CUPERTINO, Calif.—Apple Monday released more details on Apple Watch, including integration with Apple Pay.
“The Apple Watch has been long anticipated since it was mentioned in September but the details have been few and far between,” said Bill Hardekopf CEO of LowCards.com, Birmingham, Ala. “The wearable will be fully integrated with Apple Pay. You will first have to unlock the Apple Watch with your iPhone to use Apple Pay. If you take the watch off your wrist at any time, the Apple Pay feature will automatically lock once again.”
When the consumer is ready to pay at an Apple Pay location and moves the watch toward the payment terminal, Apple Pay opens on the watch display to complete the transaction, just like on an iPhone.
Any older iPhone compatible with the Apple Watch can now be used with Apple Pay, explained Hardekopf. “That should make Apple Pay available on the iPhone 5 if you have an Apple Watch.”
There will be three models of the wearable, and each model will have two case sizes: 1.5 inches and 1.65 inches. The basic version will be called the Watch Sport, and will be available starting at $349. The model with the stainless steel case will cost between $549 and $1,049.The Apple Watch Edition will come with a case made out of 18-karat gold and pricing will start at $10,000.
Pre-orders for the Apple Watch will begin on April 10, with shipments starting on April 24.
Apple CEO Tim Cook also updated the public on the growth of Apple Pay. It is now accepted at 700,000 locations in the United States, up from 200,000 from its launch in October 2014.