Apple Watch is unlike any device we’ve ever made. But we wanted interacting with it to be just as easy and intuitive as using your iPhone or working on a Mac. So we invented all-new ways to select, navigate, and input that are ideally suited to a smaller device worn on the wrist. The result is an experience that’s both unique to Apple Watch and quintessentially Apple.Watch the “Welcome” Guided Tour
Digital Crown. A modern twist
on a traditional feature.
Every new product we’ve introduced has been defined by a unique input device. With Apple Watch, it’s the Digital Crown. On mechanical watches, the crown has historically been used to set the time and date and to wind the mainspring. We reimagined it as a versatile tool that answers the fundamental challenge of how to magnify content on a small display. Pinching to zoom, as you do on iPhone, is impractical. But turning the Digital Crown allows you to navigate nimbly and precisely, without obstructing your view. You can zoom in and out of photos, quickly scroll through lists, input data, or press it like a button to return to the Home screen. The Digital Crown is an integral part of the Apple Watch experience.
Entirely new,
yet immediately familiar.
From the moment you wake the display with a simple raise of the wrist, you’ll be comfortable using Apple Watch. The Watch OS feels amazingly fresh. But it’s visually reminiscent of what you’re used to seeing, and is designed around simple gestures, such as zooming and panning, that already come naturally. Navigation is fluid and responsive. And the arrangement of apps is simple and orderly. We even developed a new typeface to maximize legibility. All of which means you’ll know your way around Apple Watch in virtually no time.
Not just a display, but the focal point of the whole experience.
A Retina display is the primary surface for every interaction with Apple Watch. And it’s clear why. The incredibly high pixel density makes numbers and text easy to read at a glance, even while you’re moving. Images and graphics render with remarkable sharpness and contrast, including finely detailed ones like the rotation of a hair-thin second hand on a watch face. And the display is extremely energy efficient, critical for a device you wear throughout the day. On most Apple Watch models, the display is laminated to a machined and polished single crystal of sapphire. Next to diamond, it’s the hardest transparent material. On watches in the Sport collection, protection is provided by strengthened Ion-X glass.
Sensitive enough to tell a tap from a press.
In addition to recognizing touch, Apple Watch senses force, adding a new dimension to the user interface. Force Touch uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, and trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls. With Force Touch, pressing firmly on the screen brings up additional controls in apps like Messages, Music, and Calendar. It also lets you select different watch faces, pause or end a workout, search an address in Maps, and more. Force Touch is the most significant new sensing capability since Multi‑Touch.
Glances. Just the right amount of information, right where you want it.
Notifications. See and feel what’s next on your schedule.
Because it’s connected to your iPhone, Apple Watch can present time in a more personal way. One that’s based around your life and schedule. You’ll receive real-time notifications for incoming mail, messages, and calls. So you can answer or dismiss them instantly. And since Apple Watch sits on your wrist, your alerts aren’t just immediate. They’re intimate. A gentle tap lets you know the time and place of your next meeting, when you should leave, and the best route to take. Once you’re on your way, a tap on the wrist lets you know when to turn left, or right. And you can always swipe down to see any notifications you may have missed.
Siri. Closer and more useful than ever.
Having Siri with you at all times means you can access it that much more quickly and conveniently. And be even more spontaneous with your requests. Simply raise your wrist and say “Hey Siri,” or press and hold the Digital Crown to dictate messages, get turn-by-turn directions, or stay up to date on your events. You’ll get an instant response to your query.Watch the “Siri” Guided Tour
Events. With Apple Watch always close by, you can easily find out what’s next in your day. Just use your voice.
Turn-by-turn. Getting to your destination is much easier with Apple Watch. Just ask Siri for directions and Maps will guide the way.
Messages. You can send a message without typing a single word. Simply ask Siri to text a contact, and then start dictating.
We found a way to give technology a more human touch. Literally.
It’s called the Taptic Engine, a linear actuator inside Apple Watch that produces haptic feedback. In less technical terms, it taps you on the wrist whenever you receive an alert or notification, or press down on the display. Combined with subtle audio cues from the specially engineered speaker driver, the Taptic Engine creates a discreet, sophisticated, and nuanced experience by engaging more of your senses. It also enables some entirely new, intimate ways for you to communicate with other Apple Watch wearers. You can get someone’s attention with a gentle tap. Or even send something as personal as your heartbeat.
With a custom heart rate sensor, it’s built to know you better.
The wrist is a convenient area for collecting data about your physical activity, a task Apple Watch is designed to perform throughout the day. On the back of the case, a ceramic cover with sapphire lenses1 protects a specially designed sensor that uses infrared and visible-light LEDs and photodiodes to detect your heart rate during workouts and when using the Heart Rate Glance. This allows Apple Watch to provide a comprehensive picture of your workouts and daily activity, suggest personal activity goals, and reward you for reaching personal fitness milestones.
Learn about the Apple Watch heart rate sensor, its accuracy and limitations
Heart Rate Sensor. The custom heart rate sensor in Apple Watch can help gauge your intensity during workouts to improve overall calorie tracking.
GPS. Apple Watch uses the GPS in your iPhone to help measure the distance you travel during the day or during workouts that can’t be measured in steps, such as cycling.
Accelerometer. The Apple Watch accelerometer measures total body movement, counts your steps, and calculates your calories burned throughout the day.
An entire computer architecture on a single chip.
Massive constraints have a way of inspiring interesting, creative solutions. A prime example is the custom-designed chip at the heart of Apple Watch. No traditional computer architecture could fit within such a confined space. So we found a way to integrate many subsystems into one remarkably compact module, which is then completely encapsulated in resin to protect the electronics from the elements, impact, and wear. Configuring an entire computer system on a single chip is an industry first and represents a singular feat of engineering and miniaturization.
Charge it overnight.
Wear it all day.
You’ll want to use Apple Watch all day long. So we gave it a battery that lasts up to 18 hours2 and made charging it at the end of the day utterly effortless. In fact, our goal was to make Apple Watch easy to charge in the dark. Without looking. While being only partially awake. We arrived at a solution that combines our MagSafe technology with inductive charging. It’s a completely sealed system free of exposed contacts. And it’s very forgiving, requiring no precise alignment. You simply hold the connector near the back of the watch, where magnets cause it to snap into place automatically.
Everyone will use Apple Watch differently, and different features use varying amounts of battery life. So here are some useful battery metrics.
TIMEPIECE
AUDIO PLAYBACK
TALK TIME
WORKOUT
POWER RESERVE
A more personal experience. For every person.
Apple Watch comes with some powerful accessibility features. Like Zoom, a built-in magnifier. VoiceOver, so you can hear what’s on your screen. And Larger Dynamic Type, which makes text easier to read. They’re all built in and easy to turn on, either through the device itself or by using the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
NextNot just on the wrist.Designed for it.
Learn more about built-in apps
