In-Store Pickup Option Available for Apple Watch Orders

In-Store Pickup Option Available for Apple Watch Orders
If you take a peek at Apple\'s Online Store you\'ll see that Apple is preparing to offer the Watch in-store in the United States and other launch countries, listing that the Watch is "available soon" on the Apple Store iOS app and Apple Online Store. The option is greyed and is not selectable by the user. Up until this point, all Apple Watch orders including Watch bands must be ordered online, exclusively. Soon, customers will be able to order online and pick up their Watches in store. Upon arriving at the Apple Store, customers will be required to provide valid government photo ID and must match the name on the reservation and product. Apple originally planned to offer the Watch in-store, but due to manufacturing issues and high demand, the company revoked the idea.

1.7 Million Apple Watches Sold in US, Only 22% Shipped

1.7 Million Apple Watches Sold in US, Only 22% Shipped
Slice Intelligence notes Apple has sold over 1.7 million Apple Watches, though they\'ve only been able to ship 22% of those ordered. Slice said last week that Apple had sold just under one million Apple Watches on day one. They also gathered their data by scanning emails by over 2 million participants who have opted in for the service. Gathered from this data, only 22% of the orders have shipped between Friday and Sunday. The report goes on to say that 33% of customers had a ship date of April, 28 for May and 38% with an unknown ship date. From what we can gather, those who have June ship dates are being pushed up the queue with either mid-to-late May ship dates, or pushed all the way up and having shipping units.

Apple Watch Water Resistance Put to the Test

Apple Watch Water Resistance Put to the Test
I\'ve always praised my Pebble Watch for it\'s resistance to water. This meant I could put my watch on in the morning and not have to worry about it till I go to bed. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, made me a bit worrisome. According to Apple, the Watch has an IPX7 water resistance rating. In comparison, the Pebble Watch has a 5ATM water resistance rating. Find out more here. A new video submerged on YouTube Friday, testing out how water resistive Apple\'s wearable device really is. Not only do they demonstrate simple tasks like showering, but they go as far as going for a 5 minute swim with it. Here\'s the video: When Apple first announced the Watch back in September, nobody knew if the Apple Watch provided any sort of water resistance. Later on, Tim Cook told a group of Apple Store employees in Berlin that he wore the watch all day, even in the shower. Finally, at the company\'s Spring Forward event, Tim Cook and Co. let the world know that the Watch has an IPX7 water resistance rating. Here\'s what Apple recommends:

• IPX7 rated devices can withstand incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.
• Indoor/outdoor use in the presence of rain, snow or brief splashes of water is a suitable activity.
• Any immersion of more than 1 meter, regardless of duration of immersion, or any immersion of more than 30 minutes, regardless of depth of immersion is not a suitable activity.

I would never wear my Apple Watch swimming, but showering with the wearable isn\'t too far off, it seems.

Apple Posts Three New Apple Watch Videos

Apple Posts Three New Apple Watch Videos

Today is the official Apple Watch launch day -- Apple has recently posted three new ads in celebration of the launch, \'Rise\', \'Up\' and \'Us\'. Each video focuses on one core feature of the Watch -- communication, time and fitness -- and demonstrates the Apple Watch being used in real-world scenarios. Rise Up Us Up until this point, Apple has had a tough time advertising the Apple, as it doesn\'t have a clear message as to what it should do. The Watch does a lot of things, but why should customers buy one and are you convinced?

Apple Watch App Store Now Available

Apple Watch App Store Now Available
If you\'re on iOS 8.2 or iOS 8.3 you\'ll now be able to access the App Store for the Apple Watch. All you have to do is head over to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap the App Store tab. If the App Store doesn\'t load on your iPhone, kill the app and restart the Apple Watch app. The Apple Watch App Store is essentially the iOS App Store with a small spin. Both Apple Watch and iPhone screenshots are available in the App Description. Since there\'s no native Apple Watch apps available yet, any Apple Watch app you download will download the iPhone version on your home screen. The Apple Watch App Store is for customers to discover apps that are tailored towards the Apple Watch, nothing else. The Apple Watch App Store is available on iPhone 5 or higher running iOS 8.2 or later.

Apple Confirms Apple Watch Shipments ahead of Schedule

Apple Confirms Apple Watch Shipments ahead of Schedule
This afternoon Tim Cook and Co. confirmed that Apple Watch is being shipped ahead of the quoted shipping time for most customers. A spokesperson from BuzzFeed confirmed, "[Apple] is happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected." Furthermore, the spokesperson says Apple "is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received," and explained that Apple is aware that many customers have a long shipping time for their Watch pre-orders, and are thankful for your patience. According to the Reddit subreddit, /r/AppleWatch, many customers who have May or June shipping dates began reporting that their Watch has changed from \'Processing Items\' to \'Preparing for Shipment.\' Though, it\'s worth noting that most of these reports revolve around the Apple Watch Sport with silver casing (this excludes the Space Gray Apple Watch Sport model).

Apple Goes In-depth Behind Technology of Heart Rate Monitor in Apple Watch

Apple Goes In-depth Behind Technology of Heart Rate Monitor in Apple Watch
Ahead of the Apple Watch launch on Friday, Apple has published a new support page going over the Watches heart rate monitor. We know that the Apple Watch tracks your heart rate when you\'re doing a workout and every periodically throughout the day. Using the Heart Rate Glance, the user can check their heart rate as many times as they please. The Watch is also capable of determining the amount of calories burned per day using intensity data recorded during workouts. The support document notes that the Apple Watch will be recording your heart rate every 10 minutes. This data will be recorded in the in-house Health app for viewing this data at a later date and for third-party iPhone app support. The Watch has incredible software features, but the hardware is just as great. Apple also has a diagram of how the Apple Watch should be worn for the best accuracy. The function on the Watch isn\'t perfect either. To get an accurate reading, Apple recommends having the Watch close to your skin. Obviously, other aspects of the human body can negatively effect the Watches reading of the heart rate, as Apple claims.

A fancy way of describing how much blood flows through your skin, skin perfusion varies significantly from person to person and can also be impacted by the environment. If you’re exercising in the cold, for example, the skin perfusion in your wrist may be too low for the heart rate sensor to get a reading. Motion is another factor. Rhythmic movements, such as running or cycling, give better results compared to irregular movements, like tennis or boxing.

Will you be able to reliably trust the Apple Watch reading your heart rate?

Patents for Apple Watch Sport, Classic Buckle, and Link Bracelet Bands Awarded to Apple

Patents for Apple Watch Sport, Classic Buckle, and Link Bracelet Bands Awarded to Apple

The two Sport Bands that come included with the Apple Watch Sport.

Apple made some incredible innovations when it came to the Watch, but this extends to the bands as well. As the first batch of Watches get shipped out later this week, the United States Patent & Trademark Office has granted Apple for three patents for three popular Apple Watch band models, the Sport Band, Classic Buckle, and Link Bracelet. Oddly enough, the bands descriptions are fairly vague. All three bands are titled "Band" and cover "the ornamental design for a band". These patents come exactly one month after the USPTO granted a patent for the Modern Buckle to Apple. The patent illustrations for the Link Bracelet show the band with magnetic pegs and a spring-loaded butterfly clasp. The band is made out of stainless steel and is made with over one hundred different parts. The patent also covers the spacer links that have individual release buttons that allow Watch wearers to easily adjust their Link Bracelets. Gold custom-made link bracelets have also been spotted in the wild by celebrities such as Beyoncé and Karl Lagerfeld.

Apple Watch Most Successful Apple Product Ever

Apple Watch Most Successful Apple Product Ever
A trust-worthy Apple analyst has estimated that the Apple Watch sales within the first two weeks has hit a total of 3 million across the three models. Broken down that would be 1.8 million sport models, 1.2 million collection models, and 40,000 edition models, which adds up to 2 billion dollars in revenue. Carl Howe from Think […]

Apple Watch Takes Twice As Long to Boot As the iPhone

Apple Watch Takes Twice As Long to Boot As the iPhone
On Monday, a new video popped up on the web going over the boot times for Apple\'s upcoming Watch. The boot time averages sixty seconds, depending on the model, going up to the Clock face. First spotted by 9to5Mac, the video was recorded at an Apple Store on one of their demo units. The video should be taken with a grain of salt because this is based on an Apple Watch demo unit with a demo OS. The video shows off Apple\'s in-house S1 chip, specifically designed for the Watch. The processor had previously been noted to be comparable to Apple\'s A5 chip, giving it enough power to refresh the Watches display at a buttery smooth sixty frames per second. It\'s worth noting that the Watch takes much longer to boot than Apple\'s iPhone 4s, which is equipped with the A5 processor. The difference between boot times may indicate that the Watch is running at a lower clock speed to help retain a better battery life.

Apple Pay May Be Launching in Canada As Early As November

Apple Pay May Be Launching in Canada As Early As November

As it stands, Apple Pay is currently only available in the United States. Though, you can use Apple Pay outside of the US, a supported US credit or debit card is required. CNBC tweeted out on Friday, based on a report by Dow Jones, Apple is looking to bring its mobile payment system to Canada in the fall. The Cupertino company is currently looking into the six major banks in Canada, bringing Apple Pay to the country in November, taking its first trip outside of the United States. After the initial tweet by CNBC, the Wall Street Journal expanded on the story. “At this stage, it is still uncertain whether all six banks will launch Apple Pay at the same time because talks are ongoing,” says sources who relayed the information to WSJ. The story goes on to say that Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and National Bank of Canada are the potential candidates for Apple\'s NFC based mobile payment system in Canada. These six banks make up for ninety precent of retail bank accounts in Canada. Apple\'s biggest advantage being the majority of merchant terminals in the country are NFC compatible, which is required for Apple Pay to work. Although talks are going on, banks “aren’t happy with Apple’s fee proposals” and are concerned about potential security breaches with the service, saying customers could potentially take stolen credit cards and put them into Apple Pay.

Apple Watch Workshops Available at Select Retail Stores

Apple Watch Workshops Available at Select Retail Stores

Originally discovered by MacRumors, Apple is now letting customers make reservations to learn more about Apple Watch, sporting a workshop called \'Apple Watch Basics\'. The workshop is now available as a Concierge option on Apple\'s website, with the first workshop on April 24th. As of today, Apple will be offering the workshops in the United States and in several other countries, in select stores. Each session will run one hour and thirty minutes long and will be running every 1.5 hours throughout the day. The workshop description says, “Bring your Apple Watch — along with your iPhone — and get familiar with your most personal device yet. We’ll show you how to get started using Glances, gestures, watch faces and more.” Interesting enough, retail locations such as the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York aren\'t accepting reservations yet. As we reported yesterday, the Apple Watch won\'t be available in-store until at least June, and customers who opt to buy the Watch now will be stuck with June shipping times.

Internal Memo Confirms Apple Watch Will be Unavailable in-store Throughout May

Internal Memo Confirms Apple Watch Will be Unavailable in-store Throughout May

9to5Mac has obtained a copy of an internal memo sent out by Angela Ahrendts noting that Apple will not have the Apple Watch available in-store until at least June due to supply constraints and high demand. Apple also removed the April 24th date on their website last night, indicating that only a handful of pre-orders will actually be shipping on the 24th. Ahrendts also notes that there will be many more "blockbuster Apple product launch days" to come. She also notes why Apple is taking a new approach to the sale of the Apple Watch. Claiming that “due to high global interest combined with our initial supply, we are only taking orders online right now,” continuing on to say that this behavior will “continue through the month of May.” She mentions that not all new product launches will be this way, she did reiterate that the Watch is brand new product category for Apple, and that the Watch is their most personal device yet. “That’s why, for the first time, we are previewing a new product in our stores before it has started shipping,” she writes. Obviously, I’m sure this wasn\'t the company\'s original plan. Having such a popular new-category product launch combined with extremely limited supply and high demand will disappoint many fans who wanted Apple\'s wearable device. What made it worse is that the company stated on their website that Watches will be available on April 24th. When in actuality, pre-orders became available, half of their store was already set to 4-6 weeks, while other Watches sold out within minutes.

An Estimated 2.3 Million Apple Watch Sold

An Estimated 2.3 Million Apple Watch Sold

Reliable source, Ming-Chi Kuo, released a statement estimating a whopping 2.3 million Apple Watches have been sold. With the combined numbers of Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition, each one sold 85%, 15%, and 1% respectively. According to the report, Kuo believes Apple will be ramping up production, making 2-3 million units per month. That goal is being staggered as the company is struggling to incorporate the Taptic Engine, and build AMOLED displays for the Apple Watch. The issues in the production surround the color accuracy of the Watches display and the amount of space the Taptic Engine requires within the Watch. Without these production hiccups, Kuo says that Apple could be making 2 million Watches in June. It\'s worth noting that Apple has yet to release any information regarding pre-order numbers.

One Million Apple Watches Sold on Friday, Black Sport Most Popular

One Million Apple Watches Sold on Friday, Black Sport Most Popular

A couple of sources claimed earlier this year that the Apple Watch was going to be a complete flop -- think what you want, however, this is completely false. According to a poll completed by Slice Intelligence, Apple took a whopping 957,000 Apple Watch pre-orders in the US alone. In comparison, the millionth iPhone was sold in 74 days, 28 days for the iPad and two years with the iPod. The report goes on to say that each customer spent $503.83 on average and bought more than one Watch. Unfortunately, the pricier Apple Watch Edition was not included in this report. Apple began taking pre-orders last Friday, taking an online-only approach. One million devices sold within the first 24 hours is an impressive figure nonetheless. This doesn\'t come as a surprise since most models were pushed back to June within the first hour after pre-orders became available Friday morning.

AppleCare+ Pricing for Apple Watch Now Available

AppleCare+ Pricing for Apple Watch Now Available

The official pricing for AppleCare+ is now available on Apple\'s website. All watch models come with a standard 1-year of limited warranty and a complimentary 90-day phone support. The extended warranty plans are optionally available and must be purchased within the first 60 days of receiving your Apple Watch. Pricing varies depending on the model of the Apple Watch you order. For the entry-level Apple Watch Sport model, AppleCare+ coverage will be $49. The mid-tier Apple Watch with Stainless Steel body coverage is priced at $69, and owners of the high-end Apple Watch Edition which features an 18-karat solid gold body will have to spend a whopping $1,500 for AppleCare+ extended warranty. Unlike other Apple devices, the Apple Watch Edition extended warranty will cover three years, rather than the standard two years for all other Apple devices including the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch collection. All extended coverage covers up to two incidents of accidental damages. The plan covers the Apple Watch itself, the inductive charger, power adapter and the battery. Each hardware repair or replacement will have an included fee on top of the base price. Each hardware incident will cost $69 and $79 for the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch with Stainless Steel, respectively. As for the Apple Watch Edition, hardware incidents will cost a hefty $1,000. Will you be purchasing AppleCare+ for your Apple Watch?

Apple: Expect Constrained Supply on Launch

Apple: Expect Constrained Supply on Launch

With under 24 hours before the Apple Watch pre-order, Apple\'s SVP of Online and Retail Stores Angela Ahrendts issued a media release regarding the constrained supply of the Watch on launch. The company notes that they will be taking only taking online orders “during the initial launch period.” Ahrendts\' said this in the press release:

We are excited to welcome customers tomorrow and introduce them to Apple Watch, our most personal device yet. Based on the tremendous interest from people visiting our stores, as well as the number of customers who have gone to the Apple Online Store to mark their favorite Apple Watch ahead of availability, we expect that strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch,” said Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and Online Stores. “To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period.

The Watch will be available for pre-order at 12:01 PDT in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Furthermore, the wearable device will be shipping on April 24. MacRumors discovered yesterday that the Watch may have some delays on launch due to supply constraints, while some models may be unavailable to ship on launch day.

Here\'s a list of Apple Watch\'s that may be delayed on launch:

• Aluminum Case with Sport Band: “Delivers 4/24 to 5/8″


• Stainless Steel Case with Sport Band: “Delivers 4/24 to 5/8″


• Stainless Steel Case with Milanese Loop: “Delivers 4/24 to 5/8″


• Stainless Steel Case with Black Classic Buckle: “Delivers 4/24 to 5/8″


• Stainless Steel Case with Modern Buckle: “Dispatched in 4 to 6 weeks”


• Stainless Steel Case with Leather Loop: “Dispatched in 4 to 6 weeks”


• Stainless Steel Case with Link Bracelet: “Dispatched in 4 to 6 weeks”


• All Edition Models Dispatching in May

We will keep you updated as more information comes out.

Apple Watch Fashion Shoot Happening in Australia

Apple Watch Fashion Shoot Happening in Australia

The Apple Watch is touted as a fashion device by Apple and the world agrees as the wrist worn device lands on multiple pages in the latest edition of women magazine Elle Australia. The publication\'s in-house fashion editor Sara Smith shares a few tips about incorporating the Apple Watch into a women\'s wardrobe. The fashion editor notes how different Apple Watch models may fit different scenario such as weekends, cocktail parties, workplaces and more. The publication’s editor-in-chief, Justine Cullen, took time out with Apple in San Francisco to road-test the Watch. “I’m sad that the Edition version costs US$10K because it’s by far the prettiest, but I’m definitely a fan of the functionalities in the more accessible versions,” Cullen notes. She notes that the wearable won\'t have a large of an impact as the iPhone. Though she does mention that the Watch will be “a fun new piece of arm candy that will look good on your wrist and impress the boys.” The Apple Watch pre-orders begin on April 10th. On April 24th, the Watch will be available in stores in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, starting at $349 for the entry-level Sport model.

FCC Approves Apple Watch Before April Launch

FCC Approves Apple Watch Before April Launch

Apple\'s first wearable device has just been approved by the FCC, as indicated by Apple\'s website on Tuesday. The company has removed the footnote that stated that the Apple Watch was not approved by the FCC. The removal of the footnote indicates that the wearable has been approved for sale. "This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission," the site noted before Tuesday, followed by "This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained." Apple is set to ship the Apple Watch on April 24th in the following countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States. The wearable device isn\'t set to ship until late-April, however, you\'ll be able to pre-order the Apple Watch starting April 10th. Consumers will also be able to walk in-store and preview the device on the same day. [9to5Mac]

Apple Watch Will Ship with 8GBs of Storage

Apple Watch Will Ship with 8GBs of Storage

Every single Apple Watch will be shipping with 8GBs of on-board storage, regardless if you buy Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, or Apple Watch Edition. The wearable device will be able to store up to 2GBs of music and 75MBs of photos. The operating system also takes a portion of the storage, according to 9to5Mac. Users will be able to store data on the Watch through the Apple Watch companion app found on iOS 8.2, which was released yesterday. For example, you can control music that\'s playing from your iPhone, but you can also sync certain playlists and songs to your Apple Watch and play them by way of Bluetooth headphones. This way, users can go out for a run without being paranoid that your iPhone may slip out of your pocket. The watch will also sync photos previously favorited from your iPhone on your iCloud Photo Library. Both music and photos are stored locally on the device. So, if your iPhone dies you\'ll still be able to view and listen to content on your Apple Watch. On average, 2GBs of music is 200 songs depending on song quality and compression. The Apple Watch pre-orders begin on April 10th. On the same day, you’ll be able to walk into a store and try an Apple Watch on for yourself. On April 24th, the wearable device will be available to ship in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and United Kingdom.