The Apple Watch is finally here in India. We at The Quint got our hands on one. The watch sure looks awesome and if you’re thinking of splurging your hard-earned money on one, here are 10 things that you should know.
1. Apple Watch is Only Compatible With an iPhone
The Apple Watch is not a standalone device. It is a companion to your iPhone, just like your wife is to you. It is very loyal to its companion, so don’t expect it to commit adultery with an Android Device. If you have an iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus you are good to go. But a caveat: the Apple watch is not compatible with any iPad.
2. It has a Delicate Sapphire Display
The Apple Watch has a display made up of sapphire glass which is super sensitive. If you have long hair on your wrists it will respond to even a single hair’s touch. Apple’s “Force Touch” technology is also used on the watch. For that you need to press the display for a slightly longer duration to navigate certain functions.
3. The Crown of the Apple Watch is Crazy!
If you thought that the iPod’s click wheel was a big innovation, the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch is crazy. It can be used to zoom in and out of the screen, or pressed to access Siri.
4. Apple Watch Has Three Versions
It’s not one watch but three. Consider a Maruti Suzuki Swift with three versions: Lxi, Vxi and Zxi. Similarly the Apple Watch comes in three options. There’s the Apple Watch stainless steel edition, the sport edition made of aluminium and an 18-carat gold edition (this one might not come to India). Just like how Maruti Suzuki Swift comes in Diesel and Petrol, The Apple Watch has two different dial sizes, 38mm and 42mm.
5. Apple Watch Will Massage Your Wrist
Whenever you get notifications on your phone the Apple Watch will vibrate discreetly. Once you raise your wrist the screen will light up and you will be able to view the notification.
6. Apple Watch Will Message too
With an Apple Watch you can reply to messages too. But since it’s not so easy to do that on the tiny screen, Apple put in a dictation mode, an animated emoji response, and also an automatically generated response. And if you have a treehouse in your backyard you can play with the walkie-talkie-to-chat function with your other treehouse friends who own an Apple Watch. Where were these things when we were twelve I wonder.
7. There are Only A few Apps for the Apple Watch
You will be able to access basic apps like Twitter, Pinterest, Maps, Nike, a music player, photos etc. Still, these are only a few of the thousands of apps that you can get on an iPhone. The only India-centric one is the NDTV app. You will have to wait at least a year to get more apps on the Apple Watch.
8. Apple Watch Will try to Keep you Healthy
Like any other smartwatch (Samsung Galaxy Gear 2) there’s an accelerometer and a heartbeat monitor on the Apple Watch. So basically it will work like an expensive fitness band for you and give you data on step count, track distance, calories burned and the duration of your workout.
9. It is Water Resistant not Waterproof
The Apple Watch can resist water droplets if you plan to take a walk in the rain, but don’t expect the Apple watch to stay in one piece if you wish to swim with it. It’s an Apple Watch not a G-Shock Casio.
10. The Battery Lasts Just for a Day
Apple didn’t mention its battery capacity at the launch. Perhaps that was simply because they were embarrassed that it lasts only one day. Like a true loyal husband and wife pair, the Apple Watch will sleep with your iPhone every night on your charging bay. Apple might still be working to improve it for next year.
Tell us what you think about the Apple Watch in the comments section.
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