Apple debuts iWatch after pre-release earlier this month
April 29, 2015
The Valley Fair Apple Store bustles with life as people walk in and out to explore the variety of technology Apple has to offer.
The majority of the customers crowd around a long rectangular table in the center of the room. Inside the table’s glass surface lie two rows of Apple watches, ranging from vibrant Sports Watches to the sophisticated and elegant Watch Editions.
Everywhere, employees wearing the blue Apple uniform roam around, assisting customers with their requests and explaining the products of clients’ interest. Behind the display table, customers who scheduled an appointment try on the Apple watches while other customers ask employees questions about the watch.
Other customers buying a watch further consult with employees at the front desk in the back of the spacious room.
From underneath the glass, the watches beckon to shoppers, captivating with their sleek bezels and polished screens.
The Apple Watch will be released in stores on Friday after it was made available for pre-order on April 10.
The company will release three models of the its new device. The first, Apple Watch, encompasses a total of 20 different stainless-steel cased models ranging from $549 to $1,099. Each has options of either a Sport Band, Classic Buckle, Milanese Loop, Modern Buckle, Leather Loop, Link Bracelet or Steel Link Bracelet.
The Apple Sport Watch has 10 aluminum models all with Sport Bands in five different colors for more affordable prices of $349 and $399 depending on size.
Watch Editions, the third and most expensive category, features eight additional models with 18-karat rose and yellow gold casings, with either a Sport Band or Modern Buckle for between $10,000 and $17,000.
The prices of the watch models led multiple students to believe that it is too expensive.
“I think it’s way too overpriced,” Justin Yen (12) said. “I think its main selling factor is its convenience. It’s kind of the same thing as an iPhone, but more convenient and I don’t think convenience is worth [it].”
Each watch is offered with two casing sizes: 38 mm and 42 mm. A total of three categories, each with a variety of models and design selections, are available to customers who wish to purchase the product.
Other than basic functionalities of a timepiece, the Apple Watch includes several other qualities, such as connection to the calendar, personal contacts, a built in sensor A built in sensor, Wi-Fi, GPS and an exercise app which measures a person’s daily activity.
In addition to the conventional usage of texts and calls, the watch allows the sender to draw a sketch, which turns into an animation of the drawing that can be sent to the recipient. A heartbeat can be communicated to another Apple watch by pressing two fingers on the screen.
“I guess Apple has a pretty good name so in that sense it’s pretty reliable and that’s why I’m pretty pleased with the direction Apple’s going,” Gabi Gupta (12) said.
Neeraj Aggarwal (9), a user of the Samsung Gear Live smartwatch, compared his watch to Apple’s.
“I think that this is more functional than Apple Watch, it’s rather interesting,” he said. “It’s just a lot better and Apple Watch is pretty thick.”
Other smart watches were released between 2014 and 2015 from companies including Pebble, Motorola, LG, Samsung, Sony and Asus.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on April 22, 2015.
