SAN ANTONIO – With customers starting to receive their Apple Watch orders, Consumer Reports went straight to testing the new device.
Prices on the latest Apple product start at $350 and go up to more than $10,000 for the Gold Edition.
The watch is available in a variety of styles. The Sport is made of a lightweight aluminum with hardened glass. The stainless steel version has a sapphire crystal.
Each version was put to the same Consumer Reports tests that all smartwatches face.
"Durability is important for a smartwatch. You can protect a smartphone with a case. But a smartwatch is on your wrist where it's exposed to the elements. And it's going to get banged up," said Glenn Derene, with Consumer Reports.
First up was the scratch-resistance test. Most smartwatches are scratched by the equivalent of a steel nail.
The Apple Sport proved tough. The sapphire crystal on the steel watch is even better, with the scratch resistance of a luxury watch.
"If you're going to spend a lot of money on a smartwatch, you want to know that it can handle some abuse," Derene said.
Both versions were also dunked in a pressurized tank for 30 minutes to check Apple's water-resistance claim.
The watches survived the initial test but they won't officially pass until testers make sure they still work 24 hours later.
Consumer Reports' final ratings on the Apple Watch are expected in a week or so.