It may be small, but it can do pretty much anything an Apple iPhone can do.

The Apple Watch has been the next big thing released by smartphone juggernaut Apple Inc. People everywhere are trying to get their hands on it.

The watch was unveiled by Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook in September 2014 at an Apple Conference. The watch comes in three versions; Apple Watch Sport, standard Apple Watch and luxury Apple Watch edition.

You are able to choose from either a 38mm or a 42 mm size screen that comes in silver, rose gold or gold.

“I’m a big fan of Apple products and was willing to give it (Apple Watch) a try,” said Mike Anguilano, junior public health major. “I purchased the watch in June, about 3 months after it was released.”

“I’ve always been a huge Apple person,” said Bridgett Strong, senior public health major. “I was deciding between a Fitbit Charge HR and Apple Watch and thought the Apple Watch was a better option. You can do more and it is more convenient to see what my messages say and be able to answer the phone right from my watch.”

Anguilano owns the 38mm Apple Watch sport edition and said, “The screen is very clear and readable despite being so small.”

The prices range from from $349 for the sport edition and up to $17,000 for the luxury edition.

You are able to download a range of apps onto your watch from the App Store. Many of these apps you can receive a notification on your watch.

“Twitter sends me notifications, CNN offers breaking news updates, I get all of my sports information from ESPN sent to my wrist and Starbucks as a payment app as well,” Anguillo said. “(The) coolest feature was when I paid for a movie through the Fandango app on my watch.”

But Bridgett Strong, senior public health major, uses it for a different reason.

“I have used it (Apple Watch) for a few times walking alone at night,” Strong said. “I put my phone in my back pocket with the camera facing out and will look at the camera on my watch to make sure no one is walking behind me.”

Since the Apple Watch has been released, a lot of companies have put out the same type of interactive watch.

Kristoff Haynes, junior digital sciences major, owns the Moto 360 Second Generation Smart Watch and bought it because, “It looks more like a watch than a lot of the other square ones. While the Moto 360 works with all phones, including the iPhone, the Apple Watch does not work with anything but an iPhone.”

Haynes uses his watch for many things, including tracking his heart rate, steps and distance for the day.

“I also use it to just keep time, and it has all sorts of digital watch faces that I can change,” Haynes said. “I can change from a more fun watch face that I use day to day to a more professional one if I’m going to things like an interview.”

Haynes also said having the Moto 360 watch has helped him become more productive, especially when tracking his health.

“We use our phones a lot, which has all that information,” Haynes said. “This is just a tool that makes accessing all of that quicker. It just generally saves time and keeps me connected even when I’m busy and on the go.”

Anguilano said Apple Watch hasn’t changed his life, but it works itself into his daily life.

“The fitness portion of the device has been the most ‘life-changing,’ but it’s payment abilities (Apple Pay, Fandango movie, etc…) are the most ‘game-changing,’” Anguilano said. “That stuff to me is the future.”

 

Amy Kessler is the Consumer Technology Reporter email her at [email protected]