Apple senior vice president for retail Angela Ahrendts says the Apple Watch is an entirely new platform, and Apple is careful to make sure its customers buying the company's newest and hottest product are not left behind in the dust figuring out how the Apple Watch works.
Apple has started shipping the first orders of the Apple Watch to customers eagerly waiting for their packages, and many of them have happily received their new gadgets. Not that the Apple Watch, which Apple says is its most personal device yet, isn't intuitive. At first glance, it appears easy to figure out how to get your way around the new platform.
Still, Apple is not taking chances. The company has published online a number of user guides to help new Apple Watch owners understand how their new devices work, starting with the Apple Watch User Guide. This is the most comprehensive user guide about the Apple Watch that users will find, containing instructions for everything from setting up the Apple Watch with an iPhone, to basic actions such as sending messages and making phone calls, to more advanced functions such as paying with Apple Pay, using the Apple Watch as a remote control for Mac/PC, Apple TV, or even the iPhone's camera.
At the bottom of the User Guide, you will also find detailed information about safety, handling, and support. Make sure to read this part thoroughly, as Apple addresses important safety issues that you should know, such as how to clean and maintain your Apple Watch and which usage patterns, such as applying too much pressure on the digital crown or swimming or bathing with the Apple Watch, can lead to damage and quick wear and tear.
For the more visually oriented, Apple has also set up Guided Tour videos on its own website and on its YouTube channel. These are not as comprehensive as the text and image-based User Guide, although you will find 10 demonstration videos to show you how to do certain things on your Apple Watch, including sending messages, changing watch faces, using Digital Touch, making calls, and talking to Siri. You'll also learn how to use Maps, play music on your Apple Watch, buy something with Apple Pay, track your daily activities, and record your workouts.
You can also add functionality to your new Apple Watch by downloading from the new branch of the Apple App Store dedicated for the Apple Watch. Currently, the Apple Watch App Store contains around 3,000 apps, and the Apple Watch is still on its first day in user's hands. If that is any indication of anything, users can most likely expect a host of more apps to come as Apple Watch becomes more and more a part of their daily lives.
A whole host of major players have jumped in to become one of the first several Apple Watch apps. Apart from the native Apple Watch apps installed by Apple, you'll also find apps such American Airlines to send flight notifications, Nike+ Running which can be paired with Bluetooth headphones for listening to music, Mint for managing finances, Honeywell Lyric for controlling your smart home from your wrist, and apps for other major services such as Instagram, Twitter, TripAdvisor, CNN, and eBay.
Apple Watch apps are extensions of the apps for the iPhone instead of standalone apps. To download an app to your Apple Watch, you'll need to open the App Store in your iPhone's Apple Watch app and download and install the app from there. Your Apple Watch will receive a message prompting you to download the app for the Apple Watch. On the User Guide, you'll find more information about downloading apps for the Apple Watch, adjusting settings for installed apps, and more.
