Apple Inc today unveiled their new mega Watch that can do a lot of
things, including allow you know when your spouse is cheating and let
you know if you'll see heaven. #kidding. But it can do a lot of things
like help you check into a hotel, check your heart rate, help you call a
Uber taxi, remind you of an appointment and much more.
Prices for the
Sport model start at $349 while the stainless steel Watch starts at $549
and the Edition costs a staggering $10,000. Read all about the watch after the cut...
From Reuters
Apple Inc. launched its long-awaited watch on Monday, including yellow or rose
gold models with sapphire faces costing up to $17,000, but investors
questioned whether Chief Executive Tim Cook's first product would be a
breakaway hit.
Apple's first new
device since Cook became CEO will be available for order on April 10 and
in stores on April 24, including chic boutiques in Paris, London and
Tokyo.
In a nod to both
fashion and technology, Cook shared the stage with model Christy
Turlington Burns, who used it to train for a marathon, and Apple
engineers who showed off apps, including how to call an Uber car with
the watch.
Apple shares
barely budged, however. Investors and analysts agreed that Apple would
sell millions to fans but questioned whether it had a "killer app" that
would engage a broader audience. Apple in September gave a sneak peek of
the watch which included many features shown on Monday.
"I
think there's a niche market for these kind of Apple tech people who
love Apple and will buy anything they come out with. But I just don't
know if it's going to be the power product that everyone's looking for,"
said Daniel Morgan, senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust Company
in Atlanta, Georgia, who described Wall Street as "scratching its head".
Members
of the style establishment, in Paris for shows from the glittering
likes of Chanel, Givenchy and Hermes mostly said they saw the watch as a
gadget, not this season's must-have accessory.
The
Apple Watch sport will start at $349 for the smaller, 38-mm model. The
standard version of the watch will start at $549 and the high-end
"Edition" watch will be priced from $10,000, said Cook, who loved the
Dick Tracy ability to hold phone calls by watch.
"I have been wanting to do this since I was five years old," said Cook.
The
different models reflect different materials. A $17,000 Edition in the
smaller, 38-mm size, has a case made from a customized version of
18-karat rose gold, which is especially hard, along with a sapphire
display. It comes with a magnetic charging case.
A $349 Sport model the same size has an aluminum case, a 'sport band' and a magnetic charging cable, and no case.
All
the watches share digital faces that can look like traditional time
pieces, show the heart beat of a friend, and display photos and
interfaces for apps.
"Apple's been very good at personalizing its products," said Angelo Zino, an analyst at S&P Capital IQ, who said the "intimacy" of the watch was appealing. He saw 10 million in sales this year.
In
the presentation, Cook described the watch handling many functions
currently associated with the iPhone, which tethers wirelessly to the
watch and connects it to the Internet.
The watch will track exercise and remind wearers of events with a tap on the wrist.
Cook
also laid out other product successes and launched a new MacBook
notebook computer that starts at $1,299 and weighs as little as 2
pounds.
Every major car
brand had committed to delivering Apple's CarPlay entertainment system,
and the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have 99 percent customer satisfaction
rates, he said. The Apple Pay payment system is now accepted at 700,000
locations, and Time Warner Inc's HBO in April will debut its streaming HBO NOW service on Apple TV.
Apple
also is offering researchers new development tools, called ResearchKit,
to help medical researchers design apps for clinical trials, the
company said.
No comments:
Post a Comment