How romantic! It could be a very happy Valentine’s Day for the technophile in love, as mid-February 2015 looks like the date when the Apple Watch is ready to go on sale.
That’s according to whispers heard by 9to5 Mac and The Information about the company’s plans for its first entirely new product since the original iPad back in 2010.
Apple’s first smartwatch can monitor heart rate, act as a standalone music player and serve as a notifications screen and extension for the iPhone.
Therefore it offers the same levels of connectivity and performance as the best Android Wear efforts currently on sale, while being packaged with a high level of attention to detail and choice of premium materials — not unlike one would find in a Swiss atelier.
And although it was unveiled alongside the latest iPhone at a special event in September, Apple still isn’t completely happy with the Apple Watch’s performance and so won’t be launching it in 2014.
When asked about why the company wasn’t ready to release the smartwatch yet, Apple’s senior vice president of operations, Jeff Williams told Bloomberg BusinessWeek: “We want to make the best product in the world,” he replied, before having a dig at Samsung by saying: “One of our competitors is on their fourth or fifth attempt, but nobody is wearing them.”
With the excitement that the Apple Watch generated when Tim Cook announced it, it looks as if Apple’s smartwatch will be in demand. And to ensure that it appeals to as many as possible, it will launch as a range of three very clearly defined models.
A classically designed model in stainless steel with traditional straps, a sports model that is designed to be lighter and tougher, and a premium edition that will be 18kt gold plated.
The base model will cost $349, but the Edition version could command a price three times higher, according to watch-making experts.
