Experts Put Apple Watch To The Test As Release Date Nears
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- More than seven months after its debut, the time has finally come for the release of the Apple Watch this month.
CNET Senior Editor Scott Stein has been trying it out.
"It's one of the most feature-packed, ambitious smartwatches, but it's doing it at the expense of elements like price and battery life," Stein said.
With prices ranging from several hundred dollars for the sports version to several thousand dollars for the 18-karat gold edition, it may be a tough sell to the average person, CBS2's Alex Denis reported.
"It's really up to people to decide whether they want to spend $350 to $17,000 on an accessory or whether they just want to stick with their phone," said CNET Senior Writer Shara Tibken.
The watch works with newer iPhones and it lets you stay connected, track your fitness, play music and use Apple Pay, as well as tap into numerous apps.
"It's really easy to send texts, audio messages, make speakerphone calls; the fitness app in particular seems pretty well thought out," Stein said.
But the battery only lasts a day, while other smartwatches can last up to seven days.
"It's less like a watch you'd wear every single day without interruption and a little more like a powerful computer that you've got to learn to charge more," Stein said.
While smartwatches aren't new, they are far from mainstream. Apple's entry could be a big boost to the market.
"All of that is going to make a lot of competitors step up their game but it also may open up the door for a lot of lower priced products with longer battery life," Stein said.
If you're thinking of getting one, aside from price and functionality, here's something to consider.
"How you interact with your phone, whether you really want to keep it in your pocket and use something on your wrist instead," Stein said.
Starting at midnight, Apple will take pre-orders and reservations for people to try the watches on in stores.
The devices are scheduled to arrive April 24.
