News & Reviews:   Apple Watch specification

Today, all Apple Watch models - Apple Watch Sport, stainless Steel Apple Watch, and a limited edition of Apple Watch (PRODUCT) RED model are now officially available in Malaysia. The limited edition Apple Watch is exclusive for the upcoming Chinese New Year festival next month until 22 February.

Like most wearables, Apple watch allows the user to receive and respond to incoming notifications and messages, it tracks your daily healthy lifestyle, has its own wallet and boarding pass feature for convenience, and lets you customize the watchface and bands as you wish. It’s also operating on the latest watchOS 2.

Griffin Technology, a digital accessory manufacturer from USA will be presenting a new Travel Power Bank, a wireless compact Apple Watch charger, and new strap bands for the Apple Watch during the CES 2016 which will take place tomorrow.

We first reported about Apple Watch smartwatch clones appearing at CES 2015 with the Hyperdon Smart Watch, but now it appears that the other clones have also arrived here in Malaysia. A quick search for 'smart watches' on Lazada.com.my reveals quite a few of them featuring the same rounded metallic body and dial control as the Apple Watch. Pricing for these variously named smartwatches range from RM145 ($38) to RM350. Do bear in mind that the original Apple Watch starts from $350 (RM1327). Tech specs for these Apple Watch clones include Bluetooth connectivity and compatiblity with iOS and Android devices but since they are cheap knockoffs you can expect some decrease in build quality and other features. However, there may be those who would cheat you by selling these clones as the original Apple Watch. One of the easiest ways of seeing if it is a clone is to check the underside. The real Apple Watch will have various sensors underneath it (like a heart rate monitor) while the clone will likely be just steel. Lazada and other major online sites require sellers to sell these clones with different names from the Apple Watch so it should be safe to get them from online sources, but if you're window shopping in real life best be wary.

While it looks like the Apple Watch may not be coming to Malaysia officially anytime soon, third-party sellers like SatuGadgetDotCom and DirectD are now selling it here in Malaysia. Granted, choices are limited to the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch versions but both sellers provide fairly good aftersales services. Pricing starts from RM1769 and both the 38mm and 42mm size versions are also available but you can probably find cheaper pricing at other lesser known sellers. Originally, pricing for the Apple Watch began from $349 (RM1263) but you have to expect this kind of price increase for something as premium as the Apple Watch. No news yet on an official Malaysia release date or pricing details, but if it does come, it will likely be at the end of the year with the new Apple iPhone.

There are still not that many apps for the Apple Watch but Hong Leong Bank Berhad have just announced the extension of their Hong Leong Connect mobile banking app for the Apple Watch. While Malaysian users may have to wait a while for the official release here, those that have gotten their hands on Apple Watch can quickly install the Hong Leong connect app for Apple Watch. As the first bank in Malaysia to do so, the app allows Hong Leong Connect mobile banking customers to view balances of their Savings, Current and Credit Card accounts along with receive TAC notifications. Other features are coming soon. Here's what Hong Leong Bank Berhad had to say about it:

“It came to our attention that some of our customers were already wearing the Apple Watch even though it is not yet available here, and we wanted to ensure that they would be the first customers in Malaysia to enjoy the convenience of Hong Leong Connect from their wrist.” Galvin Yeo, General Manager for Digital Innovation & Transactional Banking, Hong Leong Bank Berhad.

“Technology adoption is evolving and we take it very seriously. We believe that this digital offering will provide Hong Leong customers with the next level of convenience.” Tan Kong Khoon, Group Managing Director/CEO, Hong Leong Bank Berhad.

Apple has announced that its latest premium offering, the Apple Watch, is available from 24 April 2015 and is now open for exclusive online pre-oder from its US store. Shipping for pre-orders takes about 4-6 weeks. It comes in 3 versions, the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport and the Apple Watch Edition. The appeal of a variety of color, size and strap selections makes it highly versatile. The cheapest model which is a 38mm Sport version costs USD349 (RM1281) while the standard Watch version costs USD549 (RM2015) upwards. The costliest of them, a 38mm 18-karat yellow gold Apple Watch Edition with bright red modern buckle can set one back by USD17000 (RM62387). All watch purchases comes with optional add-ons which includes a magnetic charging cable for additional USD29 (RM107), a USB power adapter for USD19 (RM70) and the AppleCare+ bearing USD49 (RM180), USD69 (RM253) and USD1500 (RM5501) for the Sport, Watch and Edition respectively. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details via the Apple Malaysia store just yet but stay tuned for more developments.

While it has been announced, the pricing and release date for the Apple Watch wasn't actually revealed, until now. While international pre-orders start from 10 April 2015 and ship on 24 April 2015, we should be able to expect the Apple Watch in Malaysia a few months afterwards. Pricing begins with the aluminum alloy Apple Watch Sport with the 38mm version going for $349 (RM1285) while the 42mm version will go for $399 (RM1470). The stainless steel Apple Watch 38mm version will be priced from $549 (RM2022) whille the 42mm version will start from $599 (RM2207). The 18k gold Apple Watch edition 38mm version will go from $10000 (RM36847) while the 42mm will start from $12000 (RM44216). While it isn't unusual for someone to wear a watch priced the same as a small car here in Malaysia, it is the most expensive price for a smartwatch yet. Too bad that it only works for Apple devices for now.

In a message sent out to employees, Apple's Senior Vice President of Apple Retail and Online stores revealed that the Apple Watch will be delayed to Q2 of 2015. Initially rumoured to be coming in early 2015, the message clearly says "we've got a new watch launch coming in spring". The Apple Watch brings a new interface and premium rounded corners to the usual thick slab of touchscreen design language along with various other features. It will be priced from $350 (RM1163) so this just means you have a few more months to save up for Apple's first smartwatch device. No Malaysia release dates or pricing but we expect it to be available locally near the end of Q2 of 2015.

Apple mentioned a little bit about their upcoming smartwatch, the Apple Watch. While it hasn't been released yet, it has been confirmed that the Apple Watch will be coming in early 2015. This means that you'll have to wait till at least Q1 of 2015 (rumours say February 2015) to get the Apple Watch. In the meantime, developers for Watch OS apps will get the WatchKit SDK in November 2014. Bear in mind that the Apple Watch will start from $349 (RM1146) so if you really want it, you should start saving now. No Malaysia release date or pricing yet but we expect it in 2015.

The Apple Watch is probably the most anticipated smartwatch around. Going for a thick slab of touchscreen look with rounded corners and a Retina screen it will come in two sizes, one smaller 38mm sized case and another larger 42mm sized case, making it good for both men and women or at least those with small and large sized wrists. Like other normal smartwatches, it is a companion device, meant to work with your Apple iPhone but it is also a fitness tracker. Detailed tech specs are not available yet, but we do know that it has a battery life of about one day, uses an Apple S1 system-on-chip, has a Retina Display and NFC. It is compatible with Apple iPhones from the Apple iPhone 5 and above. Notable features are listed in this article.