On Monday this week Apple held a “Spring Forward” event during which Tim Cook made several announcements about the company’s new and updated products. We thought we’d take the opportunity to update you on what we know about the Apple Watch so far, and the potential use cases it offers for retailers. Among announcements about a new 12 inch Macbook, ResearchKit (its new open source health research framework) and streaming partnership with HBO, Apple revealed the pricing and some new insight into its first foray into the wearable market: the Apple Watch.

It turns out that Apple had already shared most of what it had to say about its wearable at its first introduction last September. The most important new information is the price, which varies—a lot—based on which model you choose.

  • Apple Watch Sport Edition: £299 – £339
  • Apple Watch: £479 – £949
  • Apple Watch Edition: £8,000 – £13,500

Preorders start on April 10th, with availability slated for April 24th.

Apple knows what it’s doing – the age of ultra-convenience is upon us and Apple intends to lead the way. Are we now becoming too impatient to reach into our handbags or pockets and unlock our smartphones to find out the time, check our emails, and reply to texts? Apple seems to think so.

For many people, mobile phones negated the need to wear a watch. However, as the amount of interaction with our phones has increased, the need to fire up our devices to find out information has been amplified.

The Apple Watch (and other wearables) are designed to cater to the convenience-driven user, allowing them to simply glance down at their wrist for all the information they need instead of reaching for their phone. Apple’s first wearable device beams messages, Facebook updates and simplified apps to our wrists, eradicating the need to take out our phones to constantly check notifications.

With a 17-hour estimated battery life, the Apple Watch doesn’t have the endurance of a traditional watch. It will require nightly charging, which is a bit of a hassle, but a hassle that we have become used to with our smartphones.

Alongside the health and fitness benefits of having a device strapped to our wrist, here are just a few ways Apple claims its watch will fit into the lives of iPhone users:

  • Payments: Rather than take out their phones to make purchases, with the Apple Watch, users (who own an iPhone 6, 6 plus, 5, 5S or 5C) will be able to put their wrist near to a payment terminal to authorise the purchase. This will make Apple Pay perhaps the easiest payment method available on the market. With Apple Pay expected to launch in the UK this year, this could increase user uptake and demand for retailers to offer this payment method.
  • Loyalty cards: With Passbook integration, Apple Watch makes it simple for users to scan loyalty cards through barcodes on their wrist. This could offer an interesting use case for retailers. For instance, a retailer with an in-app loyalty scheme could store coupons or loyalty cards in the Passbook to be simply passed over a payment terminal at checkout.
  • Notifications: Perhaps the most salient point for retailers is that users will be able to receive push messages straight from their wrist. This will allow retailers to make better use of beacons to send well-timed messages to users based on locations in-store. For example, the Target app knows where users are in the store, sorts the shopping list they create on iPhone and guides users to the next item. When they are near something on their list, they will receive a reminder. Another interesting use case could be if a user has an item on a retailer’s in-app wish list, if that user walks into or close to a store, the retailer could send a push message to notify the user that their desired item is in store in their size.
  • Glances: A central feature of the Apple Watch is its app snapshots, or “Glances,” that show the user the most important information from their most used apps. Retailers could use this feature in many ways, perhaps displaying a range of new-in products.

This is just a snapshot of what we know right now about the Apple Watch. There are plenty more opportunities that the device will likely open up for retailers, and we’re excited to get our teeth into them!