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Apple Watch Review Roundup

Thinking about buying an Apple Watch? Here's what the critics are saying about the device.

257 Comments

Update: We've re-promoted and updated some of the text in this story today, April 24, as the Apple Watch is now available worldwide.

The Apple Watch is now available, but should you buy one or hold off?

We've collected a selection of reviews from a variety of publications to help you make a decision. One thing that's especially important to note is that the Apple Watch requires an iPhone 5 or newer to work.

Apple Watch:

Models and pricing:

  • Apple Watch Sport -- 38mm ($350); 42mm ($400)
  • Apple Watch -- 38mm ($550); 42mm ($600)
  • Apple Watch Edition -- 38mm ($10,000); 42mm ($12,000)

A variety of bands for each model are also available.

Availability: April 24

IMAGE GALLERY:

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GameSpot sister site CNET:

"The Apple Watch is the most ambitious, well-constructed smartwatch ever seen, but first-gen shortfalls make it feel more like a fashionable toy than a necessary tool." -- Scott Stein [Full review]

Re/Code:

"Of the half-dozen smartwatches I've tested in recent years, I've had the best experience with Apple Watch. If you're an iPhone power user and you're intrigued by the promises of wearable technology, you'll like it, too. But that doesn't mean Apple Watch is for everyone." -- Lauren Goode [Full review]

The Wall Street Journal:

"For now, the Apple Watch is for pioneers. I won't pay the $1,000 it would cost for the model I tested, only to see a significant improvement roll in before too long. But I plan to pay $400 for the 42mm Sport version once it's on sale. That's worth paying for a front-row seat for what's next in tech." -- Geoffrey Fowler [Full review]

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The Verge:

"There's no question that the Apple Watch is the most capable smartwatch available today. It is one of the most ambitious products I've ever seen; it wants to do and change so much about how we interact with technology. But that ambition robs it of focus: it can do tiny bits of everything, instead of a few things extraordinarily well. For all of its technological marvel, the Apple Watch is still a smartwatch, and it's not clear that anyone's yet figured out what smartwatches are actually for." -- Nilay Patel [Full review]

The New York Times:

"The Apple Watch is far from perfect, and, starting at $350 and going all the way up to $17,000, it isn't cheap. Though it looks quite smart, with a selection of stylish leather and metallic bands that make for a sharp departure from most wearable devices, the Apple Watch works like a first-generation device, with all the limitations and flaws you'd expect of brand-new technology." -- Farhad Manjoo [Full review]

Bloomberg:

"So Apple has succeeded in its first big task with its watch. It made something that lives up to the company's reputation as an innovator and raised the bar for a whole new class of devices. Its second task--making me feel that I need this thing on my wrist every day--well, I'm not quite sure it's there yet. It's still another screen, another distraction, another way to disconnect, as much as it is the opposite. The Apple Watch is cool, it's beautiful, it's powerful, and it's easy to use. But it's not essential. Not yet." -- Joshua Topolsky [Full review]

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