Apple Watch: it's getting personal

Tuesday 10 March 2015

Apple bosses have unveiled the company's hotly anticipated watch - and revealed that it will hit UK shops next month.

The lowest-price Apple Watch will be £299 for the Sport version, with prices steadily climbing across the range of three styles that were first previewed last year.

The watch is coming on 24 April, Apple chief Tim Cook announced at a live event in California yesterday, calling it the "most personal device we have ever created".

"It's not just with you, it's on you", he added. Pre-orders will begin on 10 April.

The much-anticipated Apple Watch Edition, which is made from 18-carat solid gold and will be limited edition, will cost £8,000 in the UK, it was confirmed.

The Apple Watch Sport, which comes with a range of coloured rubber bands has two prices: the 38 mm watch face will cost £299, with the 42 mm costing £339.

The mid-range Apple Watch comes with a range of stainless steel bands and will cost between £479 and £949, depending on the style and band chosen.

To audible gasps in the auditorium, Mr Cook confirmed the rumoured $10,000 (equivalent to about £6,600) US price tag for the high-end Apple Watch Edition, signalling the Cupertino technology giant's move into the fashion accessory industry.

Apple's major rivals in the smartphone arena: Samsung, already has a range of smart watches on the market, meaning the iPhone maker is playing catch-up in this field.