Apple Watch Buzz Grows as Release Date Nears

The buzz over the new Apple Watch is picking up steam now that tech reporters from across the country are releasing their reviews after trying the device out for a couple of weeks.

The watch will be available on April 24, but the general public will be able to check out the watches at Apple stores beginning Friday.

"The Apple Watch looks beautiful, looks fancy, but it's not really essential and doesn't enhance anything you do right now," said Brian Tong, a senior editor at CNET.com.

For starters, you have to sync it with your iPhone 5 or newer. It won't work with any other phone.

The basic Apple Watch costs about $350, while a solid gold option will run $17,000.

CNET Tech Reporter Scott Stein wore an Apple Watch for several weeks.

"It's an amazing piece of technology and the best watch out there, but the company has sacrificed affordability as well as battery life," Stein said.

The watch's battery only lasts about a day -- other smart watches last up to seven days.

Reviewers seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the watch.

Farhad Manjoo of the New York Times said the watch "became something like a natural extension of my body — a direct link, in a way that I’ve never felt before, from the digital world to my brain."

But Manjoo later on in his review said the watch still has "all the limitations and flaws you'd expect of brand-new technology."

A Bloomberg Business review of the watch called the watch "the most advanced piece of wearable technology you can buy today."

"I really think the Apple Watch is going to be beneficial for women mostly who put their phone in their bag and are shuffling for the phone," Tong said. "They can do these things directly on their wrist."

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