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.

Apple Watch selling out fast, shipping times slipping into June

At 12:01am PT Apple started taking pre-orders for the Apple Watch models through its online store and the Apple Store iOS shopping app. If you've managed to reserve your device for in-store pickup or home delivery on April 24, consider yourself lucky.

As MacRumors points out, pre-order shipping estimates for many Watch models have slipped to 4-6 weeks or later in less than six hours, with some models such as the 42mm Black Link Bracelet now set to ship in July. This means folks who just woke up and pre-ordered the device won't get it until late next month or June.

You can now pre-order your Apple Watch

Heads up everyone, the Apple Watch is now available for pre-order. You can grab yours from either Apple's online store or the Apple Store app on your iPhone or iPad. Some of us are able to get through, while others aren't, so be patient. As usual, it seems the Apple Store app is your best bet.

As a quick reminder, the Apple Watch comes in three models: Sport, Apple Watch and Edition; two sizes: 38mm and 42mm; and with various bands. The Sport is aluminum and starts at $349, the Apple Watch is stainless steel and starts at $549, and the 18K gold Edition starts at $10,000.

Poll: will you be pre-ordering Apple Watch?

With less than six hours until Apple Watch pre-orders open, we're curious if you'll be reserving one for yourself. Our January poll asked if you planned on getting the device and nearly half of the respondents said 'yes'. But that was more than three months ago, at a time when details about the gizmo were still scarce.

Since then, Apple's held a second media conference and released more details in the form of videos and various other tidbits. And now that you've read the reviews and watched hands-on videos of the wearable device in action, some of you may have changed your mind while others may still be on the fence about putting a Watch for your wrist. With that in mind, is your wrist ready for the Watch and will you be pre-ordering it come Friday 12:01am PT?

Scratch that: Apple Watch sapphire screen can take a beating

The iPhone 6, before it launched, was expected to feature an ultra-durable sapphire screen. So everyone wanted to get their hands on the material and put it through the ringer, to see how it would hold up in both every-day and not-so-every-day usage.

Well the Apple Watch, set to launch later this month, actually does have a sapphire screen, so naturally people are going to want to put it to the test too. In fact, the folks over at iPhonefixed already have, and they've uploaded a video of the torture session.

Have negative reviews changed your Apple Watch buying decision?

Yesterday saw the internet's top technology reviewers drop arguably their most important piece of the year. A day or two before the Apple Watch is made available for pre-order, the lid has been lifted on the reviews that the likes of John Gruber, Nilay Patel and Joshua Topolsky have been working on. The three I just mentioned, and more besides them, have been wearing an Apple Watch for over a week and have all published their reviews. Most have videos to go with them. They all have word counts running into the thousands.

If you were on the fence about ordering an iPhone come Friday's pre-order date, then the reviews will make for interesting reading. If you had already decided that the Apple Watch is not for you, they probably won't. Given the overall theme of the reviews I have read though, I can't help but wonder whether those who had already set their hearts on an Apple Watch may now have some thinking to do. That's because none of the reviews I have read have been glowing. In fact, some have been downright negative.

How to be prepared for Apple Watch pre-orders

After nearly 6 months of waiting, you will finally get the chance to check out the Apple Watch in person tomorrow. All official Apple Stores should have them on display, with representatives eager to answer your questions about the device and help you try one on.

Pre-orders for the Watch also open to the public tomorrow, starting at 12:01am Pacific time. So with that in mind, we thought it'd be a good idea to put together a quick roundup of everything you need to know before you decide to stay up all night to get your order in.

Apple Watch can tap into known Wi-Fi hotspots when your iPhone’s at home

From the onset, Apple's been telling us its Watch uses Wi-Fi (along with GPS) in your iPhone, but omitted that the gizmo can also take advantage of known Wi-Fi hotspots for limited functions when the paired iPhone isn't nearby or connected to the cellular network.

This nifty little feature lets the device be used standalone for the basic stuff like sending and receiving messages, drawings and taps. Just to be sure here, it still requires an iPhone to send and receive phone calls, run third-party apps and for much of its functionality, really.

The revelation was published as a side-note in Apple Watch reviews by both The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo Tech yesterday.

Apple warns of constrained Watch supply at launch

With less than 24 hours until Apple Watch pre-orders begin, the Cupertino firm has issued a media release advising customers to reserve their unit online because “we expect that strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch”.

Moreover, the company will be now taking orders for the device exclusively online “during the initial launch period.”

Some Apple Watch models may see delayed shipping times at launch

Customers who don't opt to pre-order an Apple Watch this Friday could run into inventory problems when trying to order the Apple Watch at launch. German-based Apple blog Macerkopf.de has discovered what looks like shipping dates for the wearable, which appeared on Apple's German and U.K web stores, and some models show up to 6 week lead times for select models.

Insane attention to detail and craftsmanship that went into designing Apple Watch faces

Apple's human-interface chief Alan Dye sat down with Wired to discuss the process of making each of the Apple Watch's customizable faces, yet another glimpse of the attention to detail Apple's always been famous for. For starters, the company spent weeks photographing jellyfish, butterflies and flowers in incredible detail for Watch faces.

In one example given, the company had a designer spending countless hours capturing a photo of a jellyfish in its design studio.

Video roundup: best Apple Watch features

In addition to a bunch of high-profile reviews of the Apple Watch and first unboxing videos of the device's packaging, major outlets have also produced videos which highlight specific features of the wrist-worn device, such as health and fitness tracking, notifications, design and more.

Reading detailed reviews takes time so you may want to check out these videos first and save longform write-ups for weekend reading.

Check out first Apple Watch unboxing videos

Following the initial wave of major Apple Watch reviews which hit the web earlier this morning, we're now being treated to first unboxing videos, starting with one posted by French website Metronews which depicts unboxing of the 42mm stainless steel Apple Watch model with Milanese Loop. We also have another one from Japan, with more to come throughout the day.