Apple Watch set to launch in March, says new report

Apple is planning to launch its Apple Watch within the next month or two, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. The site’s Mark Gurman says that the company is finishing up work on the wearable’s software, and sources familiar with the project say it’s on track to begin shipping in the US by the end of March.

Indeed, while Apple’s general marketing has said that the Watch will launch in the early part of 2015, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail Angela Ahrendts said that the wearable will launch sometime in the “spring of 2015,” so a March release would make sense, and line up quite nicely with that timeframe.

Gurman cautions that unexpected issues in software development or manufacturing could push the Watch to a later date, but right now the plan is March. Apple is planning to begin an “extensive testing program” in February to familiarize Apple retail employees with the new product—or really product category.

Unveiled in September, the Apple Watch has a built-in heart rate sensor, and is capable of connecting to iOS devices to facilitate a wide variety of functions including interactive push notifications and activity tracking. The watch will come in three models: Sport, Standard and Edition, with prices starting at $349.

[via 9to5Mac]