Michigan Internet Marketing Club: The Apple Watch launches

The Apple Watch launches—and our labs tests begin

Pre-order sales of the Apple Watch have reportedly been between 1 million and 2.3 million—the first of those devices are arriving to customers today. We’ve seen the device twice now at launch events, but when it comes to testing, we make sure to buy our devices just like regular consumers. We’ve got eight of the devices coming into our labs, split between the entry-level aluminum Apple Watch Sport models and the pricier stainless-steel Apple Watch models (sorry, folks, we decided not to spring for the $10,000-plus gold Apple Watch Edition).

We’ve been testing a bunch of smartwatches of late, and we’re expecting to post ratings on several models (including the Motorola Moto 360, Pebble Steel, and Samsung Gear S) next week. We test durability (scratch resistance, water resistance), health and fitness features (step count, heart-rate monitoring), and usability (readability in bright and low light, user-interface navigation), as well as other factors. Because we know interest in the Apple Watch is high, we’re working hard to get results fast on these devices. We hope to have our first results as soon as this evening, so stay tuned.

—Glenn Derene