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RAPAPORT... Apple unveiled the Apple Watch, a personal device that features new technologies and what the company describes as a pioneering user interface that honors the rich tradition of precision watchmaking. Apple Watch uses a specially designed and engineered "Digital Crown" that provides an innovative way to scroll, zoom and navigate and it enables users to send and receive messages, answer calls to an iPhone, and with "Digital Touch," sending something as personal as the wearer's heartbeat. Apple Watch also introduces comprehensive health and fitness apps.
“Apple introduced the world to several category-defining products, the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “And once again Apple is poised to captivate the world with a revolutionary product that can enrich people’s lives. It’s the most personal product we’ve ever made. ” Jony Ive, Apple's senior vice president of design explained that the Apple Watch incorporates an entirely new user interface and blurs the boundary between physical object and touch. “We’ve created an entire range of products that enable unparalleled personalization,” he noted. The Digital Crown on the watch also serves as the home button and a convenient way to access Siri®. The Retina® display on Apple Watch features "Force Touch," a technology that senses the difference between a tap and a press, providing a new way to quickly and easily access controls within apps. Apple Watch introduces the "Taptic Engine" and a built-in speaker that together discreetly enable an entirely new vocabulary of alerts and notifications you can both hear and feel. Apple custom-designed its own S1 SiP (System in Package) to miniaturize an entire computer architecture onto a single chip. Apple Watch also features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.0 to pair seamlessly with an iPhone. Apple Watch comes in three distinct collections — Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition — available in two different sizes, 38 mm and 42 mm. Enclosures are crafted from custom alloys of polished or space black stainless steel, space gray or silver anodized aluminum and 18-karat rose or yellow gold. Apple also created an entire range of watch straps: the high-performance elastomer Sport Band; the Milanese Loop in a flexible magnetic stainless steel mesh; the Leather Loop in soft, quilted leather that conceals magnets for quick fastening and adjustment; the leather Modern Buckle, which closes with a solid metal clasp; the leather Classic Buckle; and the stainless steel Link Bracelet. The charging system combines Apple’s MagSafe® technology with inductive charging for a quick connection that snaps into place. Apple Watch comes with 11 watch faces ranging from traditional analog faces to new faces such as the dynamic timelapse face; the astronomy face with its interactive, real-time 3D model of the earth, sun, moon and planets and the solar face, a contemporary sundial. Smart replies and dictation allow the wearer to respond quickly to messages and with handoff, they can start a message on an Apple Watch and transition over to an iPhone. The device shows current location, stock tickers and a calendar and an app that is designed to provide metrics for a dedicated workout session. Apple Watch uses the accelerometer, a built-in heart rate sensor, GPS and Wi-Fi from the wearer's iPhone. The device will be available in early 2015 starting at $349 and it will be compatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus running the latest version of iOS 8.
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