Apple Watch To Ship In April, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook Confirms

Apple Watch is the company's latest product category to launch in 2015. Reuters

Following recording breaking iPhone sales, Apple Inc. set a more specific date for its next big product, the Apple Watch.

“Development for Apple Watch is on schedule and we expect to ship in April,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said during its earnings call on Tuesday.

Though Apple introduced its new wearable with its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September , the company remained quiet about its launch date, vaguely pegging it for an early 2015 date. However, Cook’s remarks confirm an earlier leaked transcript from Angela Ahrendts, Apple senior vice president of retail and online stores, who told retail employees in November that she expected the Apple Watch to launch “in the spring.”

“I’m using it every day, love it and can’t live without it,” Cook said about the Watch in response to an analyst's question. But there are some concerns about the watch, including its battery life, which may fall short of the company’s expectations. During heavy use, the Watch is expected to last between two and a half and four hours, according to unnamed sources speaking to 9to5Mac.

Despite some doubts behind the wearable device, Apple Watch is still expected to sell. UBS predicts the company will ship upwards of 24 million units. And even at the low end of 15 million, the Watch may sell more than the first year of Apple’s iPad sales, which topped 14.8 million in 2010.

The Apple Watch is expected to start at $349 for the Apple Watch Sport and run as high as $5,000 for the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition. It will come in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm.

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Apple Watch Release Date Approaching, New Features Unveiled For The ‘iWatch’

Apple is reportedly readying the Watch for a March release, although the exact date is unknown. Developers have say a companion iPhone app reveals unannounced Apple Watch details. Reuters

Apple Inc. has revealed new details about the Watch in early software sent to iOS developers in anticipation of its release date. Apple is reportedly preparing the Apple Watch for wide release at an undisclosed date in March, barring any delays.

Developers say a companion iPhone app will allow users to customize features on the Apple Watch, from its messaging features as well as the layout of apps on its homescreen, according to a report from 9to5Mac. Customers will also use the app to set up the Watch, customizing which notifications they want to see and controlling the device’s fitness features.

The companion app manages a number of messaging options for the Apple Watch. One lets users select which iPhone contacts appear on the Friends screen, making them easier to contact. The Watch does not have an on-screen keyboard, so the app features two choices to let users respond to texts: audio recordings made on the spot or voice-to-text dictation. The iPhone companion app also features an option to write short replies that can be saved and sent from the Watch.

Apple has only revealed the price of the "Sport" version of its Watch, but not yet said how much the stainless steel "Standard" or 14-karat gold "Edition" will cost.  Apple Inc.

The Apple Watch’s fitness features are also customized with the iPhone app. The Watch includes the ability to receive updates on fitness goals, as well as an optional hourly reminder for users sitting for extended periods to stand up.

The iPhone-maker’s first smartwatch includes a limited amount of storage space for music, photos and apps, and can be locked with a four-digit code. The Watch can also be set to unlock whenever the iPhone is within range.

Apple shooting to release the Watch at an unknown date in March

Apple is expected to release the companion app with the upcoming iOS 8.2 iPhone update sometime in February or March. The manufacturer has previously said the Watch would be released in “early” 2015, then clarifying that it was looking at sometime in the spring.

Select Apple retail employees will receive training on the Apple Watch from Feb. 9-16 at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, or its offices in Austin, for a release slightly earlier than expected in March, according to a report from 9to5Mac.

The developers of Pipes, a customizable news aggregating app for iOS, have also created a virtual demo of the Apple Watch, available here.

The Not-An-iWatch is still a work in progress

Apple has been finalizing the Watch’s operating system and is trying to improve its battery life. The iPhone manufacturer is also reportedly working to refine the Watch’s inductive charging.

Apple Watch will ship in Standard, Sport and higher-end Edition variations. The aluminum and glass Sport model is priced at $349, but Apple has not announced pricing for the other two. Analysts have said the sapphire-toting Apple Watch Standard will cost around $500 while the gold Edition will cost over $1,000.

Advertisers to get a glimpse of Apple Watch promise, challenge

The new Apple Watch is pictured during an Apple event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, California, September 9, 2014.

Credit: Reuters/Stephen Lam

Apple’s forthcoming smartwatch poses a conundrum for advertisers: How to tap the enticing possibilities of the tiny gadget without overwhelming consumers with messages.

Apple Watch components enter production, S1 processor and Force Touch Retina display in sight

According to DigiTimes who keeps a watchful eye on Chinese component suppliers, Apple contractors are ready to begin producing parts that will go inside the Apple Watch. Sources estimate Apple will order an initial run of 30 to 40 million units, which goes to illustrate its confidence in the product. After all, we're yet to hear of a smartwatch that sold even 1 million pieces.

Reportedly, the A-Watch is built on a new chip design, instead of relying on the tried and true

Police See $5000 Gold Apple Watch As Potential Thief Magnet

The new Apple Watch is pictured during an Apple event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, California, in this file picture taken September 9, 2014. Reuters

Apple’s entry into wearable technology, Apple Watch, is set to debut sometime in early 2015. And while most users may be able to afford its $349 starting price, it's also rumored to run as high as

Apple Watch Rumored To Release On Feb. 14, 18-Karat Gold Edition Could Cost Up To $5,000

Apple had said that the Apple Watch would be priced starting at $350, which was assumed to be of the aluminum model. Apple

The upcoming Apple Watch, the company’s first smartwatch, is likely to be released on Feb. 14 and could cost up to $5,000 for an 18-karat gold edition, a report said Tuesday, adding that a mid-tier steel model of the device could be priced at $500.

Apple Watch the most anticipated wearable, PwC study finds

Apple Watch the most anticipated wearable, PwC study finds

PricewaterhouseCoopers has published a study on the smart wearables market, which shows that the Apple Watch is the most hotly anticipated device. 59% of people questioned said they are looking forward to trying the first Apple smartwatch.

Apple may stop selling Fitbit in its stores

Apple may stop selling Fitbit in its stores

Any other time of the year, and a report that Apple might stop selling Fitbit in its stores would be something that breezes in and out of the newsroom. We would simply assume that Apple doesn't want to be selling devices that compete, even peripherally, with its own Apple Watch. However, right now is not just any time, because this could be a reaction to news from last week.

Sapphire Glass: How Did Apple Get It So Wrong With GT Advanced Technologies?

An Apple Watch is seen during an Apple event at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California. Reuters

Late last year, Apple Inc. made an investment in what seemed like the future. A little-known manufacturer of solar components called GT Advanced Technologies Inc. was chosen by Apple to create the next generation of displays out of sapphire glass, a hard yet flexible material that is more scratch- and shatter-resistant than Corning's Gorilla Glass.

Can Apple Trick Teens Into Wearing Watches Again?

Why would Apple introduce a sexy new smartwatch in an age when we're seeing fewer and fewer people actually wearing watches? Especially among younger people?

Apple Watch delayed for February in limited quantity

At its announcement event back in September, Apple announced that the Watch will be available early 2015, but Rosenblatt Securities analyst Brian Blair believes the company is having production issues. As a result, the Apple Watch won't go into mass production until January, 2015 at the earliest.

 

Apple Watch is water resistant, but you can't take it to the shower

The Apple Watch is real, but it’s not exactly finalized - the device will come to store shelves in the beginning of 2015, and the company will use the time to put some final touches. That’s why it’s not

Apple Watch - square sapphire display, gold option

One more thing! The Apple Watch is real – with a square screen and comes in 38mm and 42mm cases. There will be an 18 karat gold version but more affordable stainless steel and aluminum versions will be available too. The steel version will be called Watch Sport, the gold one will be Watch Edition.