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Want the best Apple Watch display? Get a Sport model
Splurging on a gold or steel Apple Watch might get you a fancier timepiece, but there's one thing you won't get: the best possible display. DisplayMate has taken a close look at the OLED screen in the smartwatch, and it notes that sapphire carries its share of drawbacks over the toughened glass in the Watch Sport. While you're still getting colorful, sharp visuals, the higher-end Watch's sapphire reflects almost twice as much light and washes out the picture in very bright conditions. And no, Apple can't use an anti-glare coating to fix this -- that would scratch easily, which misses the whole point of sapphire. There will eventually be improved sapphire screens that are both scratch- and glare-resistant, but you're currently best off with the Sport (and any other smartwatch with glass, really) if you're an outdoorsy type.
Apple Watch app roundup: It's all on the wrist
It's Apple Watch day. And whether you received one already, or are stuck waiting a few weeks for it, you'll want apps to make the most out of your new wearable when the time comes. Thankfully, we here at Engadget are always thinking about you, the reader, so we've put together a list of third-party apps that stand out from the 3,000-plus expected to be available at launch. But first, let's talk about some essentials. The Twitter and Instagram Apple Watch apps, for starters, will let you check out tweets and view photos right on your wrist, among other things. Sports fans, meanwhile, have access to apps like ESPN, MLB At Bat and NBA Game Time, which makes it easy to keep up with scores without having to pull out your iPhone.
Apple Watch App Store is ready to equip your device upon arrival
If you've already ordered Apple's smartwatch, it should arrive sometime in the next few weeks. To prep for that delivery, the App Store's selection of Watch-specific apps is available for browsing on the web or with that trusty iOS device. The Wall Street Journal reports that over 3,000 software options now reside in iTunes, ready to outfit the wearable with tools for keeping tabs on scores, fitness data, news, social channels, payments and more. Of course, if you haven't secured one yet, you won't be able to nab the gadget at your local retail store tomorrow, so you'll have to wait until it arrives by mail.
Djay for Apple Watch puts decks on your wrist
Desktop, laptop, tablet, phone and (now) watch. That's a list of things you can DJ (or rather, djay) on, thanks to a multi-platform update to the eponymous(ish) app from Algoriddim. As Apple Watch (kinda) hits stores this week, you'll be able to update Djay 2 for iOS (the Watch version isn't a standalone app) so that it works with your new timepiece. Of course, features are stripped back, but you can do most things you need to keep the music flowing, such as browse your iTunes library, add and sync tunes to a "deck" or use Force Touch and have the software do it all for you (aka "Automix" mode). It's a tough life for the wearable DJ. If you prefer to mix on the other devices we listed, Algoriddim has updates for you, too.
Apple Stores won't sell the Watch at launch, but six other shops will
You've likely heard or read that Apple's debut wearable isn't going to be sold quite like the company's previous products. Whether it's about where the demand for the product is coming from (or where Apple hopes the demand will come from), there will be no in-store purchases when the Watch finally lands this Friday. Well, not in Apple's stores. You might have reserved (past tense there) a Watch online, and made an appointment for a fitting of sorts, but there will actually be some places where you'll be able to pick one up, cash-in-hand, tomorrow. By some we mean a few. And by few we mean precisely six fashion stores. Scattered across the world.
Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference begins June 8th
If you're wondering what Apple will do next with its mobile devices and the Mac, you won't have to wait too long to find out. The tech giant has announced the 2015 Worldwide Developer Conference, which starts on June 8th. It's not providing too many clues as to what will be there, but you can apply for tickets now -- and you'll have the option to stream sessions live if you can't make it out to San Francisco. It's safe to say that the event will include news on software for the Apple Watch, iOS and OS X, and it won't be shocking if Apple has something to say about a new streaming music service or a next-generation Apple TV. Whatever happens, you know we'll be there to give you the full scoop.
Here's how much you'll pay to protect that Apple Watch
Scores of you - an obscene number, maybe - have already pre-ordered your Apple Watch. Perhaps you even sauntered into a well-appointed Apple Store-within-a-store for some valuable shopping advice before you took the plunge. Regardless, after you've made up your mind about which fancy wrist-computer will be yours in several weeks, you might want to take a look at how much Apple wants to protect it for you.
There's no point lining up for an Apple Watch
It's a fact of life that, shortly before Apple launches a product, gadget fans begin lining up outside stores equipped with a tent and some rations. That's why it was surprising to see new(ish) retail chief Angela Ahrendts discouraging the practice in a memo leaked to Business Insider. She wasn't joking, either, since the only way you can buy an Apple Watch, at least to begin with, will be to order one online. Let's just hope that you can return those vouchers for that Bear Grylls-style survival course.
Apple wants you to avoid product launch lines
Apple no longer wants you to wait in long lines during product launches -- in fact, it would sometimes prefer that you stay at home. An Angela Ahrendts memo leaked to Business Insider shows that the company is going to steer you toward using either the Apple Store app or its online store to buy devices like the Apple Watch and 12-inch MacBook. There's "more availability" online, she says, and you'll know just when you'll get your goods instead of "crossing your fingers" while you sit in a queue.
Apple reportedly can't ship its watch in Switzerland due to a trademark
Here's a textbook case of irony: the Apple Watch may not have a quick launch in Switzerland... you know, the spiritual home of watches. Swiss broadcaster RTS reports that Leonard Timepieces has a trademark in the country that supposedly prevents companies from using the word "apple" in association with watches and other jewelry. The 30-year-old legal filing expires on December 5th, but that's not much consolation to Apple if it hopes to challenge the traditionalists in Geneva this year.
Apple made how-to videos for a Watch you can't buy yet
Let's say you've devoured just about everything you can find on the Apple Watch but are still craving more. That's perfectly natural. Well, Cupertino has a guided tour of the wearable that should help answer any remaining questions you might have. For now there are four separate videos with a disembodied voice talking through the different features (messages, general functionality, digital touch and faces), showing how they work and generally being pretty informative. The digital crown, for example, is apparently as integral to Watch as the clickwheel was to the original iPod. Huh.
Artist: I'll trade a (replica) kidney for that $17k Apple Watch
Apple's forthcoming luxury smartwatch has already become a topic of division and debate months ahead of its release. While Apple is counting on five to six million orders once it does go on sale, critics of the device have slammed it as the latest status symbol for wealthy douchebags. Now, San Francisco-based artist Qinmin Liu is ratcheting the hyperbole even further by offering to trade one of her kidneys for the $17,000 flagship model. Well, not literally one of her kidneys (this isn't 2011 China, people) but rather a sculpture of one that she's made. What a deal!
Apple opens the floodgates to Watch-friendly apps
You may have noticed a few Apple Watch-friendly iOS apps trickle out, but brace yourself: you're about to face a torrent of them. Apple has opened up WatchKit app submissions to all developers (not just the handful of early partners from before), so anyone who has been toiling over wristwear-ready software in the past few months can finally put it on your iPhone. Given that the Apple Watch release is still three weeks away, this suggests that the App Store will be well-stocked on day one.
If you want to buy an Apple Watch in-store, you'll need a reservation
If you're looking for an Apple Watch (and you're shopping old-school, brick-and-mortar style), you won't be able casually dip into an Apple store and get some new tech-laden wrist candy. Not so fast: According to training documents seen at MacRumors, there will be no walk-in sales, at least to begin with. Customers will have to make an online reservation ahead of getting to buy it, supporting rumors that there may indeed be supply concerns. Those who do make a reservation will then then get to try on a watch and have a play sometime between the April 10th pre-sale launch and the April 24th on-sale date. It won't be this way forever, though: According to the leak, Apple will likely offer walk-in sales at a later date.
Apple Watch Edition buyers will get the red carpet treatment
When you're buying a $10,000 watch, you expect first-class service -- and Apple is apparently ready to deliver. Sources for 9to5Mac claim that people who buy the gold Apple Watch Edition will get to skip the queues whenever they need help. They'll be bumped to the front of the line when buying, and they'll have an hour to spend trying out watches in a private area (complete with an expert) instead of 15 minutes at a table like the hoi polloi. And if the worst happens, they'll get at least two years of access to a dedicated Edition phone support line that operates around the clock. This kind of bend-over-backwards help isn't unusual in the luxury world, where concierges and other one-on-one services are common, but it's not exactly standard fare for a company that will gladly sell you a $50 music player.
The first Apple Watch apps are already here
You can't actually buy an Apple Watch for another month or so, but Apple has already opened the gate for apps. 9to5Mac points out a slew of freshly updated apps, including Twitter, WeChat, Evernote and the weather app Dark Sky (shown above), among others. While regular developers won't be able to submit their wearable-ready apps until later, this select group is getting started early. There will be a section in the App Store just for the Watch, but if you can't wait until April 24th you can start getting ready right now.
Apple is training its store staff to offer fashion advice
Now that the Apple Watch is close to launch, Apple is getting its stores ready to sell the wearable -- and apparently, that involves turning its T-shirt-wearing staffers into fashion gurus. A 9to5Mac leak has revealed that the company is asking retail employees to suggest different watches based on how you dress and your lifestyle, much like you'd expect when buying a pair of designer glasses. Yes, that specialist may suggest a colorful watch because you have a "fun style" (ack), not just because it's the best your budget allows. Apple is reportedly aware that you might want to skip the spiel and will have areas for people who already know what they want, but you'll want to be prepared for some beauty banter if you're undecided.
Reuters: Tag Heuer teams up with Intel to challenge the Apple Watch
Tag Heuer's all set to take on the Apple Watch, and it's slated to reveal the new device sometime today. If you recall, the Swiss company has said that it's also making a smartwatch shortly after Cupertino announced its own last year. According to Reuters, Tag Heuer's parent corporation LVMH has teamed up with Intel to create a digital version of one of its most iconic models: the original black Carrera pictured above. It will reportedly still look like the non-digital version, except it will be able to track geolocation, the distance you've walked and your current altitude.
Tim Cook: Apple isn't becoming the new Microsoft
Are you getting the sense that Apple is becoming the new Microsoft, the giant corporation that's simultaneously doing too much and refusing to take risks? Not surprisingly, Tim Cook would like to have a word with you. He tells Fast Company that he doesn't accept those comparisons because Apple is "willing to lose sight of the shore" and drop existing technology, like optical drives and the 30-pin connector, in the name of progress. To Cook, Microsoft's problem (until lately, at least) was its refusal to "walk away from legacy stuff" -- it was so determined to support the old way of doing things that it had trouble moving forward.
As Apple moves into fitness, rival wearables vanish from stores
Apple is pitching its first smartwatch as the ultimate health and fitness coach, so of course, it doesn't want to remind customers about the competition. According to Re/code, the company is no longer selling the Nike+ FuelBand and Jawbone Up, among other popular activity trackers, in its flagship retail stores across San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles and New York. As early as last October, Apple was planning to pull Fitbit hardware from its shelves ahead of the Apple Watch's launch. A cursory glance at the company's US online store shows that almost all of the wearable's competition has now been removed, save for Jawbone's Up Move clip-on pendant and Wahoo's TICKR fitness trackers.
