Apple Watch

Stay up-to-date on the latest Apple Watch news, and learn how to get the most out of your device with our comprehensive tutorials. From updates to features to troubleshooting tips, we’ve got you covered.

Review: Monowear third-party Apple Watch band

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

The folks over at Monowear sent me a couple of their third-party Apple Watch bands to try out. I've always been a little skeptical about third-party bands, because I worry about their quality, and whether or not they can truly match up to what Apple provided us with.

I've never tried a third-party band until now, but I can tell you that along with being inexpensive relative to what Apple's charging, these bands are high quality and have a great fit. If I was in the market for a third-party, and I just might be after trying these out for the last few days, I'd definitely give Monowear a look.

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Rumor: Apple Watch 2 screen to remain square, resolution unchanged

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Contrary to speculative reporting, a next-generation Apple Watch will not switch to a round screen instead as some watchers have been hoping. Moreover, the device's screen resolution will remain unchanged from the first-generation model.

According to sources in Asian supply chain who spoke to Taiwanese media, it does however appear that the Apple Watch 2 display will be a tad thinner in order to accommodate a bigger battery.

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VLC gains Apple Watch controller, mini-player, support for looping playlists and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2015

VLC, a cross-platform, open-source media player by VideoLAN that can render just about any file type thrown at it, has updated its iOS app in the App Store with a brand new WatchKit component in addition to a bunch of new features and other enhancements.

VLC 2.6 for iOS now lets you control your media library application from your wrist, with the Apple Watch app providing basic playback control, media information and the ability to browse your library.

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Twitterrific now uses facial recognition to properly frame subjects in media previews

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

The Iconfactory has issued a nice little update to Twitterrific 5, its freemium Twitter client for the iPhone and iPad, which brings out an interesting new feature that uses facial recognition algorithms to frame faces in media previews in your timeline.

And if you own an Apple Watch, Twitterrific has a new push notification type for quoted tweets as an opt-in feature in settings. Another enhancement: at last, you're allowed to swipe from the left screen edge to go back or dismiss the current view, a productivity boost for iPhone 6 Plus owners wanting to use the app one-handed.

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Focus brings beautiful time management to iOS and Apple Watch

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Perhaps my biggest productivity hindrance is time management. If I’m able to set aside time to focus on a task without distraction and stick with it to completion, my productivity levels exponentiate. Getting to that point, however, can be difficult and requires an incredible amount of self control. Focus is an app I picked recently that helps to both manage time and concentrate on the task at hand. It’s compatible with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and, soon, Mac as well, and I have a full review below.

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‘Reserve Strap’ adds 30 hours of battery life to your Apple Watch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 12, 2018

In March, developers Lane Musgrave and John Arrow announced that they were working on a battery band for the Apple Watch. Not many details were available at the time, but now that the Watch has been out for a few months, the team is ready to make things official.

Meet the Reserve Strap. It's a band that charges your Apple Watch using embedded batteries and a connection to the device's hidden accessory port. Musgrave and Arrow claim that their product is capable of adding more than 30 additional hours of battery life to your Watch.

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AppleCare+ now covers Apple Watch batteries that retain less than 80% of their original capacity

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2015

AppleCare+ protection for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch has refreshed its terms to cover batteries that retain less than 80 percent of their original capacity within the extended warranty period. The new rules apply to Apple Watch Sport, Watch and Edition models, as discovered by MacRumors.

Previously, the extended warranty used to cover Apple Watch batteries that retained less than 50 percent of their original capacity. Apple officially guarantees the Apple Watch battery will retain up to 80 percent of its original capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles. Assuming an average of one full charge cycle per day, the specification gives the device's battery a lifespan of about two-and-a-half to three years.

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Apple Watch launches in 7 new countries, hitting Netherlands, Sweden and Thailand on July 17

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2015

Keeping true to its promise, the Apple Watch world tour continues as the Cupertino firm on Friday expanded device availability to an additional seven markets around the world: Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan. Customers in the aforesaid markets can now purchase the device from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

In addition, Apple has refreshed its website to confirm that the wearable device will launch in The Netherlands, Sweden and Thailand on Friday, July 17.

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How to buy Apple Watch with in-store delivery

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2015

Earlier today, the Apple Watch hit an additional seven countries around the world, thus bringing the number of countries where the wearable gizmo officially sells to sixteen, with more markets joining Apple's party it in the coming weeks and months.

The Cupertino firm has pledged to sell “some models” in its retail stores to walk-in customers. But, you still cannot just waltz inside an Apple Store, pick up an Apple Watch and walk away—without making an online reservation first.

That's where the Apple Online Store's handy online reservation system comes into play. Called Reserve & Pickup, it lets prospective customers reserve their Apple Watch with in-store delivery for pickup in person. In this tutorial, I'm going to guide you step by step through using the Reserve & Pickup system to find an Apple Watch you'd like to buy and have it shipped to your nearest Apple Store.

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FirstLetter review: a word game designed specifically for Apple Watch

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Personally, I am fascinated with the future of gaming on Apple Watch. While I am interested in apps that make my life more convenient and organized, I am really excided about apps that make my wearable technology fun.

FirstLetter is a game that was specifically designed for Apple Watch. It is playable on the iPhone, but its minimalist design and simple game mechanics make it perfect for the wrist worn device. We've got a game review of FirstLetter for you today.

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