Today is Apple Watch launch day in the United States and eight other first wave launch countries, and many customers around the world are busy setting up their new smartwatch or anxiously waiting for their package to be delivered. Meanwhile, the teardown team at repair website iFixit flew to Melbourne, Australia to get their hands on the Apple Watch and take it apart to see what's inside.
iFixit started by prying open the display and disconnecting the display and digitizer cables underneath, getting a first look at the Taptic Engine, inside of the Digital Crown and internal 205 mAh battery. Digging further into the Apple Watch, the team got a closer look at various components for haptic feedback, an ambient light sensor and S1 integrated processor. Overall, the Apple Watch received a 5 out of 10 repairability score.
Back in Los Angeles, several thousands of miles away from the teardown, KTLA reporter Rich DeMuro was on site at Maxfield in West Hollywood to interview various people waiting in line to purchase the Apple Watch. It was confirmed earlier this week that the Apple Watch would go on sale in limited quantities at Maxfield and other select fashion boutiques such as Colette in Paris and Dover Street Market in Tokyo and London.
DeMuro also provided a basic overview of the Apple Watch's core features, including watch faces, heart rate monitoring, health and fitness tracking, phone calling and stock apps. In line with many early reviews, he said that the Apple Watch is not a device that everyone needs, but that the wrist-worn device has high-quality apps and provides a better overall experience than many Android Wear alternatives.
Apple Watch launched today in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and United Kingdom following a two-week pre-order window that started April 10 at 12:01 AM Pacific. The watch will be sold exclusively online until at least June, with no walk-in purchases being taken at Apple retail stores in any of the first wave launch countries.
Alternative insurance protection plan service SquareTrade today confirmed support for both the Apple Watch Sport and mid-tier Apple Watch models. The plans sit near the cost of AppleCare+ for the Watch, but cover accidental damage done to the device, unlike the additional charge required in AppleCare+.
The SquareTrade Apple Watch plans offer customers options with and without deductibles. So, for example, the Apple Watch Sport plan ranges from $59 to $69 (with deductible) and $129 to $159 (with no deductible). Similarly, the mid-tier Apple Watch models stretch from $79 to $149 (with deductible) and $169 to $239 (without deductible).
Both Watch tiers are 2-year plans covering malfunctions as well as accidental damage. The company believes that one of the most likely points of risk for the Watch will be "among others, drops and falls from nightly charging stations." But it assure customers that anything beyond intentional damage, loss, or theft will be covered by the plan.
"We don't mean to dampen all the excitement about the Apple Watch, but inevitably the klutz in us will come out. Just like smartphones, the Apple Watch accompanies us everywhere and is susceptible to the wear and tear of daily life," said Jessica Hoffman, vice president of global communications for SquareTrade.
The company has even gone so far as to create a "Wrisk" Predictor Lifestyle Quiz that aims to predict which Apple Watch model is most suitable for each customer's lifestyle. The company created the so-called Wrisk Factor to detect and perceive the risks for the wrist-worn device.
AppleCare+, in comparison, sees its two-year plans priced at $49 (plus $69 deductible for accidental damage) for the Sport and $69 (plus $79 deductible for accidental damage) for the mid-tier Watch, with the only gradient pricing range increasing with the added option of a combination iPhone/Apple Watch plan. AppleCare+ also provides a $1500 plan for the Apple Watch Edition, but SquareTrade appears to have opted out in focusing on those higher-end customers for its new Watch protection plans.
Apple has outlined that the Apple Watch battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles, which gives the watch's battery a lifespan of about two-and-a-half to three years based on fully charging the wrist-worn device once per day.
Comparatively, the MacBook and iPad can also receive up to 1000 complete charge cycles while retaining up to 80% of original battery capacity. iPhones receive up to 500 complete charge cycles, and iPods receive up to 400 complete charge cycles before the battery may deplete further.
A teardown of the Apple Watch earlier today revealed a small 205 mAh battery inside the device, which lasts up to 18 hours based on mixed usage and up to 72 hours in Power Reserve mode. The battery is covered under Apple's limited 1-year hardware warranty, while out-of-warranty battery service is also available for $79 plus an applicable $6.95 shipping charge if required for the Sport, Watch and Edition models.
MacRumors has obtained official Visual Mechanical Inspection information for the Apple Watch that reveals what type of damage is eligible for warranty service, out-of-warranty service or no service at all. These guidelines are adhered to by Apple authorized service providers and are based upon Apple's standard 1-year limited hardware warranty for the Apple Watch.
Apple Watch damage that is eligible for warranty service includes user-claimed debris under the display glass or pixel anomaly, a back cover removed with no damage, and any condensation in the heart rate sensor windows. In particular, the document states that a removed back cover is only covered when not accompanied by enclosure damage or evidence of prying.
Apple Watch damage that is eligible for out-of-warranty service includes a cracked, missing, removed or damaged Digital Crown cap, extreme abrasion, puncture holes, missing buttons resulting from a drop, any chips or multiple cracks in the display glass, a removed back cover with evidence of enclosure damage or prying, a bent or split band enclosure, a missing or removed band release button, or cracks in the back cover.
Apple Watch damage considered nonreturnable and ineligible for warranty service includes a disassembled unit or missing parts, catastrophic damage, counterfeit or third-party parts, and unauthorized modifications such as aftermarket displays and other non-Apple installed parts. Catastrophic damage may still be covered under an AppleCare+ Protection Plan on a case-by-case basis.
Apple disclosed earlier this month that it will charge out-of-warranty service fees of $229, $329 and $2,800 for the Sport, Watch and Edition models respectively for repairs not covered by Apple's limited one-year warranty or AppleCare+ for Apple Watch. Out-of-warranty battery service is also available for $79 plus an applicable $6.95 shipping charge if required for all Apple Watch models.
Thanks to the time difference, a few Australian Apple Watch customers began receiving their orders as early as yesterday afternoon here in the United States. Because of this, smartphone website FoneFox decided to put the Apple Watch through a variety of waterproof tests to measure just how much moisture the Watch could take before failing to function.
The first test is a basic splash test followed by a five minute simulated shower complete with shampoo and soap, at the end of which the Apple Watch comes out noticeably unscathed and completely responsive to FoneFox's inputs on both its touch interface and digital crown. It should be pointed out that all of FoneFox's tests were completed with a 38mm Apple Watch Sport. Although it's hard to tell how different models of the Watch will size up to similar testing, it's clear after today's tests that most models in the Sport range should see similar results as FoneFox's.
After finding "absolutely no issues whatsoever" with the Watch after the shower test, FoneFox decided to place the Apple Watch Sport completely submerged in a bucket for another five minutes. After the Watch produced similarly impressive results, the website took the device for a swim in a pool. Despite obvious responsive issues when placed underwater, after a 15 minute swim the wearable remained as functional for FoneFox as it was when taken out of the box.
Apple's estimation of the waterproof rating for Apple Watch has most likely been underplayed, as most technology is, due to certain legal and business reasons. The company gave the wrist-worn device a water resistance rating of IPX7, suggesting it to be splash and water resistant but not completely waterproof. Tim Cook even claimed he wore his own personal Apple Watch in the shower back in February, pointing at a better-than-expected waterproof rating for the device ahead of its launch.
Amid the fanfare of the Apple Watch launch, a few eagle eyed employees at Team Android today discovered an unusual easter egg within Google Maps. Visiting these specific coordinates on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Team Android found an image of the Google Android mascot urinating over the Apple logo to be embedded within the map itself.
It's yet to be made clear who exactly created the image and placed it within Google Maps and, as Engadget points out, whether Google is even aware it exists at all at this time. While the two companies have been known to be rivals in the past, especially concerning their own individual Apple Maps and Google Maps services, today's development is an interesting new addition to their long history.
Update 7:46 AM: The addition was made by a Google Map Maker user who is likely not a Google employee.
Update 1:22 PM: The prank has been removed from Google Maps.
Apple has introduced a new 5W USB power charger with folding pins for use in a handful of countries in Europe and Asia. The new adapter is available now for £25 on the Apple Online Store in the United Kingdom, and is designed for use in Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia as well. The charger is also included in the box with the Apple Watch in those countries.
British former professional rugby player Will Carling shared photos of the new folding charger on Twitter earlier this month after claiming to have received the adapter from Apple design chief Jony Ive, who grew up in England and is known to be a rugby fan, but it was unknown at the time if Apple would ever release the product.
The travel adapter, which can also be used to charge an iPhone, iPod touch and several other iPod models, is currently available to ship within 1-2 business days on the Apple Online Store in the United Kingdom. The original non-folding 5W charger remains available in the United Kingdom for £15 as of now.
Hours before the Apple Watch is set to officially launch, Apple has debuted three new ads called "Rise", "Up" and "Us". The three ads focus on the three aspects of the device CEO Tim Cook highlighted when the Apple Watch was first introduced: a device that helps you with time, a comprehensive health and fitness device and an intimate communication device.
The first ad, "Rise", shows people using the Apple Watch to help them spend their time. People are seen using the Apple Watch as an alarm clock, seeing incoming messages, using it on their commute, using it as a ticket at an airport, getting around with the Maps app and more.
The second ad, "Up", features users using the Apple Watch's health and fitness features. People can be seen setting up their fitness goals on the Watch in addition to using it while both exercising and doing various activities, both intensive and casual. It also features moments where users are alerted to stand while working or commuting.
The final ad, "Us", has people using the Watch's communication features, including the ability to draw pictures, send animated emojis, and send heart beats and taps to the wrists of other Apple Watch users. Interestingly, the ad also features people spending time with each other and paying attention to the world around them, illustrating how the Watch could free some users from their phones.
All three ads end similarly, declaring that "the Watch is here". Thus far, Apple's marketing campaign for the Apple Watch has focused on getting the device on the wrists of athletes, models and other celebrities for maximum exposure. Moving forward, it appears Apple will begin making a case for how the Apple Watch will be used by most people.
As many users in the United States slept Thursday night, Apple began slowly emailing Apple Watch pre-order customers with a confirmed April 24 delivery date about a "Personal Setup" program designed around the Watch.
Aimed to visually guide new users through the Apple Watch's setup process and beyond, the Personal Setup program is a video session with an Apple employee where the company does its best to answer every question a user has about the wrist-worn device.
As with in-store try-on appointments, the Personal Setup video session requires a scheduled appointment, with dates as of writing ranging from early Friday morning all the way through the evening on May 7.
Your Apple Watch will be in your hands shortly. Once it is, we can help you get started right in the comfort of your own home with online Personal Setup. It’s a video session* where we show you how to set up Apple Watch with your iPhone, walk you through some key features, and answer your questions. We’ll also point out some great apps, and help you personalize your device.
Of course, you can always visit an Apple Store and request a Personal Setup session with a Specialist.
Thank you for choosing Apple.
Interestingly, the times of each appointment fluctuate everywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, so it appears Apple may be letting customers choose a time they think is best for their own personal setup and knowledge of the Apple Watch, although the company has yet to confirm the max length a session can go.
While the email from Apple does make mention of visiting a retail location, the move does fall in line with retail chief Angela Ahrendt's recent move of keeping the Apple Watch launch as brick-and-mortar free as possible.
The first Apple Watch deliveries should begin making the rounds in just a few short hours in the United States, with worldwide deliveries already resulting in some positive first impressions and teardowns of the wearable.
iFixit is currently in the process of tearing down a 38mm Apple Watch Sport after the device launched in Australia today. While it is still early in the teardown process, the team has found that disconnecting the display from the body can be a little difficult, similar to the troublesome Touch ID cable on the iPhone 5s.
Behind the display, two of the most significant features of the Apple Watch are easily viewable in the Taptic Engine and Digital Crown. Also inside is the tiny 3.8V 205 mAh battery, which iFixit notes is "lightly adhered" and easy to remove. Apple has said the 42mm Apple Watch will generally have slightly longer battery life than the 38mm model, so we expect the larger Apple Watch will have a higher-capacity battery filling up the extra space inside the casing.
iFixit's teardown is still in progress and this post will be updated as additional discoveries are made. Of particular interest is the S1 chip that serves as the brains of the Apple Watch, but it may take some time to examine that part as Apple notes it is sealed in resin, aiding the water resistance of the Apple Watch.
Update 9:12 PM: The iFixit team notes that, on their way to the S1 chip, they've encountered the "tiniest tri-wing screws" they've ever seen, requiring them to modify their tools to proceed.
Update 9:41 PM: Due to the limited space inside the Apple Watch, iFixit has found that Apple has creatively wrapped the microphone ribbon cable between the inner and outer layers of the case.
While the first Apple Watch reviews published over two weeks ago, the devices are now making their way onto customers' wrists, allowing us to see broader first impressions of Apple's first new product since 2010's iPad.
Several posters in our forums have pointed out an unboxing experience fairly unique to new Apple products as it appears that the traditional Apple stickers are not included with the packaging. Additionally, several posters have reported receiving emails notifying them that they can schedule an online Personal Setup where Apple will, through a video session, walk a user through setting up the Apple Watch and pairing it with their iPhone.
Another aspect of the Watch that users are noticing is how comfortable it is to wear. One user on Whirlpool pointed out that while he was originally going to use the sport band for exercise, he thinks its nice enough to wear regularly. One MacRumors reader told us that the Watch is indeed comfortable to wear with the build quality being "perfect", but that he found the sports band slightly awkward to put on at first.
I have a 42mm Apple Watch Sports in Space Grey. Watch is incredibly comfy. However the [black sports band] feels backwards to me, the holes and the pin make it slightly awkward to do up. I’m sure I’ll get used to this. Setup was simple and intuitive, asked me if I wanted to transfer all my current apple watch apps across during the process.
Other bands that have seen favorable impressions include the Milanese Loop, which also has a post dedicated to its unboxing in the MacRumors forums. Other early impressions include users finding certain less advertised features of the Apple Watch, such as the "Ping" feature that allows users to ping their iPhone from their Watch, to be very useful.
Finally, while most users are reporting easy setup and pairing processes, some are having difficulty pairing their iPhone and Apple Watch, with the Watch not displaying the needed pairing code (Update: Restarting appears to fix the problem). Others are noting that syncing a 1 GB music playlist is taking longer than desired.
For ongoing coverage of photos and first impressions, readers are welcome to follow our Apple Watch impressions threads in our Apple Watch forum.
The Apple Watch isn't going to be available for sale tomorrow in Apple's retail stores, but there are a select handful of high-end fashion boutiques around the world that will be offering various Apple Watch models for sale.
One of the stores, Maxfield, is located in Los Angeles, and people are already lining up outside the store in the hopes of getting an Apple Watch on launch day. Maxfield is the only store in the United States that have the Apple Watch in stock on April 24.
Other stores that will have Apple Watch stock tomorrow include Dover Street Market in Tokyo and London, Colette in Paris, and The Corner in Berlin. It is not known how much stock each of these stores has available, but according to Dover Street Market's CEO, the Tokyo location will have 350 watches available for purchase, while Dover Street Market in London will have 570. Neither store is expected to have the Apple Watch Edition, but beyond that models in stock are unknown.
Though Apple's retail stores are not offering the Apple Watch for sale, there appears to be some confusion among customers. At Apple Stores in Australia, there were customers lining up outside of stores in the hopes of getting an Apple Watch.
A photo posted by Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson (@jendn) on
According to Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts, Apple Watch orders may not be available in stores for a month or longer as the company works to get all pre-orders delivered. Apple is getting orders out rapidly, however, and many customers who had 4 to 6 week shipping dates will be getting their devices tomorrow.
Early Apple Watch models were found to have a hidden diagnostic port used to allow Apple engineers to diagnose problems with the devices, but reports at the time were unsure if the feature would be included in models shipping out to consumers. Apple Watches have now arrived in Australia, giving us our first opportunity to further investigate the diagnostic port.
MacRumors reader MrLaforge has received his Space Gray Apple Watch Sport and has taken high-quality pictures of the casing, giving us a look at what appears to be the diagnostic port hidden underneath a cover. The port's cover looks a lot like the SIM card slot on an iPhone 6, and it appears that it might open in a similar way, giving Apple employees a way to run diagnostics on the Apple Watch when it's brought in for service.
The same covered diagnostic port was also present in Apple Watches provided to media sites for Apple Watch reviews earlier this month. At Apple Stores, devices on display have the same ports, but they remain uncovered, presumably to make it easier for employees to continually monitor and adjust settings on the devices.
A report from TechCrunch has speculated that this diagnostic port could also potentially be used for smart band accessories in the future, but it is unclear if that is something that Apple is planning on introducing.
Earlier this week, Apple began sending out emails to iOS developers, offering them a chance to purchase a 42mm Apple Watch Sport with a Blue Sport Band guaranteed to ship by April 28, 2015. Apple had a limited number of devices to provide to developers, and used a lottery system to determine who would get the chance to purchase one of the available watches.
Developers who registered for a chance to buy one of the watches with a guaranteed delivery date and won the lottery have just begun receiving emails with purchase instructions. Apple is asking winners to complete a purchase by 5:00 p.m. local time on April 27 to take advantage of the shipping date.
It’s not known why Apple only offered 42mm Apple Watch Sport models with Blue Sport bands, but it can be assumed that the combination may have been one that the company had an ample supply of. Apple is providing developers with watches in an effort to give them devices to test Apple Watch apps on.
A guaranteed April 28 ship date means developers who purchase one of the available devices will receive an Apple Watch just a few days after customers who pre-ordered receive theirs.
It's now April 24 in Australia, and Australian customers who pre-ordered Apple Watches are beginning to receive their watch deliveries, according to numerous posts on Instagram, Twitter, and various Internet forums, including the MacRumors forums. Unboxing videos and early first impressions should begin trickling out soon.
Customers in other first wave launch countries will begin receiving their shipments as soon as local delivery companies open for the day. After Australia, orders in Hong Kong, China, and Japan will go out, followed by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Apple Watch orders in the United States will start arriving at approximately 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Apple Watch orders began shipping out earlier this week. Initial shipments seemed to be limited to customers who pre-ordered early, but later in the week, customers who originally had 4 to 6 week shipping estimates were surprised with early shipping times. Apple has said that many customers can expect to see their Apple Watches arrive earlier than expected, but an April 24 delivery date remains in question for some orders, as there are customers who pre-ordered early and have not yet received shipping information.
Apple will not be carrying the Apple Watch in its retail stores tomorrow as orders have been limited to online only, but several high-end fashion boutiques around the world have a limited amount of stock for purchase. These stores are located in Tokyo, London, Paris, Berlin, and Milan.
Tomorrow is the launch of the Apple Watch, so we're doing our deals post a day early this week. On the eve of the Apple Watch release, deals are similar to last week's -- good, but not great. If you're looking to buy an iPad Air 2, you might want to wait a week, but it's an okay time to pull the trigger on a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, new or old.
Along with the standard discounts on Macs and iOS devices, we've also rounded up this week's app deals and a few deals on some useful Apple accessories.
iPad Air 2
Best Buy continues to offer the lowest prices we've seen on a single iPad Air 2: the 16GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in silver is available for $499.99, $130 off its regular price.
MacMall is also offering some discounts on iPad Air 2 models, dropping the prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB entry-level Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $459, while the Wi-Fi-only 64GB iPad Air 2 is available for $539. Discounts are higher on cellular models, with the 64GB Cellular iPads priced at $669. The deals are applicable to all three iPad colors.
iPad Air
Best Buy has a couple of original iPad Air cellular models available at low prices. The 16GB Verizon iPad Air is available for $379.99, and the 32GB Verizon iPad Air is available for $429.99.
Both Best Buy and B&HPhoto have deep discounts on some remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models, as listed below.
Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon also have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you're looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.
There are quite a few apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We'll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.
Half Marathon Trainer Pro is available for free, down from $9.99. 10K Trainer Pro is also available for free, down from $1.99. Board game Bang! is available for free, down from $1.99. Pandemic is available for $4.99, down from $6.99.
djay 2 for iPhone is available for free this week, down from $2.99, and djay for iPad is also free, down from $9.99.
Apple Accessories
Groupon is selling the Griffin Survivor Case for iPhone 5/5s for $11.99, down from $49.99. The MyCharge Hub 9000 Power Bank is available for $64.99 from Amazon, down from $139.99. Incase is offering a free Portable Power 2500 USB battery pack with a $150 purchase using the code POWERONUS15.
DailySteals has a 3-pack of Apple Lightning cables for $26, a decent deal as a single cable usually costs $19. Woot has the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for the iPad Air 1 and 2 for $59.99, down from $99.
Groupon's running a big Apple event and selling a range of Apple products and accessories at discounted prices, including the LifeProof Fre case for the iPad Air, Apple EarPods, Speck MacBook cases, MagSafe chargers, Mophie battery cases, and more. Totallee is offering MacRumors readers 25 percent off all iPhone case orders with the promo code MACRUMORS.
LivingSocial is offering customized iPhone photo cases for $6.99 to $11.99, a significant discount off the regular $29.99 to $59.98 price tag. Woot has the Lifeproof Fre case for the iPad Air 1 for $49.99, down from $129.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
Apple today updated TestFlight with support for WatchKit apps on Apple Watch and minor stability and performance improvements. Starting today, developers will no longer have to exclude their WatchKit extensions for Apple Watch when seeding a beta iOS app to testers through TestFlight.
TestFlight is a beta testing service that enables developers to seed pre-release versions of their apps to select individuals for testing. The expanded support for WatchKit is a timely update, arriving just moments after the official App Store for Apple Watch apps went live. iTunes Connect may still not accept apps with WatchKit extensions for some until the changes roll out to all developers.
Once you've migrated your image library from iPhotos or Aperture (or both), you'll probably want to add all the images from your iPhone or iPad and get everything organized so you can quickly find pictures from specific dates and events in the future.
To help you accomplish both of these tasks, we've written up a tutorial that provides an overview of how to import pictures into the Photos app on OS X Yosemite and gives a few suggestions for how to organize your collection.
Importing Pictures
Connect your device (iPhone, iPad, or digital camera) to your computer using the USB connector and open the Photos for OS X app.
Select "Import" from the list of tabs at the top of the screen in the app.
Select the images you wish to add to the Photos app, or select "Import All New Items" to add everything from your device.
Imported images will automatically be added to the "Last Import" album in Photos. You can see your photos using a number of different views, including the main Photos tab, which displays all pictures that you have added to the app and any pictures that you have taken using an iOS device that is connected using My Photo Stream.
Alternative insurance protection plan service SquareTrade today 
Apple has 
Apple today updated TestFlight with support for WatchKit apps on Apple Watch and minor stability and performance improvements. Starting today, developers will no longer have to exclude their WatchKit extensions for Apple Watch when seeding a beta iOS app to testers through TestFlight.
