Introduce

Apple Watch is a line of smartwatches by Apple Inc., announced by Tim Cook on April 24, 2015. In addition to the function of a normal wristwatch, Apple Watch can also track sports training, count steps, heart rate, menstrual cycle, sleep, as well as other health-related functions, it is compatible with iOS and other Apple products and services, such as answering phone calls, reading messages, receiving notifications synchronized from applications on the iPhone that Apple Watch is paired with.

Apple Watch runs on the watchOS operating system, largely dependent on the iPhone it is paired with in the first generations. From the Series 3 generation, in addition to Wi-Fi, 4G LTE connectivity with eSIM was added, Apple Watch can operate independently with more features. Since the first generation was introduced in April 2015, Apple Watch quickly became the best-selling smart wearable device in the world. 4.2 million units were sold in the second quarter of 2015. Unlike its competitors (which had round watch faces), the Apple Watch featured a distinct design with a square watch face. Subsequent generations were introduced annually in September, at the same event as Apple’s new iPhones.

Development
The goal of the Apple Watch was to complement the iPhone and add new functions, while freeing people from their phones.

Kevin Lynch was hired by Apple to create wearable technology for the wrist. He said: “People carry their phones around with them and look at screens a lot. People want that level of interaction. But how do we deliver it in a way that’s a little more human, more immediate when you’re next to someone?”Apple’s development process was kept secret until a Wired article revealed how some internal design decisions were made.

Rumors from 2011 speculated that Apple was developing a wearable variant of the iPod that could bend around the user’s wrist and feature Siri integration. In February 2013, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was beginning to develop an iOS-based smartwatch with a curved display. That same month, Bloomberg reported that Apple’s smartwatch project had “moved beyond the testing phase” with a team of about 100 designers. In July 2013, the Financial Times reported that Apple had begun hiring additional staff to work on the smartwatch and that it was targeting a retail release by the end of 2014.

Announcement and release
In April 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal that the company was planning to launch new products that year, but did not disclose any details.

In June 2014, Reuters reported that production of the smartwatch was expected to begin in July for an October release.

During a September 2014 press event where the iPhone 6 was also introduced, the new watch was introduced by Tim Cook in a “one more thing” segment. After a video focusing on the design process, Cook reappeared on stage wearing an Apple Watch.

Compared to other Apple products and rival smartwatches, the marketing of the Apple Watch has promoted the device as a fashion accessory. Apple then focused on its health and fitness features, in an effort to compete with dedicated activity trackers.

The device was not named “iWatch”, which would have brought it into line with its product lines such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. In the United States, the “iWatch” trademark is owned by OMG Electronics, which is crowdfunding a device with the same name; it is owned by Irish company Probendi in the European Union. In July 2015, Probendi sued Apple Inc. for trademark infringement, arguing that through keyword advertising on the Google search engine, it caused ads for the Apple Watch to appear on search results pages when users searched for the trademarked term “iWatch”.

Release
Pre-orders for the Apple Watch began on April 10, 2015, with an official release on April 24. It was initially unavailable at Apple Stores; customers could make appointments to view and test the device, but the device was not in stock for purchase in person and had to be reserved and ordered online. CNET suggested that this distribution model was designed to prevent Apple Store locations from having long lines due to high demand. The first retail store to display the Apple Watch to the public was Colette in Paris. A limited number of models were subsequently sold at luxury boutiques and authorized retailers.

On June 4, 2015, Apple announced that it planned to sell the Apple Watch at its retail locations.

On August 24, 2015, Best Buy announced that it would begin selling the Apple Watch in its retail stores later this month.