Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are the Highlights From Keynote

| Updated: Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 18:26 [IST]

After months of waiting, Apple finally introduced the much-awaited Apple Watch earlier this week. The cheapest model, the Apple Watch Sport, will start at $349 (Rs.22,050) for the 38mm version and $50 (Rs.3,150) more for the 42mm model. The Apple Watch gold edition starts at $10,000 (Rs.630,000), and will be made available in limited numbers. Meanwhile, the mid-level Apple Watch begins at $549 (Rs.34,500) or the 38-millimeter version, and $599 (Rs.37,773) for the 42-millimeter version.

Besides the Apple Watch, the world's most valuable company also unveiled the hotly anticipated 12-inch MacBook with an all-new design. The company claims its new compact notebook offers a full-sized Mac experience in the thinnest and lightest form factor. Other than that, Apple spent a few seconds on buyers' rising interest in the Apple TV. The Apple TV, an arch rival to the Amazon Fire TV, is now priced at $69 (Rs.4,347), down from $99 (Rs.6,300).

Interestingly, HBO's newly introduced streaming service: HBO NOW will be made exclusively on the Apple TV. Apple also made sure to talk about its new intuitive (dubbed, "ResearchKit"). The new technology will enable development of a new kinds of medical apps.

We gather all the highlights here and make sense of it.

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

At last, Apple made it clear that its sensational timepiece - the Apple Watch - will go on sale, starting April 24 in 9 counties. Unfortunately, Apple hasn't yet indicated when it plans to launch the Apple Watch in India. According to a report from PTI, Apple Watch could be introduced in the country somewhere around June 2015. The entry-level model might be priced at Rs. 30,000.

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

Apple said that thousands of apps had already been developed for the Apple Watch. WeChat, Uber, Facebook and Instagram are some of the apps that have been specifically designed for the Apple Watch.

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

According to Apple, Apple Watch will feature an 18 hours of battery backup, though the company admit that real battery life will depend on device settings and usage. Apple's tests show that 1.5 hours of charging will restore the battery to 80%, while 2.5 hours will completely fill it to 100%.

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

Apple has finally launched the 12-inch Retina MacBook at the spring forward event. It's the thinnest MacBook ever, measuring just 13.1mm thick. And the lightest at just 2 pounds. For $1299 you'll get a MacBook with a 1.1GHz dual-core Core M processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. Jump up to $1599 and you'll get a 1.2GHz processor and 512MB of RAM. Both models will go on sale, starting April 10.

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

12-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display ( 2304 x 1440) with IPS technology
1.1GHz or 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor, upgradeable to 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor
8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 of RAM
256GB/512GB PCIe-based on-board flash storage
Intel HD Graphics 5300 GPU
Up to 9 hours wireless web or up to 10 hours iTunes movie playback
Built-in 39.7-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
Full-size keyboard with 78 (US) or 79 (ISO) individual LED backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys with ambient light sensor

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Single USB-C port with support for charging, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps), native DisplayPort 1.2 video output, VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately) and HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
Stereo speakers and dual microphones
Available in three colours: silver, space grey, and gold

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

The new 12-inch all-new MacBook comes with a single port that handles charging and connectivity. The single universal reversible USB-C port can handle power, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA using special adapters.

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

ResearchKit, a new initiative by Apple, is an open source software framework that will turn an iPhone into "powerful diagnostic tools for medical research." The new software aims to assist doctors and scientist gather data at a faster and more accurate rate.

"ResearchKit turns iPhone into a powerful tool for medical research. When granted permission by the user, apps can access data from the Health app such as weight, blood pressure, glucose levels and asthma inhaler use, which are measured by third-party devices and apps".

Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Event: Here Are The Highlights From Keynote

Apple TV, a media streaming device, is now available for $69, down from $99. The lower price makes the Apple TV more competitive in comparison to the Amazon Fire TV. Apple has sold as many as 25 million Apple TVs worldwide, according to CEO Tim Cook.