Apple's new Watch: How are people reacting?

Speculation about the Apple Watch - which, thank Jobs, isn't called the iWatch - has been rife for not just months, but years. It's worth remembering that the entire smartwatch category is a reaction to the rumours that Apple was working on a wearable device to go along with the iPhone.

To best work out what the global reaction to the Apple Watch (which, according to Apple expert Stephen Fry, had the whole audience rising to its feet when the word "watch" was first mentioned) is, we thought we'd check in with some of the world's best tech journalists and experts.

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On Twitter, we were off to a good start with the laughter, at least with @Will_Bunch who said:

So wait, Apple is asking for my watch and my wallet? That happened to me once at night in Central Park

— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) September 9, 2014

Meanwhile, @markprigg, who writes for Mail Online, said that he was keen on having maps on a watch:

Maps app on Apple Watch definitely a killer I reckon - especially for the directionally challenged (like me)

— Mark Prigg (@markprigg) September 9, 2014

Journalist and unit of pure sarcasm Andy Dawson, or @ProfanitySwan, didn't seem sold, comparing the Apple Watch to a chocolate teapot:

The Apple Watch is slightly less desirable than this. pic.twitter.com/iVHNdx73La

— Andy Dawson (@profanityswan) September 9, 2014

Of course, some people are already thinking about practicalities, with Engadget Associate Editor @danielwcooper asking about battery life:

What are the odds that you'll get 6 hours of battery life out of that thing?

— Dan Cooper (@danielwcooper) September 9, 2014

GigaOM journalist David Meyer pointed out that those with Android devices just won't get much use out of Apple's watch, which is a shame. Although the same is true of Android Wear devices too:

Apple Watch looks nice but I'm an Android user and I'm not going to get a new phone for it.

— David Meyer (@superglaze) September 9, 2014

Guardian journalist Charles Arthur put the Apple Watch next to his own watch, and remarked how light it felt.

Own watch on R, Apple Watch on L. It's very light on the wrist - don't notice it there. pic.twitter.com/xqZ7mbhEwn

— Charles Arthur (@charlesarthur) September 9, 2014

Over at The Verge, Dieter Bohn got his hands on the watch straight away:

We got our hands on the smaller model first, and it feels very solid and surprisingly light. The sapphire screen curves down to run flush with the rest of the pebble-shaped body, and the screen itself was crisp and viewable — though it did seem to be a little more reflective than I expected. The wrist strap on the model I was using felt great, I don't know if it's the particular variant that Jony Ive referred to as "supple," but it certainly felt like that.

And one final tweet that, while said somewhat in jest, could actually represent a real possibility:

Next year, Apple will be able to judge effectiveness of unveil by monitoring attending media's collective heart rate.

— danprimack (@danprimack) September 9, 2014

Let's wait and see what happens next year, but that data would be fascinating to look at given the way the press generally reacts to Apple announcements.