Will Apple’s watch range be worth its weight in gold?
Apple yesterday unveiled its highly anticipated take on the smartwatch with a host of new innovations and an ostentatious 18 carat gold version.
The cheapest in the range is the Apple Watch Sport, priced from £299. But one version, the solid-gold Apple Watch Edition will set buyers back up to £13,500.
The launch of the Apple Watch Edition marks a foray into the higher-end market after Apple appointed former Burberry boss Angela Ahrendts as senior vice president of retail and online sales in 2014.
The Apple Watch will carry 18 hours of battery life and can take and receive calls.
“I’ve been wanting to make calls from my wrist since I was five years old,” said Apple chief Tim Cook.
One major feature – yet to be released in the UK – will be Apple pay, which enables a wearer to raise their watch up to an in-store terminal to instantly make a payment.
The watch will go on sale in eight other countries outside the UK initially – Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, as well as its home market of the US.