Apple Watch Event Live Blog: Follow All The News As It Happened

We already know a fair bit about the Apple Watch. Like, a lot. Still, Apple is having an event tomorrow to talk about all things Watch. Get in here and watch all the news develop with our Spring Forward event live blog!

All times are in AEDT.

3pm, 9 March 2015
Welcome! We’re about to blog our fingers off come-4am tomorrow.

3:30pm
Until then, check out everything we think the Apple Watch can do!

4pm
There are rumours that Apple will announce more than just Apple Watch functionality and pricing tomorrow. There have been rumours that we’re getting Retina MacBook Airs and a Beats music streaming service announcement.

What do you want to see from Uncle Tim tomorrow? Tell us in the comments!

4am, 10 March

Hey, readers! We’re back, and the event’s about to kick off!

4:02
We start with a video of Apple’s store openings in Westlake, China. The usual high-energy affair!

4:03
All the store staff are in red shirts. Imagine if Apple moved to a Star Trek-style ranking system…

4:04
Enough of that. Tim Cook is up!

4:05

Apple now has 21 stores in China and has “a very agressive plan to be at 40 by this time next year,” says Tim.

Right now, there are 453 Apple Stores around the world.

“I’m so incredibly proud of our retail team,” he says, and “we’ve got a few more reasons to visit those stores today.”

4:06

Let’s get into it, starting with Apple TV!

“Of all the great channels we have on Apple TV, I’d like to talk a little more about HBO.”

4:07

The CEO of HBO, Richard Pepler is up to make an announcement about HBO Now: HBO’s standalone streaming service.

“We couldn’t be prouder that Apple is our exclusive partner at launch,” he says.

It’s coming in April for $US14.99 per month, and the first month is free.

4:10

New Game Of Thrones trailer!

4:11

Lots of stabbing coming up. No surprises.

4:12

Back to Apple TV.

4:12

Apple is lowering the price from $US99 to $US69.

4:13

iPhone update time. Coming thick and fast!

4:14

Tim Cook reveals that Apple has just sold its 700 millionth iPhone. Crikey.

4:14

Apple Pay update. Hopefully we get an Australian release date, Tim?

4:15

Nope. Moving on, sadly. Goddammit.

4:16

“Every major car brand has now announced support for CarPlay,” says Tim.

4:17

4:18

Jeff Williams, senior VP of Operations, is up to talk about Apple’s contribution to medical research via the iPhone.

4:18

4:19

Apple is announcing something called ResearchKit. It lets researchers create apps, and turns the iPhone and HealthKit into powerful diagnostic tools. It has been working with top medical universities to build five new apps.

Apps like mPower. Anyone with an iPhone can now contribute to Parkinsons research. The app turns the iPhone into a diagnostic tool.

You can do a tapping test or say “aaaaah” into the phone, or alternatively go do a walk test. All the iPhone’s sensors and tools are able to measure your Parkinsons ability.

4:21

The user then gets graphs to see what they’re results are like before a study has concluded.

There’s also a diabetes app which measures behaviour and glucose levels; an app for Cardiovascular Disease; an Asthma app which will help with management (I’m very excited about that); and an app for Breast Cancer.

Mount Sinai hospital is doing some research in New York city with the Asthma app to give patients Bluetooth inhalers and tracking where they’re used. Then they’re measuring pathogens in the areas where they’re used to see what sets asthmatics off.

Privacy is highlighted: Apple will not see your data and you choose to sign up to ResearchKit apps.

4:24

Video time. Doctor’s seem pretty excited about this.

4:27

Massive applause for ResearchKit. Why wouldn’t there be: Apple wants to use your phone to make you live forever.

4:29

It’s all Open Source as well so anyone can contribute. It comes out next month.

4:30

Tim Cook is back, and we’re talking about Macs!

4:30

4:31

Tim Cook said that the Mac designers have been challenged to “reinvent the notebook”. “And we did it”.

4:32

Retuuuurn of the Mac!

4:32

OH MY GOD THEY MADE IT GOLD.

4:32

Goddamn it’s gorgeous.

“Can you even see it?! I can’t even feel it!” Cook says as he brings one out.

Phil Schiller is up to tell us about it.

It weighs just 907 grams and measures 13.1mm. That’s 24 per cent thinner than the old stupidly-thin Mac.

There’s no plastic: it’s an all-metal enclosure.

The keyboard goes all the way to the edge and “defines” the size of the notebook.

There’s also a brand new keyboard. We’re looking at slow-motion videos of customers typing. rather than have a scissor mechanism for keys, we now have a butterfly mechanism which is “four-times more stable and 40% thinner”.

Each key now also has an individual LED backlight.

4:37

Yep: it’s a 12-inch Retina display. 2304×1440 resolution.

4:39

The trackpad is force sensitive, which can be changed in software. It’s no longer “like a diving board”. You now get a long click option which gives you a new “Force Click” feature to action items in different apps. It also uses the new Taptic engine from Watch.

It’s a unibody machine, as usual, and it has no fan. First fanless MacBook ever.

4:43

The batteries are terraced and stepped, so the batteries are filled right to the edge of the chassis so no space is wasted.

It’s configurable with an Intel Core M processor up to 1.3GHz of power.

4:44

Here we go: Apple’s about to ditch the ports in favour of reversible, USB Type-C.

4:45

The USB-C supports loads of different stuff through the one port.

4:46

Here we go. Video time on the new MacBooks. Welcome back, Jony Ive, you smooth talking design lunatic.

4:46

4:51

Right, so tell ’em the price, son!

It’s just called “MacBook”. You get a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel M processor, Intel Graphics HD 3500, 8GB of RAM for $US1299.

$US1599 gets you a 1.2GHz processor and 512GB of storage.

They ship in April.

Other models also get an update:

The MacBook Air gets new Intel chips, Thunderbolt 2 and the 13-inch model gets Flash memory support.

The 13-inch Macbook Pro gets the new Force Touch trackpad, new Intel processors and Flash support with another hour of battery life.

4:55

Tim Cook is back to talk about the main event: Watch.

As previously discussed, you can get a bunch of different watch faces.

4:57

There’s also something called Glances, which is Apple’s version of Google Now cards that shows you everything from the weather, through to next meeting and your heart rate.

4:58

You can make and receive calls on your Watch, too.

4:59

Here’s Australian pricing for the new MacBook while we wait for Apple Watch pricing:

The base model will start at $1799, and the faster, higher memory version will come in at $2199. Worth it? Too expensive? Tell us in the comments!

5:01

Apple gave a Watch to model, health advocate, smart person and all-round superwoman Christy Turlington Burns to test it out. She’s done a half-marathon with the Apple Watch in Africa.

5:05

Inspiring video about Christy’s Kilimanjaro half-marathon done, and she’s here to talk about it!

5:06

Christy is going to run the London Marathon with the Apple Watch soon.

“Apple Watch is going to help me get there,” she says.

The big question is: will the battery last that long?

5:07

And with that, Christy’s out.

5:08

The Apple Watch will also support Siri.

5:09

Kevin Lynch is up, talking to us about new Watch apps. We’re looking at new scenarios.

We’re taking a look at passive Siri on the watch. She always listens for “hey Siri”.

5:14

Here’s a quick look at the Instagram app on Watch.

5:15

The demo of taking a call on your Watch was pretty cool, but I bet you look like a Dick Tracey-level bell-end doing it in the real world.

5:16

Here’s what Uber looks like on the Apple WAtch.

5:18

The W Hotels will also allow Watch to be a room key.

5:19

Here’s Shazam on the Apple Watch

Honestly, I just want to buy one for that.

5:21

You go to the iPhone to control apps on your Watch. Download, view and install them. In iOS 8.2 you get a new Apple Watch controller app by default, even if you don’t have an Apple Watch.

It’s the hub for your notifications and friends who you can send photos and sketches to.

5:22

“All-day battery,” with 18 hours of life, says Tim Cook.

5:23

The Apple Watch Sport comes in silver and space grey, with black, yellow, blue, red and white bands.

We’re talking about what it’s made out of in a new video.

5:26

The 38mm model costs $US349, while the big-wristed 42mm model costs $US399.

5:27

Onto Apple Watch, and another video about metal. Stainless steel this time.

5:28

Right. Pricing. This one’s pricey:

38mm starts at $US549 and ranges up to $1049 based on your selection of the watch band.

42mm starts at $US599 and ranges up to $1099 based on your selection of the watch band.

5:30
Onto the Apple Watch Edition. It’s in limited quantities.

It starts at $US10,000. TEN. THOUSAND. DOLLARS.

5:30
Pre-orders start on April 10, and the retail stores will have them to look at from then, too.

It comes out in Australia in April 24!

5:33

Just saw a funky new ad for the Watch while we wait on Australian pricing.

5:34

All the Apple staffers in the room are being invited to stand and get their recognition.

5:35

And that’s all she wrote! Stay tuned for hands-on and pricing stories later on!


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