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Category: Apple Watch

Adam Engst TidBITS Staff 12 comments

Apple Watch First Impressions

We’re not pretending to review the Apple Watch formally, but we wanted to share our first impressions after a weekend of use by six of our regular contributors.

Josh Centers No comments

Apple to Offer Band Swaps for the Apple Watch

Have you received your Apple Watch, only to find that you hate the band? The good news is that Apple may be willing to exchange it. According to internal Apple documents obtained by MacRumors, Apple is planning to allow Apple Watch customers to exchange just the band, instead of having to return the entire watch. However, there are a few restrictions: you must swap bands within the 14-day return window, the new band must be from the same collection as the watch, and the watch must have been purchased directly from Apple. Also, the swap won’t be handled entirely in store — Apple Store employees will verify your eligibility, initiate the swap online, and a new band will be shipped to you.

Josh Centers 3 comments

iFixit’s Apple Watch Teardown

A new Apple product hasn’t officially arrived until the boffins at iFixit tear it apart and document every component — which they now have. This probably won’t come as a surprise, but the Apple Watch isn’t easy to repair. And the idea of upgradeable watches can be put to rest: you have to tear the entire watch apart to reach the S1 chip.

Rich Mogull 1 comment

How the Apple Watch Could Improve Security

As a secure second device likely to be with its owner at nearly all times, the Apple Watch offers some compelling opportunities to improve account security.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata 2 comments

Apple Watch Try-Ons Are Both Hype and Help

Julio Ojeda-Zapata visited Apple Stores in his area for Apple Watch try-ons. The experience proved more enjoyable and enlightening than he expected and cured some of his misconceptions about Apple’s new smartwatch.

Adam Engst 5 comments

Apple Watch Pre-Orders Sell Out Fast

Adam and Tonya Engst happened to wake up at 3 AM, just in time for each to pre-order an Apple Watch. But the initial stock sold out so fast that Adam didn’t get the model he wanted, causing him to ponder what might have happened with Apple’s estimation or manufacturing.

Michael E. Cohen 5 comments

Should You Buy the Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch reviews have begun to pour in, all attempting to answer the obvious question that arises whenever Apple releases a new product line: “Should I buy it?” The answer, as always, is “maybe.”

Josh Centers 30 comments

iOS 8.3 Triggers an Avalanche of Improvements

With iOS 8.3, Apple is offering a collection of new emoji, as well as a plethora of performance, security, and stability improvements that users will be glad to see.

Adam Engst 51 comments

Apple Watch: Your Personal Technology Rorschach Test

Will the Apple Watch be the next must-have technology gadget or a complete flop? Is it reasonably priced or expensive beyond any rational calculation? Will it be the sort of device that can be upgraded over time or will it join your old iPod in a drawer in a few years? No one knows the answers to these questions, but Adam Engst suggests that how you answer them says more about you than the Apple Watch itself.

Michael E. Cohen 23 comments

Apple Unveils More Apple Watch Details

Apple revealed more, but not all, about the Apple Watch in its “Spring Forward” event today. Notably, you’ll be able to pre-order an Apple Watch on 10 April 2015, with delivery two weeks later. But you might not like the prices.

Josh Centers 8 comments

Apple Releases iOS 8.2 with Apple Watch Support

Apple has updated iOS to version 8.2, which includes a new Apple Watch app for the upcoming wearable.

Josh Centers 24 comments

How Much Gold Will the Apple Watch Edition Consume?

If rumored production numbers of the Apple Watch Edition are true, Apple may be about to make a bigger dent in the universe than anyone could have ever anticipated. Or maybe The Wall Street Journal’s numbers are a tad high.

Adam Engst 5 comments

Pebble Time Announced Before Apple Watch

The Apple Watch may be dominating the smartwatch market from the future, but market leader Pebble Technology is aiming for a slightly different target audience with the new color-screen Pebble Time.

Josh Centers Michael E. Cohen 2 comments

Big iPhones Mean a Big Q1 2015 for Apple; Apple Watch Date Revealed

Apple has posted yet another record-shattering financial quarter, and Tim Cook has finally announced when we will be able to get our hands on the Apple Watch.

Michael E. Cohen No comments

First Apple Watch Apps Will Only Skim the Surface

Apple released the first beta of its software development kit for the Apple Watch to developers this week, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer before we see Office for the Apple Watch.