 70/30, if not 60/40. I thought it was going to be almost completely negative.

I'm still intrigued by the concept of wearables... I like the quick glance at a notification thing, in theory. In reality, I already have sounds, vibrations, and lighting up the screen turned off for notifications, because I don't like being bothered.

Various fitness things seem cool, but I suppose I can get that without some fancy smart watch.

Still not really sure where I stand on this emerging tech. I want it, because it's new and shiny, but that's about it right now.

Yw-slayer
March 13th, 2015, 07:30 AM
Yeah. For fitness stuff, even a simple Garmin Vivofit or Vivosmart will be ok. The latter tracks HR and you can always change the Noob "running" activity assumption to something else in Garmin Connect.