Skip to main content

News Hub: Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Apple Watch event

Today’s the day: Apple is holding its “Spring Forward” event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. This article contains the latest updates from the event in live blog style; all of our detailed individual stories from the event are now summarized at this link. The event officially began at 10 AM Pacific/ 1PM Eastern time, and our live coverage is below.

– Anyone interested in MacBooks besides me or it is 100% Apple Watch day?

– Lines are fun!

– I wouldn’t eat those

– Some Apple folks have Watches already

– Sir Jony on the scene with a new sweater

– Jimmy Iovine already wearing an Apple Watch. No word on if Apple Forgot to give Dre one

– PED from Fortune on scene

– People already inside the event:

– We’re 20 minutes out

– View from inside Yerba Buena:

– Former U.S. Vice President and current Apple Board Member Al Gore. Art Levinson also in attendance (Chairman):

– Free OneRepublic album?

– Trent Reznor in the audience as well.

– Event has begun with a video showing the January 2015 West Lake Apple Store in China. Nice video.

– Tim on stage:

Cook announces HBO coming to Apple TV. HBO CEO says HBO Now an Apple TV exclusive. $15 per month. Brand new HBO Now channel on Apple TV. HBO Go also on iPhones and iPads. Launches in early April. No Cable box required. “Transformative moment for HBO,” CEO says.

Apple TV price dropped to $69. 25 million units sold to date. Cook says this Apple TV is “just the beginning.”

– On to iPhone, Cook says 700 million phones sold to date. Calls the latest iPhones the “best phones in the world.” “The iPhone is growing stronger than ever.”

– Apple Pay update from Cook: 2500 banks supporting service. 700,000 Apple Pay supported locations across the U.S. Cook gives a shoutout to vending machines that support Apple Pay.

– Cook announces that every major car band has committed to delivering CarPlay. When though? 40 new models of cars shipping by end of this year.

– HomeKit update: more products rolling out through the year, announced at CES.

– HealthKit: 900 apps tracking health and fitness on iOS. Cook now discussing medical research, brings up Senior VP of Operations Jeff Williams to discuss.

– Williams announces ResearchKit, a service within Health that allows medical researchers to more easily collect Health data for research purposes. It turns iPhone and the Health app into diagnostic tools. Apple’s been working with many top universities on this, and has developed 5 apps so far.

– Anyone with an iPhone can now contribute to Parkinson’s research with an app called mPower. Tapping tests to evaluate hand tremors. Microphone can use the microphone and the chip and as well motion sensors to measure Parkinson’s disease.

– New Asthma and Heart Checking apps. Also a new app for Breast Cancer.

– Privacy with these Health apps. Apple will not see your data. Apple now playing a video with the researchers who worked on the the new Health applications.

ResearchKit is open source. Available next month. First 5 apps available today. 

– Cook back on stage to talk about the Mac.

The new MacBook Air. Silver, Gold, Space Gray. Retina Display. 2 Pounds. 12-inches. Edge to Edge cover glass. 2304 x 1440. Force Touch Trackpad. Taptic Engine, like the Apple Watch. Fanless. Intel Core M processor. 5th generation, 14NM process. 1.3GHz, Turbo Charged to 2.9 GHz. New battery technology. 9 Hours of battery life. One port. USB Type C. Reversible.

– Cook talking about the Apple Watch and Glances. Cook announces the Heart Rate Glance.

– Digital Touch redesigned since it was last shown off. Send people sketches.

– Cook talking about notifications, ESPN, News, etc. Now talking about the WatchKit SDK for the Apple Watch.

– Kevin Lynch on stage discussing Instagram app, WeChat, Whole Foods Apple Pay.

Pricing ($349/$549/$10,000/$17,000) and 18-hour battery life were are discussed. Pre-orders start April 10 with in-store sales on April 24.

Find all of 9to5Mac’s detailed stories from the event, and after the event, at this link.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. Matt Yocum - 9 years ago

    Can’t wait!

  2. Matt Yocum - 9 years ago

    Interesting; I was at my local Apple store in Buffalo, NY last friday. They had a section of the wall where they have the cases and smart covers emptied. could this be for the watch straps? why so soon, could the watch show up before the predicted April launch?!

    • AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

      Why not sell the straps NOW? Apple might make millions off the accessories before the damn watch even drops!

  3. Ralph Dom-Aguil - 9 years ago

    only one more hour!

  4. rogifan - 9 years ago

    I wish people tweeting about this would use #applelive hashtag so it’s easier to follow.

  5. Craig Patchett - 9 years ago

    Is Apple streaming this live?

  6. cameronhood - 9 years ago

    Haven’t been this excited since the interaction of the iPhone. Can hardly wait!

  7. emucillo - 9 years ago

    Reblogged this on ponto.edu.

  8. Hans HT - 9 years ago

    Reblogged this on hans996's Blog.

  9. Am I the only one hoping for an Apple TV renewal? Roll-out services later! But release the hardware NOW!

  10. AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

    I don’t know why, but the viewing requirements for the live stream on Apple’s site just dropped all mention of AppleTV.

  11. adceg - 9 years ago

    Another free U2 album? (Songs of Experience) :)

  12. chris9771 - 9 years ago

    One too many buttons open on the shirt, Mr. HBO CEO

  13. madmen8 - 9 years ago

    Strong emphasis on Humanitarian and good faith work, price reduction on Apple TV and Apple Exclusive apps including HBONow…. is this to soften us up for the $10K price point on a certain Gold Watch?

  14. NO FKing MAC PRO???? SCREW YOU!!!

  15. ThumbsWare - 9 years ago

    Your images are broken; refreshing does not help. This has been going on for weeks. WordPress VIP hosting needs to get its act together.

  16. The forced conversation between Tim Cook and Christy Turlington about the Apple Watch is awful.

    • chris9771 - 9 years ago

      Yah that was clumsy. Maybe jet lag from CT travels.

  17. that woman running half marathon while flashing her iwatch to starving africans…..what a bitch….

  18. Apple was very clear during the presentation that this is not a MacBook Air. They never said air. The MacBook name on the front of the machine doesn’t say Air. This is just a MacBook.