5 things you didn't know about the Apple Watch

Apple last week unveiled the prices for the Watch, as well as more details about the first new category of gadgets made under Tim Cook’s stewardship.

Here are some facts you might not know:

1) iPhone needed:  The Watch needs an iPhone to function. So, if you’re on Android and want to get one, you’ll have to change your phone, too. Many other smartwatches available now can be synced both with Android and iOS

2) Exotic materials: Apple Watches made with stainless steel will be harder than ordinary stainless steel, while even the gold alloy used in the Watch Edition is harder than ordinary gold, the company claims. But if news reports are to be believed, the gold watch is heavier than the other watches

3) A costly proposition: The Apple Watch, even at $349, is the most expensive smartwatch in the market. And, the Watch Edition, at $17,000, easily falls into the super-luxury category. Some news reports have pointed out how, besides the gold case, the super-expensive gadget doesn’t have much to justify its high price. Plus, the peripherals for the watch, such as chargers, would be expensive (and proprietary)

4) App advantage: At launch, the Watch will have many apps — for example those to hail a cab, unlock a hotel room or garage door, or pay for your shopping (with Apple Pay). And we hear reports that Apple had shared access to the watch with developers so they could develop apps specific to the watch. Also, it is pretty accurate, if one goes by Apple CEO Tim Cook’s presentation

5) Touchy matters: The Watch will make you learn new gestures and also a new way to interact with a smart device. The device will come equipped with Force touch, which basically gives a device the ability to decipher between light and hard touches

Worth it? If you have bought into the Apple ecosystem, then the Watch is an absolute no-brainer.

If not, you need to take a cold, hard look at your shopping list.

In case you’re planning to buy the $17,000 watch to bequeath as a family heirloom, think again.

While people are known to pass on mechanical Rolexes and Rados (the value of which generally appreciates with time), one doesn’t know how the market will treat a luxury smartwatch after it becomes obsolete.

Photographs: Kind courtesy, Apple