(Getty)
Apple has announced an Apple Watch event for March 9. Consumers first got a sneak peek of the upcoming Apple smartwatch during the launch of the iPhone 6. The base model of the Apple Watch is expected to cost around $350, and the watches are expected to go on sale in April. The pricing of more premium versions of the Apple Watch is still unknown, but all should be revealed during Apple’s event on March 9. If you want one of the more premium watches from the Apple Watch line, ZDNet suggests you might have to pay up to $4,000 for the gold version. You can see photos of all the Apple Watch variants in our Apple Watch gallery.
Apple has sent out invites for the event, which are emblazoned with the words “Spring forward.” This is likely a reference to both the forward-thinking design of Apple’s watch, as well as the common “spring forward, fall back” adage used to remember Daylight Savings Time. This year, Daylight Savings Time begins March 8, just one day before Apple’s scheduled announcement.
The event will be held at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. It will kick off at 10 a.m. local time. If Apple’s most recent livestream for the iPhone 6 and new iPads is any indicator, we can expect that Apple will livestream the Apple Watch event will be streamed over the Apple TV and Apple’s own website. Here’s hoping the livestream doesn’t have the same issues that plagued the iPhone 6 livestream.
While Apple seems to be optimistic about the public reception of their Apple Watch, some tech insiders wonder if Apple’s first watch will be a flop. Reuters reports that Apple has ordered at least five million Apple Watches. However, this new device does have some potential drawbacks. Cult of Mac notes that the device is water-resistant, but not fully waterproof. On top of that, the Motley Fool writes that the audience for the Apple Watch will be limited to people who own newer iPhones. Additionally, the battery life is rumored to be only about one day, so it will need to be recharged quite frequently.
In their report on the announcement, the Verge referred to Apple’s first smartwatch as “Apple’s first landmark product introduction since Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPad in 2010.” Wearables may not be a new category, but people have been waiting for years to see Apple’s take on the smartwatch.
Whether you plan to buy an Apple Watch or not, it should be interesting to see how things shake out after the March 9 event. Apple’s smartwatch could be the company’s next big thing, but it could also be a high-profile flop. We’ll have to wait until next month to know which way the wind is blowing.
