Best Buy to Start Selling Apple Watch Next Week

July 31, 2015 • Devin Partida

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Why is a watch relevant in an age of smartphones that have replaced the need for external alarm clocks and most time-telling devices of any kind? The answer is because they’re still far more practical for certain situations, and they can help us to be more productive.

By comparison, their function can be determined at a glance without having to take it out of your pocket first — you’re already saving three to five seconds right there. Plus, they’re also smart, and so is the company that makes them.

Landing a New Deal With Mass-Market Appeal

Apple announced the rollout of the Apple Watch through its exclusive distribution channels back in April and has decided to make the hot product available from Best Buy department stores on August 7th.

But the national chain won’t be stocking the luxury editions that would run you into the red by thousands of dollars. No, Best Buy will stock 16 versions of the popular Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch models in both 38mm and 42mm, and they will be offering a number of “unapproved” third-party watchband accessories.

The technological time-piece will include a range of pre-installed apps for health and fitness, immediate communication and interface customization — and it’s tipped to be one of Apple’s fastest-selling products of all time.

Tech Specs Behind the Apple Watch

As far as looks go, the Apple Watch resembles an iPod Nano strapped to a wristband, but in truth, the device is much more advanced and can be used for more than simply checking the time and date.

Provided it’s synced to an iPhone, the Apple Watch is capable of making phone calls, submitting payments via Apple Pay, receiving notifications, playing music and much more. Ultimately, it’ll be up to the user to decide what direction to take things in.

The battery life at this point is thoroughly disappointing, lasting only 24 hours, and a few apps are inherently buggy. The software at least should be addressed when the watchOS 2 upgrade becomes available for download this spring.

You could call it a smart assistant — a fair assessment given the limitations of the first generation software and the fact that you will still need to rely on your phone for important tasks.

Its ultimate goal may very well be to shake up the smartphone market before completely replacing the intelligent phones we’ve come to love. For now though, people will have to settle for looking at their phones a little less often.

How the Apple Watch Will Improve Productivity

It’s not without reason the smart watch has garnered so much interest from tech fanatics given its short history. What people are really interested to know, however, is what the device can do for them and their schedule.

Well, here’s what the Apple Watch has to offer:

– A great range of productivity apps

The app store currently holds more than 2,000 apps for the Apple Watch, and many of them are to do with improving efficiency. That said, you may want to give the gaming apps a complete miss this time around.

Fortunately, GottaBeMobile reviewed a great selection of apps that would be a welcome addition to your smart watch. Take a look to see what you can expect when turning your device into a productivity powerhouse.

– Increased flexibility when multi-tasking

Over the years, many people have succumbed to an inability to leave the screen alone. They frequently end up going back to check one more thing — and a locked screen isn’t enough to deter the average user.

While this isn’t a problem that’s likely to go away any time soon, the fact that you can check the less important things by glancing at your wrist means you keep your hands more or less free to focus on what you need to.

– A way to be more in the moment

Anything and everything that requires a notification will have one — emails, social media messages, any interaction in any number of other services, etc. — which ensures you’ll be able to respond to events as they happen.

Just make sure you tweak the settings as every notification comes with a ping, vibration or tone, making for one incredibly intrusive experience otherwise. After that, the Apple Watch should be a joy to wear each day.

And just think about all the time you’ll save not having to retrace your steps to figure out where you might have misplaced your phone.

Adding one more gadget that has the potential to do what your phone just can’t seems like an attractive prospect — and one that millions of people have already caught on to.

The only question that remains is if you will be lining up outside your nearest Best Buy come August 7th.

 

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