Close on the heels of launching iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in India last month, Apple has launched its much-awaited Watch range in the country ahead of Diwali. Beginning today, Apple Watch will be officially available for sale through Apple's retail channels across the country. The smartwatch - in gold, Rose Gold, Space Gray, silver anodized aluminium; polished silver or Space Black stainless steel, and 18-Carat Rose Gold or Yellow Gold - has been launched seven months after its first debut in many countries. The Apple Watch is now available to buy in India from authorised resellers. As Gadgets 360 exclusively reported last month, the Apple Watch prices in India start from Rs. 30,900 (38mm) and Rs. 34,900 (42mm). The wearable comes in Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition variants. The base model price of the 38mm Apple Watch Sport is Rs. 30,900 (Silver Aluminium Case with White Sport Band), while the Apple Watch starts at Rs. 48,900 (Stainless Steel Case with White Sport Band), and Apple Watch Edition at Rs. 8,20,000 (18-Carat Rose Gold Case with White Sport Band). As for the 42mm Apple Watch models, the Apple Watch Sport starts at Rs. 34,900 (Silver Aluminium Case with White Sport Band), Apple Watch at Rs. 52,900 (Stainless Steel Case with White Sport Band), and Apple Watch Edition at Rs. 9,90,000 (18-Carat Rose Gold Case with White Sport Band).To put that in perspective, the 38mm and 42mm Sport models of the Apple Watch start at $349 (Rs. 22,700 approximately) and $399 (Rs. 25,900 approximately) in the US respectively, before taxes. The Apple Watch starts at $549 (approximately Rs. 35,600) for the 38mm model, and $599 (approximately Rs. 39,400) for the 42mm model, while the Apple Watch Edition starts at $10,000 (approximately Rs. 6,58,100) for the 32mm model, and $12,000 (approximately Rs. 7,89,700) for the 42mm model, once again before taxes. In the Gadgets 360 review of the Apple Watch, we concluded that if you have an iPhone and if you want a smartwatch, the Apple Watch is your best choice in the smartwatch market. Despite Google's recently rolled out Android Wear support for iPhone, it would be hard for app and platform developers to provide the same level of functionality on a rival platform. Other products like the Pebble Time and Fitbit Surge have limited interactivity with iPhones due to Apple's software restrictions. Overall, we felt the Apple Watch feels very polished for a first generation device and its trade-offs (battery life, lags) are minor and shouldn't stop you from buying the device. The company in September released watch OS 2 as well, the updated system software for the Apple Watch, which brought features like activation lock, native apps, and more. Finally, we found the Apple Watch's price was high especially if you pick one of the more expensive variants, but then it is a mistake to think of those Apple Watch variants as technology products. They're luxury products for those who can afford them. For most people, the base variant with the sport band will work just fine Here are 6 questions you wanted to ask I have had a couple of previous encounters with the Apple Watch, without never really being able to take a deep dive. What I saw initially was not in sync with any other smartwatch I had used before, and I have had the good fortune to try quite a few of them. This week I finally got my hands on a review device and I think before a full fledged interview it might be a good idea to clear some doubts I had about the watch because I am sure someone thinking of picking up the watch will also have similar doubts. QUESTION 1: Is this smartwatch similar to others in the market? No. The Apple is different from other watches and smart bands I have used because it does more than anything out there. It is a good activity tracker, it reflects all your messages and notifications and also acts as an extension of your phone. The big differentiator is that there is already a large ecosystem of apps and the fact that the watch can do a lot of stuff on its own. QUESTION 2: How tied up is it to the smartphone? You can use the Apple Watch without the smartphone after the initial setup is done. That said, it is better using the watch as an extension of your phone. QUESTION 3: Can you make calls on this watch? Yes, you can receive calls on the watch and make good conversation without even holding the watch to your ears. However, this is tough to execute in a crowded place and is better used with a Bluetooth headset. QUESTION 4:. What does the crown do? The crown acts like the smart dial in the iPod and is good for navigation on the screen. Almost everything the crown does can be done using the touchscreen too, but Apple thinks, rightly so, that this just ends up obscuring your view of the small screen. The crown can be used to scroll through a lot of things, what Apple calls Time Travel, like seeing how the weather will change through the day. QUESTION 5: Is the watch customisable? The Apple Watch is heavily customisable and let’s you change almost everything from watch faces to notifications. Plus, the watch comes in multiple sizes and variants. QUESTION 6: How is the Apple Watch priced in India? The Apple Watch comes in two sizes, both with three variants each. In 38MM, the Apple Watch Sport will start at Rs 30,900, the Apple Watch will start at Rs 48,900 and the Apple Watch Edition will cost Rs 8,20,000. In the larger 42MM, the Apple Watch Sport will be priced Rs 34,900, Apple Watch at Rs 52,900 and Apple Watch Edition at Rs 9,90,000. The high-end Apple Watch edition has a 18-Carat Rose Gold Case with White Sport Band.
Topics
