The Apple Watch laid bare: Tech experts take the timepiece apart to reveal what's inside - including its tiny battery
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As the Apple Watch starts shipping to people who pre-ordered the timepiece, tech experts at iFixit have begun taking the gadget apart to see what's inside.
It is the first time many of the features of the Apple Watch have been confirmed, including the timepiece's battery.
According to iFixit's so-called 'teardown' the battery inside is 205mAh - 14 times smaller than the battery of the iPhone 6 Plus.
Tech experts at California-based iFixit are carrying out a so-called 'teardown' of the 38mm Sport model of Apple's watch. This teardown reveals a 205mAh battery (bottom left), Apple's S1 chip (centre) as well as the Taptic Engine, microphone, heart rate sensor and power button (far right)
When the battery life of the Apple Watch was announced, boss Tim Cook said it would last 'all-day'. But this is actually 18 hours with 'typical use.'
Official tests found typical use equates to just 90 time checks, 90 notifications, 45 minutes of app use, and a 30-minute workout with music.
iFixit removed the battery inside the Sport model and found it is 3.8 V, 0.78 Wh lithium-ion battery running at 205mAh.
It is likely the higher end models and the 42mm versions of the Watch feature the same technology, but this hasn't been confirmed.
By comparison, the battery in the Moto 360 - which is around $100 (£100) cheaper than Apple's version - is slightly larger at 300mAh, as is the battery in the Samsung Gear Live.
While the battery inside the iPhone 6 Plus is 2,915 mAh, more than 14 times larger than the battery in the watch.
The Moto 360 is said to last up to 24 hours, although with typical use this drops to almost half and the battery on Samsung's Gear Live manages to last longer - up to 48 hours but 16 hours with typical use.
Software, apps and chips can directly impact the battery life of devices and this is why batteries of the same size can last for varying periods of time.
iFixit's teardown of the Apple Watch also reveals the Taptic Engine, the mechanism behind the clock, and a waterproof speaker.
The Taptic Engine is a linear actuator inside the Watch that produces haptic feedback. It is what is used to send heartbeats to friends, for example.
In less technical terms this taps the wearer on the wrist whenever they receive an alert or notification, or press down on the display.
This is combined with 'subtle audio cues' from the speaker driver.
On the back of the Watch's case, a ceramic cover with sapphire lenses sits above a sensor that uses infrared and visible-light LEDs and photodiodes to detect the wearer's heart rate.
Apple Watch uses this sensor, along with an accelerometer and the GPS and Wi‑Fi in a connected iPhone, to measure physical movement such as steps, distance and calories.
The chip in the Apple Watch is called S1 and it is said to be similar in power to the A5 that powered the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S.
iFixit removed the battery inside the Sport model (pictured) and found it is a 3.8 V, 0.78 Wh lithium-ion battery running at 205mAh. It is likely the higher end models and the 42mm versions of the Watch feature the same technology, but this hasn't been confirmed
Apple boss Tim Cook said the Watch's 'all-day' battery life lasts 18 hours with 'typical use' - but official tests revealed this equates to just 90 time checks, 90 notifications, 45 minutes of app use, and a 30-minute workout with music. Apple defines the battery on its Watch page and said a time check lasts four seconds
This image taken by iFixit shows the Apple Watch battery. The battery is fitted on the rear of the case and is charged using inductive charging. Batteries on electronic devices typically start to degrade after six months, although this varies depending on the number of charge cycles
It is called a System in Package (SiP) chip and Samsung reportedly supplied the RAM and flash storage. The S1 is covered in a resin shell designed to protect the chip from impact and water.
In terms of storage, Apple has confirmed all three models of the watch will ship with 8GB of total storage.
This will be used to run the Watch's iOS software and apps and at least 2GB of this will be free for music and photos.
Although this is the equivalent to just 240 songs, it does mean the timepiece can be used independently for certain tasks. The number of tracks it can store will also vary depending on the file sizes.
Elsewhere, the Watch uses Apple's MagSafe technology with inductive charging. This is built on the underside of the watch base.
This means it can be charged wirelessly by placing a connector onto a charging port, where magnets cause it to snap into place automatically.
MagSafe is the name of the connector Apple uses with its MacBook range.
The screen on the Watch has a laminated Retina display made from a 'single crystal of sapphire.' While on the Sport collection the screen has the added protection of Ion-X glass.
By comparison, the battery in the Moto 360 (pictured left) - which is around $100 (£100) cheaper than Apple's version - is slightly larger at 300mAh (battery pictured right), as is the battery on the Samsung Gear Live
The 38 mm model has a resolution of 272 x 340 pixels (290 PPI), while the 42 mm model is 312 x 390 pixels (302 PPI).
By comparison, the iPhone 6 has a resolution of 1920x1080-pixel (401 PPI).
All models will be sold in either 1.4-inch (38mm) or 1.7-inch (42mm) versions depending on which colour the owner chooses.
Prices for the Sport model start at $349 in the US and £299 in the UK, while the stainless steel Watch starts at $549 (£479).
This means US employees will only pay $174.50 and $274 respectively, while in the UK the price drops to £149.50 and £239.50.
How It Works magazine recently published an animated tear-down (pictured) of the Watch's components including its S1 chip, battery and sapphire display. The Watch is made predominantly of eight parts - the base, heart-rate sensor, induction charger, battery, haptic engine, loudspeaker, touchscreen and band
Apple Watch | Pebble Steel | Huawei Watch | Moto 360 | LG Gwatch R | Samsung Gear S | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen shape | Square | Square | Circular | Circular | Circular | Rectangular |
Operating system | iOS | Pebble OS | Android Wear | Android Wear | Android Wear | Tizen |
Display | 1.4-inch and 1.7-inch touchscreen and digital crown | 1.26-inch colour e-paper LCD | 1.4-inch touchscreen and crown | 1.56-inch touchscreen and crown | 1.2-inch touchscreen and crown | 2-inch touchscreen |
Memory | Not confirmed | 8MB RAM | 512MB RAM | 512MB RAM | 512MB RAM | 512MB RAM |
Storage | Not confirmed | Total of 800KB or up to eight apps | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB |
Battery life | All-day' - 18 hours with typical use | Up to seven days | Not confirmed | Up to 24 hours - 12 hours with typical use | Up to 48 hours - 20 hours with typical use | Up to 48 hours - 16 hours with typical use |
Price | From $349 (£299) to $10,000 (£8,000) | $199 (£179 in the UK) | Not confirmed | $250 (£199) | $ 332 (£220) | $199 (£270) |
Availablity | Preorders open 10 April. Goes on sale 24 April | Available now | Later this year | Available now | Available now | Available now |
Andreas Pouros, co-founder at digital agency Greenlight told MailOnline: 'The Apple Watch may be shiny and new, but it's also completely unproven. There's no telling how consumers will use it or if it will even take off.
'Building apps for it may pay off, but it's a massive gamble; and one that most marketers aren't willing to take.
'By comparison, Google estimates that around 50 per cent of searches are conducted from mobile devices, through mobile browsers and its own search apps.
'With so much at risk, even marketers who have already developed a mobile website would be better off putting their money into improving the user experience and targeting mobile users than building a smart watch app that could be dead in the water within months.'
In addition, the Watch has a digital crown and a Friends button. The former lets users scroll through menus and emoticons (left) while the latter opens up contacts menu (right). The chip in the Apple Watch is called S1 and it is said to be similar in power to the A5 that powered the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S
The screen on the Watch has a laminated Retina display made from a 'single crystal of sapphire.' While on the Sport collection (left) the screen has the added protection of Ion-X glass. All models (standard pictured centre and Edition pictured right) will be sold in either 1.4-inch (38mm) or 1.7-inch (42mm) versions
The Taptic Engine is a linear actuator inside the Watch that produces haptic feedback. It is what is used to send heartbeats to friends, for example. In less technical terms, this taps the wearer on the wrist whenever they receive an alert or notification (shown left), or press down on the display or icons (right)
Apple's smartwatch officially went on sale today, but anyone turning up to buy one in the high street will be disappointed as none of its stores have them in stock.
Instead, consumers have to pre-order the watches online or go to select partner shops and boutiques to buy the Watch today.
Usually, Apple launches generate long queues outside stores.
But analysts believe the company feared the queues might be 'embarrassingly small' and so opted to launch the watch with more of a whisper than a bang.
In fact, despite the high price and some skepticism that consumers are keen to adopt a new generation of wearable technology, pre-orders have far exceeded expectations.
As a result, the company's initial production run is simply not large enough to ensure that watches will be available in stores from today.
Analysts believe Apple is sitting on some two million pre-orders and that sales could top 20 million this year.
Stephen Ebbett, global director of gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble, told MailOnline: 'It was rather sad not to see all those technophiles camping outside Apple Stores this week.
'I doubt this new sales strategy will do much harm to sales of the Watch, as Apple has incredible brand loyalty, but neither should it underestimate the impact those queues had. They are the most photographed and talked about queues in the world and I can think of no other brand gets that kind of exposure for a product launch.
'That queue is more than just brand hype, it's a phenomenon, and it's also free global PR for Apple.'
- Apple Watch includes 8 GB of storage, allows 2 GB of music and 75 MB of photos | 9to5Mac
- Tim Cook: Apple employees will get 50% off Apple Watch, 1000+ apps submitted | 9to5Mac
- How It Works Magazine Subscription
- Apple Watch Teardown - iFixit
- The Apple Watch Battery Is Replaceable | TechCrunch
- Apple Watch Teardown - iFixit
- Motorola Moto 360 Teardown - iFixit
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