News & Reviews:   Apple Watch

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.

Well that escalated quickly, just yesterday there was a rumour of the Apple Watch Dock for charging purposes. Now it’s official and it’s on Apple’s website for $79 (RM343.85). 

The dock can charge your Apple Watch in two positions; either laying it flat or on its side. It also uses the same inductive charging connector so any smartwatch model and size can be charged. Keep note that if you choose to charge it by its side, the smartwatch enters Nightstand mode, which can be used as your alarm. 

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.

Apple's WWDC just went down yesterday with a number of major announcements including iOS 9, Apple Music and watchOS 2. Apple iOS 9 will be coming to certain Apple devices with a number of new features including a split screen view for multitasking, a built-in notes app, better Siri and Apple Maps, a news app and improved battery and performance. Instead of 4.6GB free storage space like last time, you only need 1.3GB free storage space to install iOS 9. All devices that ran iOS 8 will get iOS 9 but older less powerful devices may get a slimmer version which is faster but has less features. Apple Music on the other hand will be Apple's take on music streaming much like Spotify. The watchOS 2 on the other hand will offer Apple Watch users some new features and improvements. Other new features for iOS 9 include a screen recording feature, new fonts and changes to the keyboard. Check out the Apple site for more details.

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.

LG has been slowly expanding its smartwatch lineup in the past few months. The latest watch from the company was the LG Watch Urbane targeted at a more luxurious crowd. Within just two weeks of its release, LG has announced a 4G LTE version of the device with some essential upgrades. The new LG Watch Urbane LTE brings high speed network connectivity along with a number of other features such as walkie-talkie style voice chats, foreign speech translation and even GPS location sharing. The watch can even make 4G LTE phone calls. In terms of Tech specs LG has also made some big upgrades. The battery inside the new device will be 700 mAh, up from 410 mAh on the earlier announced model. The company has also bumped up the RAM to 1GB. The Watch Urbane LTE comes with a payment tool which enables its users to make NFC based payments. This would make it the second watch with such a capability after the Apple Watch. Also, unlike the Watch Urbane, this particular model will run on LG's proprietary OS instead of Android Wear. LG will be showing off the new watch at MWC 2015. Expect more information such as a possible Malaysia pricing and release dates at the event which is set for in the next few hours.

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.