Apple will debut a Nike-branded Apple Watch next Friday in a bid to highlight the device’s fitness creds.
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| Apple Watch Nike+ |
Apple is mostly making a fashion and branding
statement with Apple Watch Nike+ via a special band and color schemes.
The core features of the special version of the watch are the same as
other Series 2 models, including a built-in GPS to track your pace,
distance, and route.
But independent GPS tracking is a critical fitness
upgrade for a product co-branded with Nike, because it gives you the
option to untether your iPhone when exercising. That is not possible on
the first-gen watch, which needs the iPhone’s GPS.
Apple also needs to do this to match the competition.
Fitbit, the wearables’ market leader, offers the Fitbit Surge with
built-in GPS at a price considerably lower than the Apple Watch Series
2. Though the Surge is not a full-featured watch like Apple’s, it starts
at $250, compared to the Nike version of the Apple Watch 2 that has a
starting price of $369.
Basic wearables, like most of FitBit’s offerings, are
still “a clear value proposition for end-users,” Ramon Llamas, an
analyst at IDC, said in a statement when the company announced second-quarter global wearable shipment tallies last month.
Features exclusive to the Apple Watch Nike+
There are nice-to-have add-ons you get with Apple
Watch Nike+. First and foremost is the band, which is probably its
signature feature. Apple calls it light, flexible, and breathable, with
perforations that reduce weight and boost ventilation. And the Nike Volt
lime color scheme (what Nike calls “bright green-yellow”) matches the
groundbreaking Nike FuelBand.
The Nike+ version also comes with an exclusive Nike watch face, which adds the iconic Volt color in digital and analog styles.
In the app department, there’s Nike+ Run Club.
While you’re tracking your runs, you can get coaching and workouts
created by Nike “master trainers.” And, like other Watch models, you can
connect with friends for encouragement. For example, you can receive
reminders triggered by your friends’ shared activity and share run
results on leaderboards.
Like all Watch 2 models, the Nike+ version can be
used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. The
Apple Watch Series 2 has a water resistance rating of up to 50 meters
under water, but it is not recommended for scuba diving or waterskiing,
or other activities involving “high-velocity” water.
And, like all Watch 2 models, it packs a faster
processor (dual processing cores) and brighter display than the
first-generation Watch.
The Apple Watch Nike+
also comes in Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black/Cool Gray Nike Sport
Band and a Silver Aluminum Case with Flat Silver/White or Flat
Silver/Volt Nike Sport Band.
