SAN FRANCISCO — The value of a wristwatch is typically defined by its materials, design, features and brand. For the new Apple Watch, all those factors will apply, but so will something else: apps.
Apple on Monday held a media event to explain how its long-awaited Apple Watch works and how much it costs. Just as important, it also demonstrated what the watch was capable of doing with apps made by other companies.
If the watch is going to succeed, those other companies will have a lot to do with it because few devices — not even those made by Apple — will sell well without the help of a whole lot of app developers.
“All of Apple’s devices really come alive with third-party apps, and it’ll be the same with the watch,” said Jan Dawson, an independent technology analyst for Jackdaw Research.
“I have been wanting to do this since I was 5 years old,” Mr. Cook said.
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Unlike past Apple products, the Apple Watch has a complex pricing structure. Because a smart watch is both gadget and fashion accessory, Apple designed its device to be highly customizable to suit the tastes of various consumers, from fitness buffs to collectors of luxury watches.
Apple will offer three models of Apple Watch, each with a casing made of a different material: Watch Sport, a version with an aluminum case; Watch, which has a stainless steel case; and Watch Edition, which has a case made of 18-karat GOLD.
Each model comes in two case sizes — 1.5 inches and 1.65 inches. And for each watch, customers will be able to choose from a variety of interchangeable bands in different colors and materials.
The cheapest model is the Apple Watch Sport, the one tailored to athletes, which starts at $349. The larger Apple Watch Sport costs $399.
The next step up is the Apple Watch, with a more fashionable stainless steel case. The smaller version of this watch costs $549 to $1,040, and the larger one costs $599 to $1,099. The price range for both depends on the band.
The Apple Watch Edition, which has a case made of 18-karat GOLD, is a sure sign that Apple has entered the luxury market. Pricing for the high-end version starts at $10,000.
Preorders for the various versions of the watch start April 10, and it will go on sale on April 24. It will first be available in a number of countries, including the United States, Australia, China and Japan.
At the event, Apple also stressed some of the signature features of the device.
Apple has highlighted the crown as its latest signature innovation for controlling a device, similar to the mouse pointer for the personal computer, the click wheel on the iPod and the touch screen for the iPhone. On the Apple Watch, the crown can be twisted to zoom in or out of the screen or to scroll through a web page.
Apple has applied miniaturisation techniques that were used in the iPhone and iPad to make the New MacBook's logic board the most compact logic board ever. In fact, it's a whopping 67% smaller than the logic board found in the 11in MacBook Air.
As mentioned above, the New MacBook 2015 has no moving parts or vents, so it's the first fanless Mac Apple has made. Not only does it help make the MacBook so thin, it also aims to improve efficiency and should make the New MacBook completely silent.
When it comes to processors, the New MacBook has a fifth generation Intel Core M processor, paired with Intel HD Graphics 5300.
As for connectivity, the New MacBook has 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0.
New MacBook 2015 specs: Battery life
Apple claims that the new MacBook has all-day battery life thanks to new battery technologies that allow 35% more battery capacity despite the thinner and lighter design. The display is designed to consume 30% less energy with the same brightness.
Apple's battery life estimates are 9 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 10 hours of iTunes movie playback.
