The Apple Watch was made available in Ireland Friday, months after its initial release in April and just in time for Apple's first wave of iPhone 6 and 6s releases (though the new iPhones are not yet available in Ireland).

The watch isn’t an alternative to a smartphone, since you need to own an iPhone to properly operate it. However, users can do almost everything on the Apple Watch that they can do on their iPhones: make and take calls, send and receive messages, control connected smart-home devices, play music and more.

They have to do this via a touchscreen measuring 1.5 inches or 1.7 inches in height, which is quite a bit bigger than a standard watch face while still requiring accurate dexterity. The entry-level ‘Watch Sport’ is encased in aluminium and is expected to cost from €429. The mid-range standard watch is stainless steel-cased and can cost anywhere from €679 to more than €1,000, while the high-end, 18-carat gold ‘Watch Edition’ will cost anywhere from €11,300 to €18,500.

In Association with

One the side of the watch is a side dial and adjacent button for app interaction. Users navigate the watch’s apps and features using combinations of the dial, button and touchscreen. A major selling point is activity and workout monitoring a la Jawbone. What Apple is calling Taptic Engine delivers a tap on your wrist whenever you receive a notification or message. The actual time function can be personalised with watch faces ranging from traditional analogue to animated butterflies and jellyfish.

Unlike a regular watch, this one needs constant charging. Apple says a charge will last 18 hours, but it could be less depending on usage. Reviewers call the Apple Watch a might-have rather than a must-have.