Five reasons to buy the Apple Watch

The Apple Watch has been announced (again), and will hit the shops on 24 April.

Probably the first Apple gadget that's been of as much interest to the fashion world as to tech fans, the Apple Watch was first unveiled in September 2014, alongside the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Apple's techie timepiece will be available for pre-order from 10 April.

So far, smartwatches haven't really made it into the mainstream, though there have been some valiant efforts including the likes of the Moto 360, LG G Watch Urbane, while the Pebble Time became the best-selling Kickstarter project to date.

Does Apple's offering have what it takes to part you from your hard-earned cash? We've rounded up the best reasons to buy to the Apple Watch:

It's the best designed smartwatch so far
While other smartwatch makers have struggled to entice buyers with a one-size-fits-all approach, Apple will be offering two different sizes of watch face in three different lines - aluminium for sporty types, stainless steel for everyday wear and the preposterously expensive 18-Carat gold version. Each will be offered with two different sized watch faces - 38 and 42mm -  along with a selection of wristbands to choose from.

Customisation is key and thankfully, Apple has taken that on board.

The user interface looks like something we'd actually find useful
On most existing smartwatches, the range of tasks you can carry out is somewhat limited. The Apple Watch feels more comprehensive, enabling users to read and respond to messages, read full emails and even answer calls 'on wrist'. What's more, it offers a solid selection of fitness monitoring features.

Swiping up from the bottom of the screen will offers shortcuts to check the weather, control music and access the calendar, while a press of the side button fires up the contacts screen.

The new Digital Touch feature aims to keep users in touch with loved ones - offering the ability to send a virtual rendering of your heartbeat, or even draw a sketch on your watch screen which will then be rendered on the screen of whoever it's being sent to.

Apple has yet to announce the full lineup of launch apps, but previewed a few big names including Uber, Shazam and CNN. Easyjet has also announced that it will feature on the watch from launch.

Apple Pay could make it even easier to pay for things
A simple tap of the side button will bring up your credit card onto the screen. Next you simply put your watch near the NFC-powered terminal in the shop and when the phone 'pings', that means you've paid.

While, Apple Pay is growing rapidly in the US, there's still no news on when the service will be available in Europe but we're hoping that it can't be too far away, especially as this is one of the watch's key selling points.

Battery life is decent (though not amazing)
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the Apple Watch offers an "all-day battery", or 18 hours to be exact. That should be enough to get users through the day.

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Although a daily recharge is inevitable, at least Apple has designed a slick magnetic charger to get the job done. Simply hold it near the back of the phone and it will click on automatically.

Apple has unrivalled support
Apple's large support network is a big advantage. There are currently 453 Apple Stores in 16 countries, which is good news if you need any help with setting up your device, or simply trying one on before you buy. With Kickstarter-based gadgets, such as the Pebble watch, there's no nearby shop with a 'Genius Bar' to help you out.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, 120 million customers visited Apple Stores in the last quarter.

How much is the Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch Sport starts at £299 for the cheapest model, going up to to £339 for the larger watch face.

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The stainless steel Apple Watch will start at £479, with the most expensive version sporting a wallet-worrying price tag of £949.

The limited edition 18-Carat gold Apple Watch Edition will start at a mere £8,000, going up to a jaw-dropping £13,500.

Interchangable straps start at a reasonable £39, going up to £209.

When can I buy the Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch will be available to pre-order and to check out in Apple Stores from 10 April and will be available to buy from 24 April.

Should you buy the Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch may be the hottest gadget of the year so far, but there's no getting round the fact that it doesn't come cheap. So, is it worth investing in?

We asked the wearable tech experts at Wareable what they thought about it - editor-in-chief Paul Lamkin told us:

“Apple has the loyalty, the big name partnerships and even the stores to make iPhone users feel that they need the Watch. Some of the apps and features such as Glances and tapping friends on the Watch to get their attention are very simple, intuitive Apple-esque ways of doing things; the sorts of things that don’t sound game-changing but that are sorely missing from Android Wear smartwatches.

"An 18-hour battery life isn’t anything to applaud but it’s no worse than the likes of the LG G Watch R and we’re sure plenty of stylish third party docks will pop up in the coming months. Yes it’s expensive, even the starter Sport model, but loyal Apple fans haven’t had anything truly new to play with in years and will buy it.”