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The First Apple Watch — Seven Months From Unveiling to Sale, Japan on Day One
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The first Apple Watch was unveiled on 9 September 2014 and released on Friday 24 April 2015. It launched in nine countries — Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US — so Japan was in the first wave, on the same day as the US. Pre-orders and in-store try-ons began two weeks earlier, on Friday 10 April.
There were seven and a half months between unveiling and sale. In September 2014 Apple said only that the watch would arrive in early 2015, starting at $349. The date, the countries and the full price list came on 9 March 2015 (the Japanese release is dated 10 March).
From unveiling to sale
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 September 2014 | Apple Watch unveiled, due in early 2015 from $349 |
| 9 March 2015 | Release on 24 April in nine countries announced, with full pricing |
| 10 April 2015 | Pre-orders open; try-ons by appointment in Apple stores; previews at department stores including Isetan in Tokyo |
| 24 April 2015 | Release in nine countries: online, and by reservation in Apple stores and at selected resellers in China and Japan |
On launch day Apple's own stores sold the watch by reservation rather than to walk-in customers. Apple said anyone buying online or in its stores would be offered Personal Setup, to customise the watch and pair it with their iPhone.
In Tokyo it also went on sale on 24 April at the Isetan shop-in-shop and at Dover Street Market. Selling it through department stores and fashion boutiques as well as electronics channels said something about how Apple wanted it seen: as a watch.
Three collections
| Collection | Case | US price | Japan price (before tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Sport | Aluminium (silver, space gray) | $349 / $399 | ¥42,800 / ¥48,800 |
| Apple Watch | Stainless steel (polished, space black) | $549–$1,099 | ¥66,800–¥132,800 |
| Apple Watch Edition | 18-karat gold (rose, yellow) | From $10,000 | From ¥1,280,000 |
Every collection came in 38 mm and 42 mm sizes. The Sport's display sat under strengthened Ion-X glass; the Apple Watch and Edition used sapphire crystal. The price differences came mainly from the case material and the band it was paired with.
What was new
| Element | What it did |
|---|---|
| Digital Crown | Turn to scroll, zoom and navigate; also the Home button and a way to call Siri |
| Force Touch | Told a light tap from a firm press on the display |
| Taptic Engine | With a built-in speaker, delivered alerts you could hear and feel on the wrist |
| S1 | Apple's own SiP (System in Package) |
| Sensors | Accelerometer and heart-rate sensor; GPS and Wi-Fi came from the paired iPhone |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours; a charger combining MagSafe technology with inductive charging |
| Compatible iPhones | iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6 or 6 Plus running the latest iOS 8 |
Apple's announcement called the Digital Crown its most revolutionary navigation tool since the iPod's Click Wheel and the iPhone's Multi-Touch. The display was described as a Retina display.
The pitch was a set of things done from the wrist: sending and receiving messages, answering calls to the iPhone, Digital Touch (which could even send your own heartbeat), activity and workout tracking through the Activity and Workout apps, and Apple Pay, which in September 2014 was available only in the US.
The March announcement also lined up third-party experiences designed for the wrist: requesting an Uber, checking in for an American Airlines flight, adjusting a Honeywell Lyric thermostat at home while out. They extended iPhone apps to the wrist rather than replacing them. For the Edition, Apple said the 18-karat gold cases used custom alloys developed to be twice as hard as standard gold.
From iPhone companion to health device
The first Apple Watch was complete only when paired with an iPhone. Over the next few generations it grew more independent.
| Announced | Model | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2016 | Series 2 | Water resistance to 50 metres for swimming; built-in GPS, so runs could be tracked without an iPhone; a display twice as bright. On sale in more than 25 countries from 16 September |
| 12 September 2018 | Series 4 | A display over 30 percent larger, fall detection, an electrical heart-rate sensor and an ECG app. The ECG app received a De Novo classification from the FDA and was initially promised for later that year in the US only |
Announcing Series 4, Apple's chief operating officer Jeff Williams described the ECG app as "the first-ever ECG app offered directly to consumers". That is Apple's own claim.
Where the Apple Watch sits
In the September 2014 release, Tim Cook placed the watch in a line of Apple's "category-defining products, the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad" — see the iPad — and called it "the most personal product we've ever made." The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were announced on the same day. With AirPods in 2016, it was part of a push to spread wearable devices out from the iPhone.
For the company, see Apple; for the wider story, the mobile timeline.
Questions this page answers
- When was the first Apple Watch released?
- It was unveiled on 9 September 2014 and released on 24 April 2015, with pre-orders and in-store try-ons from 10 April. The launch countries were Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US, so Japan was in the first wave.
- How much did the first Apple Watch cost?
- In the US, Apple Watch Sport cost $349 or $399, Apple Watch $549 to $1,099, and Apple Watch Edition from $10,000. In Japan, before tax, the Sport cost ¥42,800 or ¥48,800, the Apple Watch ¥66,800 to ¥132,800, and the Edition from ¥1,280,000.
- Could the first Apple Watch be used without an iPhone?
- It was designed to work with an iPhone: an iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6 or 6 Plus running the latest iOS 8. It used the iPhone's GPS; built-in GPS arrived with Series 2 in 2016.
Sources
PrimaryApple Unveils Apple Watch—Apple's Most Personal Device Ever — Apple Press Release, Sep 9, 2014
Unveiling; three collections; Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, S1; early 2015 from $349; compatible iPhones
PrimaryApple Watch Available in Nine Countries on April 24 — Apple Press Release, Mar 9, 2015
Nine countries including Japan; pre-orders and try-ons from 10 April; release on 24 April; US prices; 18 hours
PrimaryApple Watch、4月24日に9カ国で発売 — Apple Newsroom（日本）, 2015年3月10日
Japanese pre-tax prices; Isetan and Dover Street Market in Tokyo
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