1. It’s called the Apple Watch, and has a square face with a retina display made of sapphire that can tell how hard someone is tapping on it. When you raise your wrist, the watch knows. It turns on the screen.
2. Apple Watch costs $350, so $100 more than the Moto 360 smartwatch but significantly cheaper than a Patek Philippe. It goes on sale next year.
3. There are three collections, two sizes, and six different straps, an unusual amount of variety for a company that doesn’t usually offer a lot of that. Doing so for the watch makes sense considering people’s tastes in watch design are probably more varied and personal than their taste in smartphone design.
4. Apple chief executive Tim Cook introduced the watch with Steve Jobs’s famous “one more thing” trick, where it seems like the event may be over, but then it’s not. Apple fans will realize that this means that Cook things this is a huge deal.
5. The interface is based on the “crown” — a dial on the side that looks like a rewind knob. Twist it to zoom; press it to get back to the home screen. This allows users to manipulate the screen without blocking their view.
6. Various search functions are handled by Siri.
7. The maps application has turn-by-turn directions that vibrates in different ways when you’re supposed to turn left or right, so you don’t have to look at the screen.
8. The phone can receive notifications from iPhones. Software called WatchKit allows developers to design closer integration with their mobile apps. Apple showed off a handful of apps under development. Starwood Hotels is setting up a way to unlock hotel rooms with the watch; BMW will show you a map of where you left your car.
9. The watch can sense your heart rate as well as sense movement through various sensors. It uses GPS and WiFi from an iPhone. Software helps people track whether they’re sitting too long and whether they’re getting enough brisk activity, as well as tracking specific workouts. The watch also suggests achievable fitness goals.
10. The app can communication with Apple’s new phones, as well as the 5S and the 5C.
11. It is accurate to within 50 milliseconds, which sounds very impressive and will make no difference in your ability to show up places on time.
