The Apple Watch Rumors – True or False?
Today’s long-awaited launch of the Apple Watch is a bit like the Academy Awards in that there’s a large audience waiting anxiously to find out exactly what’s going to happen. For months we’ve been hearing rumors, speculation and all kinds of predictions about what Apple’s very first wearable device will do, how much it will cost and practically everything else except the few meager details that were revealed back in September. Here’s a look at some of the rumors that will be proven true or false by today’s Apple Watch product launch.
Where can you buy one?
Obviously at your local Apple Store in the mall, which is expected to have a special section set aside just for sales of the smartwatch but beyond that the rumors vary. The lower-end versions of the watch are expected to be sold at Apple.com but there are rumors that the pricey gold model will not be available for orders online and that the usual Apple retailers like Best Buy or Walmart will not have the smartwatch at launch. On the other hand, there has been speculation that certain luxury retailers will have pop-up shops offering the Apple Watch.
Battery life
Rumors have been flying since the initial announcement that the battery life of the Apple Watch would be surprisingly short—like 24 hours or less. Apple CEO Tim Cook pretty much confirmed that the watch would need to be charged every day, which seems like a major nuisance when even iPhones have longer battery life than that. Are Apple aficionados supposed to have a master control board where all of their devices can be hooked up to life support every night?
Some rumors have claimed that the devices would require even more frequent charging if you actually try to do something with them. Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac reported that the Apple Watch battery would be good for 2.5 to 4 hours of heavy app use, 19 hours with a combo of app use and standby or 2 to 3 days on standby. This info allegedly came from an inside source back in the fall and more recent reports claim that Apple has managed to improve the battery life somewhat but the watch would still need to be charged every night. If this is so, it will provide a potent talking point for the makers of competing smartwatches that have significantly longer battery life.
How much will it cost?
This is the main subject of speculation since Apple provided no figures beyond $349 for the lowest-priced model. Price predictions for the gold Edition models head up into the stratosphere with Citigroup analyst Jim Suva predicting a modest $950, several others expecting the 18k Apple Watch to go for $4,000 to $5,000 and John Gruber at Daring Fireball betting on $10,000. Speculation on the pricing of the stainless steel version starts with $500 and goes up to Gruber’s prediction of $999.
All will be revealed starting at 10 a.m. PDT and you can watch the event live streamed at Apple.com—providing you’re using an Apple device, of course.
