A month before its expected commercial release, the Apple Watch is already being honored for its design. Indeed, Apple's first ever smartwatch has won gold in the recent 2015 iF Design Awards. Every year, the iF International Forum Design from Germany hands out awards for various products in different categories. Its judges usually select the best in terms of design from among 2,000 entries. Starting in 1954, the iF Design Awards are considered prestigious honors within the worldwide community of designers.
Things are definitely going well for the Apple Watch and it has not even gone on sale yet. Apple's highly anticipated wearable device is expected to hit stores sometime in April. As of this writing, the company has not divulged any details yet regarding a specific launch date. But many expect Apple to provide more information about the Apple Watch's release at an upcoming event this Monday.
For now, we know that the Apple Watch will be available in three varieties, and buyers can choose from a range of bands to go with the Apple Watch model they pick. Analysts are predicting that the Apple Watch Sport model, which is considered the entry-level offering, will have a starting price of $349, while the premium-priced model Apple Watch Edition will likely fetch $4,999 or higher.
The Apple Watch is primarily a smartwatch with health and fitness tracking capabilities (and loads of other applications), but Apple clearly wants to hit two birds with one stone by also offering a premium edition that is more luxury item (think fine piece of jewelry) than wearable device. That should help the Apple Watch distinguish itself in a field that is already beginning to get crowded with competition, including the Moto 360 and the recently announced Huawei Watch and Pebble Time Steel.
Of course, design also matters. The International Forum Design may have awarded the Apple Watch gold for its design but the judges actually also took its functionality in consideration. Apart from the design, the Germany-based award-giving body specifically noted the Apple Watch's great use of new technologies and innovative interface.
Apple is actually no stranger to winning in the iF Design Awards. Since 1985, the company has already racked a total of 125 awards, 44 of them the coveted gold awards.
Awards are cool and all, but perhaps the biggest satisfaction for Apple is knowing that the Apple Watch will be a hit for consumers. Industry watchers are already estimating that the Apple wearable device will get an initial number of orders of over 5 million units. We will soon find out if that holds true in a month or so.
