The Apple Watch has been the product launch on everyone’s lips for the last few months. Now it’s just under a month away until its official launch on April 24 and pre-orders begin on April 10. So if you’re thinking about getting yourself one of these fancy gadgets, keep on reading for all the info you need.

The main thing that people have been asking is:

  • Do I NEED this watch?
  • Will it do anything that my iPhone wouldn’t?
  • How will it benefit me?

So let us give you the lowdown.

There are 3 main styles for this collection: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Collection and Apple Watch Edition – all with varying price lists. The watch starts at £299 for an Apple Watch Sport and can reach prices of £13,500 for the 18- karat gold edition. These prices may be a little steeper than some consumers were hoping to pay, so it is important to examine the features before making a rash decision to rush out and purchase the product.

In typical Apple style, of course it works with your iPhone. Most of us had already assumed that. All of the notifications that come through to your iPhone will be instantly available on your wrist also, making it so much easier to dismiss those annoying little notifications you don’t need without ever getting your phone out of your pocket. It will also allow users to send texts and set reminders through its voice control system, making life a little easier for users constantly on the go.

It has all the apps that you would expect from Apple, with a Glances feature that allows you to pull the screen upwards for easy access to apps such as Calendar, Activity, Weather and Passbook. And we would expect no less of Apple than to outdo their competitors with 8GB of storage compared to the typical Android who promise us only 4GB.

We can also expect the watch to keep Nike on their toes with fitness tracking capabilities that could rival those of the FuelBand. Not only does a sensor monitor your activity, but it’s now also easy to keep track of your heart rate, set calorie targets, has a workout app and if you need that extra bit of motivation, it will give you a slight nudge if you are inactive for too long.

The strap can be easily swapped for users to personalise the product. But many writers have predicted (and we agree) a brand new accessories department in the Apple store with, you guessed it, watch straps, watch accessories, watch cases and whatever else you could possibly think of to go with this new nifty little gadget.

But reviewers have picked up on its slight downsides. The battery life is something that hasn’t been completely clarified. Reports say the watch will last 18 hours of ‘normal use’ but it’s hard to decipher what Apple mean by normal use. Other reports claim that the battery will last for an average day, but only just. Some have also claimed that if you are using it consistently, it may not even last for a whole working day.

Just like your iPhone, this product will definitely need charging overnight to keep it alive. It is also slightly disappointing that the watch isn’t waterproof. According to Apple, it should be able to endure exercise, rain, washing your hands and everyday activities but the watch should not be left to be submerged in water. And we’re also curious to see how the watch will fare without connection to an iPhone.

A contributor to Forbes, Ewan Spence, has compared the watch to the iPhone 5c and predicts that the watch will be a similar fail. He compares it to similar products on the market; especially for Android. Other users have also commented saying they would continue to favour the Android devices because they are so accessible. Read more here

Only time will tell how successful the product will be so we’ll have to be patient and wait for the upcoming release date.

Next up – How will the Apple Watch Change various industries?