Apple unveils smartwatch features, new Macbook

Apple Inc began making the case for its first new device in five years, a smartwatch designed to put information on peoples' wrists and break open the fledgling market for wearable technology.

The watch will be available for preorder from April 10 and available at stores on April 24 in nine countries.

The watch has a customisable face and a feature called "glances" for tools used most often, such as checking weather, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said at an event in San Francisco Monday, where he unveiled new details about the gadget. It also shows text messages and e-mails, and offers features called "digital touch" that allow watch-to-watch communication. The device can track health and fitness information and send reminders. The Cupertino, California-based company has previously said the watch, which goes on sale in April, comes in two sizes and three styles with a starting price of $349.

With the watch, Cook is pushing Apple into a new product category that seeks to further immerse users into the company's digital universe. As a health and fitness tracker, the watch opens new possibilities in the health industry. It also expands the number of devices that work with Apple Pay, the company's new mobile-payments system. To fully work, the watch, which has a color touchscreen, needs to be paired with an iPhone.

Apple Watch, first revealed in September, marks the first new gadget to be released since Cook became CEO in 2011. The new product, plus new larger-screened iPhones, have helped boost optimism about Apple's growth, sending its shares to a record high in recent weeks.

Apple's Watch sales this financial year may reach almost 14 million, according to the average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The global market for smartwatches may rise to 28.1 million units this year from 4.6 million, with Apple capturing 55 per cent of the market, according to researcher Strategy Analytics.

The sophistication of the applications available will be key to wooing Apple Watch buyers. Just as the App Store has been a key reason for the iPhone's success, tools for Apple Watch will help determine how customers use the gadget and whether it will be a sales hit.

Earlier in the event, Apple unveiled its thinnest-ever Macbook personal computer, weighing 2 pounds and measuring 13.1 millimeters wide.

The notebook, which includes new technologies behind its keyboard and track pad, runs on an Intel Corp chip, and comes in silver, gray and gold with a 12-inch retina display.

Apple will ship the new PC on April 10 and prices start at $1,299.

Cook also announced an exclusive Apple TV partnership with Time Warner Inc's cable channel HBO for its stand-alone service.

HBO's subscription service will be available outside of a traditional pay-TV package starting next month. Apple also cut the price of Apple TV to $69. HBO's streaming channel will cost $14.99 a month.

Cook also said Apple Pay, the company's mobile-transaction service, is now supported by 2,500 banks. New applications for health and medical research were also unveiled, including diagnostic tools that can help patients with Parkinson's disease and diabetes.