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APPLE’S LATEST PRODUCT, Apple Watch will start selling next month and if you want the premium version, you better have some deep pockets.
At the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, California, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the price ranges for the three versions, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition.
The Apple Watch Edition, which is a premium version made from 18-karat solid yellow or rose gold, will start selling at $10,000. According to Cook, there will be a limited number and it will only be available in select stores.
Other versions will be cheaper but just barely. The Apple Watch will cost $549 – $1,049 for the 38mm version and $599 – $1,099 for the 42mm. The reason for the differences is down to the type of bands that you choose for it.
The cheapest version, the Apple Watch Sport will cost $349 for the 38mm version and $399 for the 42mm version.
The watch will also come with fitness services, which will not only track your movement and activity, but will give a full report at the end of every week. It will also provide new objectives and goals based on how you did that week.
The device will come with an “all-day battery” which is expected to last for 18 hours over a typical day.
The device will begin selling on 24th April in nine countries including the US and UK.
A new Macbook
A number of other products were also announced during the event. The biggest one was the new Macbook, which Apple described as the lightest Mac ever and has the function of a netbook. It weighs two pounds and has a 12-inch retina display.
The trackpad comes with a Taptic engine which provides feedback for your clicking and allows you to click anywhere. It also comes with Force Click, which means if you press on the trackpad, it will complete different actions like fast-forwarding on a video, or getting a preview of a folder before opening.
The device is fanless and uses USB-C which will become the standard for all device over the next few years. The price will starts at €1,499 and goes up to €1,829.
It also announced ResearchKit, which will allow iPhone users to contribute to medical research by carrying out tests on the device. The information will help medical researchers and users will get immediate results back.
Apple says it will not see your data and only the user decides what information to share to researchers.
Originally published 18:50.
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What I never understand is, apple European HQ is in Ireland yet we don’t have one apple shop here and we never have an apple product released on the same date as the UK and US.
Understand this – We are a tax haven and an inside joke at Apple.
We have loads of Apple shops here! There is one in Dundrum shopping centre for one.
They are only authorised dealers for Apple more then likely Compu b store. There is no actual store owned by Apple in Ireland.
No, we don’t have Apple retail shops, but we do have Apple “Premium Resellers”.
@Will: The only Apple Store on the island is in the Victoria Shopping Centre in Belfast. Which is why Irish iPhone users have to mail their phone in for repairs – or travel North. CompuB are a private company, they they charge for lots of things that a Genius Bar in an Apple Store wouldn’t. And they don’t repair iPhones. Annoyingly.
Google seem to have their EU main office in Ireland too and when I tried to buy any of their products it was sooner available in India than here.
Ireland is just a stop over and tax paradise for the big corporate. They couldn’t give F about anything else I’d say. Probably cost of maintaining retail channels would be bigger than income from same in this small country. Still annoying though.
Stopover ?? They employ 4000+ or does that count for nothing ?
ridiculous comment Jason Bourne !!
Go down to Moore St , Tiss full of them.
… Except they’re building an €850 million data centre in Athenry: http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/apple-athenry-jobs-data-centre-850-m-investment-1954306-Feb2015/
@Jason: Did you miss the headline a couple of week’s ago about Apple’s €750 MILLION investment in a Data Centre outside Athenry?
@Jake
It’s great they’re building a data centre; but besides construction, how many people will that employ? (Hint, very little.)
Sure you could put a data centre in Antarctica, it hardly employs anyone. They’re only doing it for tax purposes so I’d hardly call it a massive investment into the actual economy.
All the contracts will go to British firms as per usual. That includes builders, hardware, security. It will probably employ about fifteen to twenty people. As a country they will use our electricity and telecoms at a reduced rate of course.
Oh and the purchase of the land. So very very little actually going towards our economy. Apple are not alone, Amazon and Google doing the same.
Gerard alot of the companies designing, constructing and doing the mechanical and civil engineering on data centers not only in Ireland but all over Europe are Irish!!
Bilbo,
Apple, Amazon, Google have there own team of civil engineers.
No need for us paddy’s to interfere with progress.
A watch with an 18hr battery… Nah you’re grand thanx
Beats the phone battery life. I’ll take two! I have two wrists…
If you’re an Apple head you’ll need one wrist for somethng else.
Ingenious by Apple, they have a $10,000 watch so people don’t realise that the $350 watch is over priced!
There are 24 hours in a day but Apple just released a watch that only recognises 18 of those. Rolex et al must be sh*tting.
Word of advice Apple, nobody cares anymore.
Sony,Samsung and htc becoming more competitive.
Your products are starting to SUCK.
Word of advice Trevor, I doubt Apple cares what you say. They are going to make another fortune selling it regardless if that watch is good or bad in fairness.
True, unfortunately, but everyone is entitled to an opinion.
True Trevor, my opinion is that Apple couldn’t care less what some lad from Offaly thinks.
Not from offaly, so that is not important either
How many millions watched the release?
I guess they were just bored and had nothing better to do than get up at 3am to watch it… Because clearly NO ONE cares…
Nobody in Ireland cares what someone from Offaly thinks. So why should Apple?
In fact. Do people from Offaly think??
Intelligent input there middle class
Apple is like the lotto – a tax on the stupid.
The 1040 lottery jackpot winners would disagree with you
Not if the understood statistics
Disappointing as expected
If you were expecting it, it can’t be a disappointment. Logic 101!
It sucks that none of the Apple Watch line will be shower or swimming pool proof – they’ll only be kitchen/rain proof.
This is THE must-have accessory for water protestors.
One of Apple’s key market demographics in The Free State.
John you need to get out more
I’d feel safer if he stayed in, Alan…
Don’t let iPhone joan catch you with one or the dole will be slashed
A fool and his money…
They should have made a wind-up version.
They did!
Not excited much about the watch – especially at that high price, but have to say they set standard again with that MacBook.
Absolute win with those specs, dimensions and features. You will be hard pushed finding better portable laptop now.
What? 1.1 single core m processor.. I’d stick to the old 11 i5 mate.
Where did you get that single core from? Of course it’s dual core. While not powerhouse – it’s only marginally slower to last Mac Air CPUs. Then it brings slimmer design and more on battery time – fair enough id say.
As for portable machine it’s perfect – I’m sure anyone who needs computer to do some heavy lifting is using appropriate desktop at home.
sorry dual core. I got that one confused. ;-) judging by the life span of all the Lightning cables I had. I will miss the MagSafe connection and of course an additional USB port. But we can always buy more additional connectors right?? :-) sorry but after destroying the Mac mini in the last upgrade I have the feeling the air is becoming another victim right here and the standard airs will be discontinued eventually. Design > performance.
Hmm.. The $10k Apple Watch, will I buy this version or maybe wait for the Apple Watch 2.. Decisions Decisions.
My casio that i bought for 20 quid is still going strong 9 years later (same battery and all). Stopwatch, alarm, dual clock, date, 12/24 hr format AND a 3 second backlight for use in the dark. Although the battery is running low. Called into the jeweler and he said come back in five years.
I’ll stick to my citizen eco drive thanks
Just shut up and take my money already
African investors would be delighted to – feel free to post your bank details.
And you have to have your iPhone on you for it to be any use beyond telling the time. utter waste of money IMO.
iDiot magnets.
Sheep love apple, idiot consumers
As long as the watch is reliable & tells the right time, 10 quid down the market will do the finest, thanks
‘..the device will be fanless..’
Hehehe!
Will there be a U2 watch !
Sorry …………all day battery which lasts 18hrs
Well I suppose that’s 17hrs 30mins longer than their phone batteries last
F-91W : that is all
Sure you can’t beat it!
Double the prices for Ireland and throw in 23% VAT for good measure.
Nope
Apple
Strictly control their prices across the world
Prices are always approximate the same
Typo journal.. The 42mm version starts at $399, you have them both at $349…
Concerning the watch I might give it a go… But 18hrs, typically these products last much less time with use, so it’ll be going back to the store if it’s even an hour or two less. I can’t see many people dealing with a watch who’s battery lasts a half day.
Early adopters yes…. But mainstream will wait for V2… Until they can be guaranteed 24hrs of use.
I suspect that most people check the time on their mobile phones, so these new Apple Watches might not sell as quickly as they think. There will be the initial rush of fanboys eager to be seen to have the latest gadget, but long term, I have my doubts.
Do people still wear watches?
The Apple Watch has an App that reminds you witch pocket your iphone is in. I hear it is also manufactured by black transgendered non threatening middle-class vegan hipsters so it is worth every penny.
Just say NO !
>> The Apple Watch Edition, which is a premium version made from 18-karat solid yellow or rose gold,
>> will start selling at $10,000.
>> Other versions will be cheaper but just barely. The Apple Watch will cost $549 – $1,049
On what planet is $549 just barely cheaper than $10,000?!
It’s nearly 20 times cheaper.
How exactly is 1/20th the cost “just barely” cheaper?
The premium Apple Watch Edition is for filmstars, someone who is in the market for a Rolex type watch.
You can’t really compare that to the entry level Sport Edition which is $349 btw, not $549.
Which is 28 times cheaper than the most expensive one.
Imagine a Rolex with a 7 hour battery life or 3 hours if you are busy farting around with messages and pictures.
Our main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street, is in dire need of a facelift and has some stunning historic buildings that need saving. Apple could use some good PR in the country that it uses to reduce its tax burden – the country has been good to ye. An Apple Store would be most welcome in Dublin 1.
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