After months of hype and anticipation, the Apple Watch finally went on sale Friday, bringing the long wait for the smartwatch to an end. Available in three different base models ranging from $349 to a whopping $17,000, the Apple Watch promises to bring the smartwatch to the forefront of personal technology – a challenge that has yet to be overcome by competitors like Motorola and Samsung.
The Apple Watch differentiates itself from its competitors by closely aligning itself with haute-couture fashion, which is why the only brick-and-mortar stores selling the Apple Watch on launch day were high-end boutiques like Maxfield in Los Angeles or Colette in Paris. If you were hoping to pick up the Apple Watch from an Apple store, you’ll have to wait a little longer since Apple is only accepting online orders at this time.
The preliminary reviews for the Apple Watch have mostly been positive, with many critics praising the smartwatch for its beautiful construction, connectivity over both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and integrated fitness features. The Apple Watch also scored points for its intuitive user interface and seamless integration with the iPhone (which you need to have in order to unlock the full functionality of the Apple Watch).
Of course, as a first-generation product, the Apple Watch doesn’t come without its own share of frustrations. One of the pain points shared by most Apple Watch reviews was an overabundance of unnecessary notifications and a less-than-stellar battery life. Some of these issues are likely to be resolved with future updates to the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch is the first new Apple product to be released since the death of Steve Jobs in 2011, and it serves as an important test for a company that largely owes its success to his accomplishments. Judging by the fact over a million Apple Watches were sold in the first five days since it became available pre-order, we believe Apple has another hit in its hands.
