To help you prepare for the April 24 release of Apple’s first wearable, the Apple Watch, here’s a summary of the company’s video tour of the device and its basic functions.
New Technology
Designed to work seamlessly with the iPhone, the Apple Watch is ideal for brief interactions, according to the company, with new technology that not only provides access to familiar functions in quick and easy ways, but also enables you to do things you can’t do on your phone. For example, the device can discreetly tap you when notifications are available or monitor your heart rate.
Activation and Gestures
To activate the Apple Watch, you simply raise your wrist and it wakes up. Conversely, lowering your wrist turns it off. The watch face can be customized to display information such as weather, calendars, or snapshots of your physical activity. Just tap on the icon to go to the app. To access other functions, you gesture either up or down. Swiping up will show you snippets of the apps you access most frequently. When you tap on a snippet, the full app opens. Swiping down displays notifications.
Navigation
To see all your apps in one place, you simply press on the “digital crown” on the side of the Apple Watch. Instead of having to swipe the screen with your finger, you can rotate the “wheel” to get an unobstructed view of all your content. It’s also used to magnify content, since pinching to zoom isn’t practical on the small face of the watch. To access Siri, you just hold down the digital crown, or you can voice-activate the function.
Force Touch
Because too many buttons would clutter the small screen, the display was designed to be pressure-sensitive, allowing users to bring up additional controls by pressing firmly on an item. The new touch technology is also useful to search for locations in maps, for example, or to bring up reply options in messaging apps or end a workout session.
New Ways to Connect
The only other button on the Apple Watch is found under the digital crown. Pressing it takes you directly to people you connect with most, enabling you to easily call or message them. You can also send someone a sketch or tap, or even share your heart beat, using a new feature called digital touch.
Pre-ordering begins on April 10. To take a guided tour of the Apple Watch and find details about App Store apps, technology, design, and much more, check out Apple’s site. Also keep an eye on our blog for future updates!
Posted by: Margot Knorr Mancini
