What to expect from Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Watch event

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Apple is taking over the Yerba Buena Center in San Fransisco. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple is taking over the Yerba Buena Center in San Fransisco. Photo:Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s March 9 “Spring Forward” event is just around the corner, and its tagline can only mean one thing: Apple Watch news galore.

Scheduled for the day after daylight saving time kicks in, we expect Apple to shower us with details about the upcoming wearable, including pricing and availability. Select Apple Watch apps from App Store developers will likely be shown off as well to whet our appetites for what’s to come.

While there’s a chance some new Mac hardware could share the stage Monday, we expect the event to focus mostly on all the unanswered questions surrounding the Apple Watch.

What are those questions? Glad you asked:

1) What’s the exact battery life?

"You like me, you really like me!" Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook charges his Watch nightly, and Apple has made it pretty clear that the Watch will need to be recharged every day. But is that after light or heavy use?

Battery will likely be the biggest inhibitor of the Apple Watch, just like the original iPhone.

2) How much will each model cost?

38mm rose gold Apple Watch Edition. Photo: Apple
38mm rose gold Apple Watch Edition. Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

We already know the base Sport model will cost $350, but what about the nicer stainless steel Watch and the 18-karat gold Edition model?

It’s safe to bet that the mid-tier Apple Watch will run between $500 and $1,000, but the Edition is speculated to cost between $5,000 and $10,000.

3) When will it be available to buy?

The Apple Watch modeled in Vogue China last October. Photo: Vogue China
The Apple Watch modeled in Vogue China last October. Photo: Vogue China

Cook has already confirmed that the Watch is shipping sometime in April, but exact rollout dates remain unknown.

Given the aggressive international marketing push the Watch is seeing in areas like China, expect it to launch in multiple countries alongside the United States.

4) How will the bands work?

The Rumor: Apple Watch won't launch until Spring. The Verdict: Probably. Angela Ahrendts told employees that Apple Watch won't hit stores until after Chinese New Year (February 19th). We weren't expecting a January or February launch, but hopefully our wrists will be rocking the Apple Watch before April.
Photo: Apple

Apple says the Watch’s bands are meant to be interchangeable, but will all bands be compatible with all three Watch models? Will you be able to put a fancy Milanese Loop band on the entry-level Sport model?

And how much will each band cost? Expect to drop a solid chunk of change if you want to have several bands to mix and match.

5) What kind of apps will it run?

Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

Several third-party apps from the likes of Facebook and Twitter were previewed alongside Apple’s own at the Watch’s original unveiling back in September. But it’s been months since developers were given the tools to start making their own Watch apps, and Apple will likely take the opportunity to show off some of the best ones.

We already know what Watch apps won’t be able to do, but there’s still plenty of room for Apple to showcase the hottest apps that will be ready for our wrists on day one. Select App Store developers have been invited to Apple headquarters to finish their apps in time, so expect a gold rush of new software when the Watch ships.

New MacBook? Maybe

Apple might surprise us with new MacBooks. Photo: Apple
Apple might surprise us with new MacBooks. Photo: Apple

While there have been whispers of a completely redesigned 12-inch MacBook Air launching at the event, we’re not holding our collective breath.

The Wall Street Journal has said that the 12-inch MacBook is scheduled to ship sometime in spring, but Apple could save the announcement for WWDC in June.

But now that specs for an upgraded 13-inch MacBook Air have surfaced, it seems like Mac news isn’t totally off the table for Monday.

iPad Pro? More like iPad No

The iPad Pro screen could be nearly as big as your MacBook's Photo: CURVED
Photo: CURVED
Photo: CURVED

Holding out hope for a 12-inch iPad that’s perfectly suited for actually getting work done? You’re going to be waiting until fall.

Revamped Beats Music not until WWDC

Beats Music
Photo: Jim Merithew/ Cult of Mac

 

Multiple reports have said that Apple won’t unveil its new streaming music service based on Beats Music until WWDC.

Stay tuned

We’ll be liveblogging all the breaking news from Apple’s event come Monday. The keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific, and Apple will be providing a live stream on its website.

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