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Apple Watch Takes Initiative and Goes for Take Two

Amongst all the announcements made by Apple during their press event on March 21^st, more than one was dedicated to the questionable market of smartwatches and more precisely, the Apple Watch. Sadly, the announcement was not of a brand new edition of the smartwatch to appease what people had been wishing for. Instead, Apple announced a whole new edition of watch bands to compliment their trademark wearable and their decision to decrease the price tag on their Apple Watch by $50.

The process that led Apple to the decision of lowering the price tag on the Apple Watch is undoubtedly the unexpected turn that the smartwatch industry has taken after its inception. Several years ago, the Consumer Electronics Show and any other tech expo that would happen would flash into your eyes with the craziest and insightful models or concepts of smart watches. The idea depicted in many pieces of Sci-Fi promised to become true and be pretty awesome too.

However, once companies made it into the market and smart watches stopped being a ‘thing of the future’, the users came to the anticlimactic conclusion that as cool as having this wearable tech on your wrist was, its utility was very limited and they had just spent several hundred dollars on nothing more than a slightly smart fashion statement.

In spite of the aforementioned and at least in what the smartwatch industry is concerned, Apple still managed to maintain themselves on a leading position when it came to smart watches. And yet, even they realize that with the technology remaining at this level, there’s very little that can change to stir the interest in people.

As a result, instead of bringing a new set of smartwatches that come under a different name with little to no real upgrade whatsoever, it appears that Apple made the smart choice of starting to refine the already existing one. It’s getting new bands, it’s getting a more affordable and in line with what it can do price without having to subject to any less fashionable model and more than just a rumor that Apple is planning to brush up on the abilities of their Apple Watch.

For all intents and purposes, the intention behind this change is surely welcome for anyone who has wanted to purchase a smart watch but felt that a 3-digit number starting with 3 was too much. However, there’s no guarantee that a $50 price drop or some fancy new loops are good enough of an incentive to truly change opinion on this or any other smart watch.

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Users Spent $1.1 Billion on App Store During the Holidays

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users paid $20 billion on apps in 2015

According to an Apple report, users spent $1.1 billion on App Store during the holiday’s season. This is the total sum spent during a period of two weeks ending Jan. 3.

Of all the days, users spent the most during the New Year’s Day when they purchased apps costing a total of $144 million in just 24 hours. The second single-day record was set only a week before, on Christmas Day.

According to Apple’s senior V.P. Philip Schiller who leads the App Store, users spent over $20 billion on apps during 2015, a figure that is more than double compared to 2013. Schiller said he is grateful to all the amazing developers who have created the exciting and innovative apps for the customers.

Since 2008 App Store has brought developers almost $40 billion of which more than one third has been generated during the last year.

App Store’s success has created almost 2 million jobs just in the United States. About three quarters of them (more than 1.4 million jobs) are app creators, entrepreneurs and software engineers creating apps and also non-IT jobs created and sustained by the app economy.

Besides the United States, Apple’s app economy has created about 1.4 million jobs in China and about 1.2 million jobs throughout Europe.

The most popular categories of apps in 2015 were Gaming, Entertainment and Networking. Of the gaming category the most popular games were Minecraft: Pocket Edition, Heads Up!, Monster Strike, Clash of Clans and Trivia Crack. The most famous social network apps were Facebook Messenfer, Snapchat and WeChat.

This year has been full of innovations for Apple, who has also launched Apple Watch and Apple TV which offered users completely new experiences and changed the way people were used to consume TV content. Apple TV has been launched in October and since then the most popular of its apps are HBO Now, Beat Sports and Rayman Adventures.

When it comes to the Apple watch, users preferred fitness apps such as Lifesum and Nike + Running but the travel category worked just fine with popular apps like Citymapper and iTranslate.

Schiller is excited about last year’s sales and looks forward into the future hoping that this year is going to be at least as better as the one that just passed. Apple products, from iPhone, iPad and Mac to Apple TV and Apple Watch will probably continue to lead the market.

Image source: pixabay

Pebble Introduces iPhone Message Reply to Pebble Time

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Pebble introduces iPhone message reply to Pebble Time line of smartwatches as the features seems to be increasingly attractive.

The voice control feature now enables iPhone users to act upon messaging notification received on their Pebble Time smartwatches. Replying to incoming messages becomes an easy task to be performed directly from your wrist. The messages can either be dictated or one can choose from a wide array of preset messages fit to the situation.

Pebble Time has introduced the same feature for Android some time ago. However, this is the first time it’s being rolled out for iPhone. Considering Apple restrictions regarding this party accessories, the fact that Pebble introduces iPhone message reply to Pebble Time should be considered a success.

Apple does provide this feature. However, it targets specifically Apple Watch and the iPhone. Pebble has found a way to overcome this hurdle and has announced that the voice control feature is and the messages will be routed through the carrier rather than iPhone’s messages. The tricky part is that for now, it only has one partner, and that is AT&T.

The voice control feature for message replies on Pebble Time is available for post-paid AT&T customers. The messages sent from the Pebble Time will not be found in the iPhone’s messaging app. At the same time, they will be sent at text messages, prompting a green bubble to show up on the receiver’s display. Group messages aren’t supported by the feature at the moment.

As for other carriers, Pebble announced that it is taking steps in this direction. Yet no definitive timeline has been set in place.

Nonetheless, adding the voice control feature overcomes one of the biggest barriers that using any other smartwatch than the Apple Watch with an iPhone put up. With a more open approach, the wearables becomes more useful. Especially for iPhone users.

Receiving notifications on any smartwatch is useful. How companies choose to deal with customers being able to act on the notifications is another. With voice control limitations related to the reduced input methods or the small screen of smartwatches are overcome.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia

Apple Watch Could Make A Stand

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Apple Watch Could Make A Stand

We never thought the Apple Watch could make a stand. Yet here we are, after Black Friday, noticing that this was the event that Apple’s underwhelming gadget needed to set things right. While it will never be as awesome as the iPhone, the Apple Watch is now officially one of the best selling devices the company has ever had. However, this event actually shows us that the Watch will never have the potential that the company might have desired in the first place.

It appears that that the Swiss watch industry is going down while the Apple Watch one is going up up and away. Apple has proceeded to sell more than 10 million devices and 4 million of them were sold during this period. And if you are wondering what new brands we will be having in this particular area, the Apple Watch 2 is expected to arrive somewhere around summer or autumn next year. Maybe you have friends and family who will get attached to these devices.

The Apple Watch had a pretty rough start and the reactions that Apple had after its launch were quite ambiguous. The expectations were not as high as the iPhone’s, but the tech giant obviously wanted to hit the jackpot. Needless to say, things did not exactly go according to plan and the Watch ended up being a more or less irrelevant addition to the Apple collection.

It is also custom for Apple to pride on the number of devices they have sold and how much profit they made from the sales, but the Watch situation was different: Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, declared at the time that Apple would not be revealing any information so that they would not give any details to their competition. The answer seemed relevant, but this pretty much tells the world that numbers were not at all pretty.

There were even some leaked sources at the time which mentioned that Apple employees had some serious meetings in which they actually saw how bad the Watch was performing. Nonetheless, things did not get official at any point, but you could feel that Apple was not as strong as they thought they would be after the device’s release.

But the Apple Watch could make a stand and while is a temporary optimistic one, who knows if this year’s Black Friday might have given birth to a new tech trend that could last for a few years. Looks like we will have to come back to the subject in 2016 to see exactly how far the Watch has gone.

Photo Credits pixabay.com

The Apple Watch Charging Dock is Out

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The Apple Watch charging dock is out and it looks exactly like the photos leaked one day before. It must be that Apple was believing all third parties selling charging docks for the Apple Watch has all the fun.

Because the newly released charging dock, except for exhibiting the conventional Apple ellegance and style, is also really pricey. At 79 dollars, the Apple Watch charging dock is out and ready to meet buyers in Apple Stores, as well as online. The Apple Watch does come with a charger. The purpose of the newly released charging dock is to change the way Apple Watch owners charge their wearables.

The Apple Watch charging dock already features the in-built inductive charging disk. This offers two wireless charging possibilities for the Apple Watch. Plugging the dock in a charger with the use of the Lightning cable or placing the Apple Watch on top or around the charging dock. Either flatly settled in the charging mode or wrapped in the Nightstand mode, the Apple Watch will recharge while you enjoy a good night’s sleep.

While in Nightstand mode, the Apple Watch will keep the time on screen for a while before also going to sleep. Nonetheless, if need be, just tap the screen and will come back to life. Any other movement that the internal sensors pick up will also end up with a lighted screen.

Nonetheless, this is not a cheap charging dock. The iPhone charging dock sells for 39 dollars. The Siri remote wrist loop sells for 13 dollars with the fourth generation of Apple TV. At 79 dollars, the Apple Watch charging dock is certainly one of the most expensive. And a new charging cable for the Apple Watch also comes at 29 dollars. Still seems like a better option than a 79-dollar-charging dock/watch stand.

Third-party options also vary in price, so make your choice wisely. However, any charging product, be it a dock or a cable that is Qi-compatible fits with the Apple Watch too.

Photo Credits: alphr.com

Apple Watch Might Tell You What To Shop

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So far the Apple Watch has been designed to screen your wellbeing and let you purchase things with Apple Pay, but the gadget promises to change the way you do your shopping as well. The secret is Apple’s iBeacons, which send area- based signs when you’re near to them.

iBeacons ar already supported by the iPhone. For instance if users stroll by an iBeacon at a historical center, it could advise their iPhone to open the exhibition hall’s app to the specific relic they are passing by. This is how iBeacons could function with the Apple Watch to push individuals into using specific apps.

inMarket, which helps organizations create iPhone applications that work with iBeacons has come up with a new software innovation unit that allows the Apple Watch do some fascinating things with iBeacons. Beginning today, designers will have the capacity to coordinate their Apple Watch applications with List Ease, inMarket’s shopping agenda app.

What exactly does this imply? For examples, users might have a shopping list added on their smartphone List Ease. When they pass by an iBeacon in a shop, it could send the Apple Watch a ringing alert saying the shopper is near to one of the things noted in the shopping list. Then the watch would display a “short look” alert. When wearers lift their wrist it would indicate the relevant close-by goods with a “long look.” Furthermore, users can choose to see the whole shopping list.

It’s not difficult to envision different situations also. For example, the Watch could show a limited- time special offer for an item users have purchased before, when they are near to it in the store.

inMarket is mindful that individuals would prefer not to be besieged with alarms, so clients utilizing an Apple Watch application backed by inMarket will just get one alarm/ for app/for visit.

The main organization to exploit the new SDK is Marsh Supermarkets, a chain of around 60 stores in the Midwest. Only around twelve application developers are working with inMarket at this point. However that number may increase once the watch is really out. Different partners incorporate Conde Nast, Webmd, and Gannett.

Even if this is a single-case use, it demonstrates that the Apple Watch can alter every day habits. It was difficult to envision all the applications that the iPhone would support when it first rolled out. The Apple Watch will probably step into the same footsteps.

Image Source: Business Insider

Apple Price for Golden Watch Device Revealed

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The price for Apple’s golden watch was revealed, and it’s definitely not going to cheap. If you thought that Apple devices are expensive, you will be surprised by the price-range set for the so-called iWatch.

The company has revealed its new 18-karat pink and yellow gold luxury device, and specialists say that it will be worth roughly five thousands dollars. iGen, a French tech site revealed this information in addition to the price of the conventional watch. A regular Apple watch will be sold for 349 dollars.

If you are planning on purchasing an extravagant piece of equipment, the luxury version of the Apple Golden Watch will work. Although the version isn’t available yet, it will be released soon for a cost of 4000-5000 dollars. This price is the equivalent of eight to ten entry-level iPad Air 2 tablets, and more than five unlocked iPhone 6 smart-phones. It is even more expensive than the company’s top-of-the-line device: the 27-inch 5k Retina iMac.

Specialists advise enthusiasts to take iGen’s report with a grain of salt, because the publisher cited several unnamed sources and it doesn’t have the same cachet as other Apple tech blogs. In addition to this, it added that the prices are not set in stone yet. KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo has always been a source for accurate rumors about Apple, and it has not released any information about the Watch’s price yet.

On the other hand, if the price is real, or close, there will probably not be many people rushing to buy one, especially considering that the iWatch will probably be replaced with a newer, high-end version by the end of the year. Reports and rumor point to February 14 as the release date of the 19 karat gold Apple watch. This goes against Angela Ahdrendts’ statements to Apple employees.

According to Time magazine, luxury watches made with 18-karat gold should cost around 10.000$. It also mentioned that Apple will probably use less gold in order to lower the price. Time also said that an ounce of 18-karat gold costs 858$.

Apple also said that the Watch collection is made with “Highly polished stainless steel and space black stainless steel cases protected by sapphire crystal.”

One thing is for certain, the Apple Watch, which was revealed in September, will be available starting early 2015.

The Apple Gold Watch Will Cost $5000

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Last week Apple announced their new smartwatches called Apple Watch but they haven’t revealed all features yet. They are probably busy with the release of their new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. There is some news about the prices of the Apple Watch and we know for sure that the Apple Watch Sport will cost $349 in the US. Compared to other smartwatches, like the Moto 360 which is $250, the Apple Watch is pretty expensive. However, the sport version of the smartwatch is actually low compared to other versions like the stainless steel version on the Apple Gold watch, which not many will afford to buy.

Supposedly, Apple will position the more expensive watches as luxury items, not just tech devices. The stainless steel Apple watch will cost approximately $1000 and the Apple Gold watch will be around $5000. Yup, that’s a pretty big price for a watch, even for an Apple watch. The Apple Gold Watch will be 18 karat gold, rumors have it, and it will not be just gold plated, but a made of solid gold altogether.

The Apple Gold Watch Will Cost $5000

Apparently, Apple is planning to make the Apple watch sport version affordable to most people, while the premium versions will be left for those with big pockets. The Apple Watch has received mixed reviews, some saying that the lack of sensors on board is pretty disappointing and that the watch doesn’t bring anything new to the already full smartwatch market. The new Apple watch has the usual movement tracking features and the heart rate monitor, but besides that, nothing spectacular.

We are still waiting for more details regarding the new Apple watches and we will keep you updated. Until then, if you want to own the Apple Gold watch, start saving some money. A lot of money.