MacRumors

Ahead of the Apple Watch launch tomorrow, Apple has shared a selection of apps that it believes all new Apple Watch owners should download. Provided to Buzzfeed, the list covers a wide range of apps, from those that provide news coverage to those that help people share photos or travel around town.

Today marks the debut of the Apple Watch App Store, which should go live in just a few hours, letting people browse through available apps and download content before getting their watches tomorrow. The Apple Watch App Store will be accessible through the pre-installed Apple Watch app on the iPhone, available to all iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 users.

For sharing on social media, Apple recommended both Twitter and Instagram, noting that the latter includes support for emoji comments on the Apple Watch. The New York Times was recommended for news, and Mint was recommended for tracking finances.

Yelp got a mention, as did Target's app, which includes a useful shopping list feature, and Dark Sky was highlighted as the must-have weather app. Citymapper was mentioned as a useful transit app, showing the fastest public transit routes, and Pacemaker's music mixing app was the only music app on the list. Elevate's brain training app was Apple's most unusual pick.

Given the Apple Watch's position as a health and fitness device, Apple also shared several notable fitness and nutrition apps, including Fitstar Yoga for yoga, Strava for runners, and Golfshot for golfers. Apple recommended Lifesum for tracking calories and Centered for meditation.

Several of these apps have been previously highlighted by Apple either during one of its Apple Watch events or on its Apple Watch app website, but several of the above apps are new picks that Apple has not previously shared.

When Apple Watches reach the hands of customers tomorrow, there will be more than 2,000 Apple Watch apps available for the device.

Update 10:35 AM: The Apple Watch App Store on iPhone is now live. The regular App Store is also now showing Apple Watch screenshots and indicators for apps that include Apple Watch support.

Apple has published the official Apple Watch User Guide on its website, providing detailed information about the wrist-worn device broken down into categories such as Basics, Watch Faces, Notifications, Glances, Timekeeping, Messages, Digital Touch, Mail, Phone Calls, Calendars and Reminders, Health and Fitness, Apple Pay and Passbook, Maps and Directions, Music, Photos, Accessibility and more.

The user guide provides a wealth of information about the Apple Watch in one place for easy access, and should serve as a valuable resource for customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch for delivery starting April 24. The user guide provides step-by-step information and visuals on a wide variety of topics from setting up your Apple Watch and pairing with an iPhone to using apps and tracking your daily activity.

There are also instructions on how to remove, change and fasten Apple Watch bands for the Classic Buckle, Leather Loop, Link Bracelet, Milanese Loop, Modern Buckle and Sport Band. Apple advises that leather bands be cleaned with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth that is lightly dampened with fresh water and then air dried, while other bands can be dried using a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth.

Apple is expected to announce a new iPod touch later this year, according to AppleInsider. The report, citing a source familiar with the plans, claims that the refreshed portable media player will likely have a similar design as the current model released over two-and-a-half years ago, and speculates that the next-generation device could have camera and processor improvements.

Apple has not refreshed the iPod touch since October 2012, when the portable media player was updated with an ultra-thin and colorful design, A5 processor and Lightning connector. iPod sales have been declining for several years, becoming a largely insignificant part of Apple's product lineup, anchored by the iPhone, iPad and Mac. The company no longer discloses iPod sales in its quarterly results after reporting 2.9 million units sold in Q4 2014.

The report is entirely speculative about possible new features the next-generation iPod touch could have, including a 64-bit A7 processor, increased storage space, and improved iSight and FaceTime cameras. Additionally, it would make sense for the new iPod touch to support Apple Pay, which would require locked down NFC capabilities and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Beats-related features could also be in store following Apple's $3 billion acquisition of the company in May 2014.

If the report proves accurate, Apple could announce its next-generation iPod touch during its iPhone event in September or iPad event in October that it typically holds each year. It is also possible that Apple may quietly update the iPod touch through a press release or website update, given that iPods are no longer as significant for Apple.

Algoriddim's been in the business of turning iPads, iPhones, and Macs info full-fledged DJ systems for both pros and home mixers for years now, and as of today, the company's also ready to bring DJing to the wrist with the new djay app for the Apple Watch.

Built into the latest djay 2 iPhone update, djay for Apple Watch is an app that came to fruition after months of testing and experimenting with ways to bring a functional, ultra portable DJing experience to the wrist. Algoriddim's developers set out to distill the essence of DJing into an Apple Watch-sized package without compromising on function -- the goal was to create an app that could be used to DJ an entire party on the wrist.

djay for Apple Watch interfaces with the iPhone's iTunes music library, letting DJs select tracks from playlists and mix songs on their wrists. Several songs can be cued up and there are controls for navigating backwards and forwards and looping sections of a song, all in sync with the beat. A Glance view gives a quick look at what's currently playing.

Mixer and transition controls let DJs sync the beat of two songs and introduce crossfading to meld one song into another gradually. There are a set of audio effects that can be added to songs, and an Automix mode can be activated with a Force Touch press to let the app automatically mix songs from an iTunes playlist or Spotify with beat-matched DJ-style transitions. A Spotify Match feature like the one in the djay iPhone app will even find tracks that go well with the song that's currently playing in Automix mode.

Whether practicing on-the-go, mingling with guests at a party, or rocking out on the dance floor, djay on Apple Watch frees the DJ from the DJ booth and opens the door to completely new ways to mix tracks.

With djay on Apple Watch, users can browse their entire iTunes library plus cue up and mix their favorite songs, all while controlling audio effects and loops for each deck individually - right from their wrist. Or they can simply use Apple Watch to engage djay's popular Automix feature that pulls tracks from Spotify and mixes them automatically.

Along with djay for Apple Watch, Algoriddim is also launching a major update to its djay Pro app for the Mac. Free for all existing users, the 1.1 update adds live video mixing, bringing all of the features of vjay to djay, and it introduces support for several Pioneer CDJ and XDJ systems, popular equipment choices for professional DJs.

With support for the Pioneer CDJ, djay Pro is the first and only app that lets the CDJ interface directly with Spotify and iTunes playlists. The app's new video mode lets djay Pro users add visualizers to music and mix videos in real-time, with transitions, title and image overlays, and visual effects.

In celebration of the launch the new djay Pro Mac app and the Apple Watch app, Algoriddim is making djay 2 for the iPhone and the iPad free for the next week. That means all users who download djay 2 for iPhone will have access to the djay Apple Watch app beginning April 24.

djay 2 for iPhone can be downloaded from the App Store or free. [Direct Link]

djay 2 for iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

djay Pro for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $49.99. [Direct Link]

Apple has notified many Apple Watch pre-order customers in the United States and other first wave launch countries to confirm that their orders have shipped, with deliveries starting on April 24 as scheduled. All customers should now have access to a tracking number through UPS or another courier service to track their Apple Watch pre-orders leading into Friday's launch.

With the Apple Store's order status finally updated in tandem with a few early notifications customers have received from services like UPS, Apple Watch pre-order customers with a confirmed shipping status can now track their package through Apple's online store. Though yesterday's UPS notifications sent out to some customers focused mostly on areas in the southern United States, this morning's official update from Apple applies to customers nationwide and in other launch countries.

Today's update comes after a week of slight confusion for most Apple Watch pre-order customers, with credit and debit card charges occurring on Monday and a handful of order status changes soon thereafter, but with most customers still left in the dark for the rest of the week despite placing pre-orders early on April 10. This morning's news should come as a breath of relief for most customers who placed pre-orders as early as possible, and Apple still promises that dispatch dates beyond 4/24 - 5/8 could be coming in earlier than expected, as well.

Apple on Wednesday emailed select customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch to reassure them that the company is working on their orders and will provide them with specific delivery dates and tracking information when available. Apple appears to have sent the email to customers with Apple Watch pre-orders that have yet to be prepared for shipment ahead of Friday's launch.

Apple Watch pre-order deliveries will begin on April 24 as scheduled, although it remains unknown how many devices will reach customers on day one. Apple confirmed earlier today that many Apple Watch pre-orders with extended shipping estimates will be delivered sooner than expected, but also noted that some customers with extended shipping estimates may still be in for a long wait.

It is unclear if this email is intended to reassure customers that their Apple Watch pre-orders may still be delivered on April 24, or to acknowledge that the shipments will not be finalized in time for Friday but will still be delivered within the original April 24-May 8 estimated window.

Apple has launched a third update to the "Guided Tours" section on its dedicated Apple Watch website, showcasing new walkthrough videos on using Apple Pay and the Workout and Activity apps on the device. Apple first debuted its Guided Tour website on April 3 and has been gradually adding instructional videos to help people discover all of the things that the Apple Watch is able to do.

The Apple Pay video walks through how Apple Pay is used on the Apple Watch at a location that accepts contactless payments. Double clicking the side button and holding a wrist to the payment terminal initiates a payment, which is confirmed with a vibration and a beep. The video also covers how to add a credit card to an iPhone using Passbook.

The Activity video explores the "Activity" app on the Apple Watch, which is the built-in health and fitness app that monitors activity and encourages Apple Watch wearers to move more. It walks through the default fitness goals (exercising, standing more, and meeting calorie burning goals), the steps to set up the app, and the different ways to display the movement goal rings. It also includes a look at the achievements available in the app for reaching fitness goals.

Apple's Workout video covers the device's Workout app that can be run whenever an Apple Watch wearer is exercising. The app has several different activities, like running, climbing, cycling, and more, and lets users set workout goals to achieve right on their wrists. It also includes details on calibrating the Apple Watch to work without the iPhone's GPS.

With the addition of the Apple Pay, Workout, and Activity videos to the Guided Tours page, all of the "Coming Soon" videos are now available to prospective Apple Watch buyers. The completion of the page comes just a few days ahead of the Apple Watch's official launch on April 24. Apple Watch orders have already begun shipping out to customers, and the first early pre-orderers will get their devices on Friday.

Apple doesn't plan to offer the Apple Watch for sale in its retail stores on Friday, having opted to restrict orders to online purchases only, but some retail stores around the world will have Apple Watches in stock for customers to purchase on April 24.

Several high-end fashion boutiques will be offering the watch for sale beginning Friday, according to a new report from The New York Times. Stores with stock will include Dover Street Market in Tokyo and London, Maxfield in Los Angeles, Colette in Paris, the Corner in Berlin, and 10 Corso Como in Milan.

All of these stores were previously unveiled as retail locations that would carry the Apple Watch, but it was not known that the stores would have stock for customers to purchase on launch day, given the Apple Watch supply constraints that Apple has highlighted. In a press release sent out on April 9, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts said "strong customer demand" would exceed supply at launch.

Many of the stores have the Apple Watch displayed prominently on their websites, along with wording that says the device will be available in store as of Friday. As noted by The New York Times, all of the places that will have the Apple Watch in stock on Friday are high-end fashion-oriented boutiques known as "retail trendsetters."

It's not known exactly how much stock each of the stores will be given or of what type, but Dover Street Market did share some detail on its numbers. The store in Ginza, Tokyo will have 350 watches to sell, while the store in London will have 570. Neither store will offer the Apple Watch Edition, as it is backordered.

Apple initially declined to comment on its partner stores offering in-store Apple Watch stock while its own retail stores will not, but later reiterated its earlier comment on getting online orders out to customers earlier than expected. The first Apple Watch shipments will be arriving on the doorsteps of customers beginning on April 24, and as of today, many Apple Watch orders that had shipping estimates ranging into several weeks have seen their shipments advance into the "Preparing for Shipment" stage.

Earlier today, a number of Apple Watch pre-orders with delivery estimates of 4-6 weeks or later started changing from "Processing Items" to "Preparing for Shipment" on the Apple Online Store. Apple also began charging some credit and debit cards of customers with orders showing extended shipping times.

Apple has since confirmed to John Paczkowski at BuzzFeed that many customers will receive their Apple Watch pre-orders sooner than expected. The company says it is working hard to fulfill orders as quickly as possible based on the order in which they were received, and does note that some customers are still in for a long wait.

“We’re happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected,” an Apple spokeswoman told BuzzFeed News. “Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received. We know many customers are still facing long lead times and we appreciate their patience.”

Apple Watch pre-order deliveries will begin on April 24 as scheduled, although exactly how many customers will receive theirs on day one remains to be seen. Ahead of the launch, customers in the United States have started receiving UPS shipment notifications confirming their upcoming Apple Watch delivery. Pre-orders became available on April 10 at 12:01 AM Pacific and sold out in less than six hours, with a combination of strong demand and limited supply quickly pushing back shipping estimates.

MacRumors reported earlier this month that Apple Watch pre-orders could arrive sooner than expected, based on an email exchange with an executive relations spokesperson that said extended shipping times were set deliberately to avoid disappointment.

Apple is planning to offer customers an opportunity to exchange only their Apple Watch bands rather than an entire Apple Watch if a band is the wrong size or the wrong style. Retail employees have been instructed to suggest a band swap as an alternative to a whole watch return if an Apple Watch is being returned based on size, color, or band style.

A band swap, according to an internal employee training document, can potentially save the customer time as it eliminates the need to set up and sync an entirely new watch. Band swaps are available for the Apple Watch Sport and the stainless steel Apple Watch, but will not be available for the more expensive gold Apple Watch Edition.

There are several rules for band swaps:

- The new band must be within the same collection as the watch and must be an available band option for that watch face.

- The band swap is within 14 day return period.

- The watch must have been purchased at the Apple Online Store, Kiosk, or Apple Store App.

- You are not using band swaps as a way to configure a sellable product for a customer.

Band swaps won't be done entirely in store. After an employee confirms that a customer is within their 14-day return window and wants a new band, the swap must be initiated through the Online Store call center. Customer support representatives will create a new band order, ship it out to the customer, and provide instructions on how to mail in an old band for a refund.

One interesting tidbit in the document suggests band swaps can't be done for watches purchased at other retailers for warranty reasons, such as those bought from select boutiques around the world where the Apple Watch will be sold, including Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market in London, The Corner in Berlin, and more.

If a customer wants to make a full watch return rather than just a band return, the band must be provided. Apple will not provide partial refunds -- bands that shipped with a watch cannot be returned for a refund and Apple Watches cannot be returned without their bands.

The document also outlines the full return guidelines for the Apple Watch Sport, the Apple Watch, and the gold Apple Watch Edition, with the latter requiring a "visual, mechanical, and micro-inspection" by a trained genius accompanied by a manager.

The Apple Watch is set to launch this Friday, with the first customers receiving their pre-orders at that time. Supplies are constrained, but Apple has been making efforts to get shipments out as fast as possible. Many Apple Watch bands are also in short supply with multi-week shipping estimates, so customers who do wish to exchange a band might have to wait awhile for their desired band to be available.