10 Revelations From The Apple Watch Launch Event

Apple Delves Into The Wearables Space

While crowds gathered at Apple's San Francisco "Spring Forward" launch event Monday in San Francisco to hear about the forthcoming Apple Watch, CEO Tim Cook had much more up his sleeve than just the wearable.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company released information on an array of products during the event, including Apple's MacBook notebook line, Apple TV and HomeKit.

Partners are applauding Apple's success as it continues to release consumer-centric mobility devices. Following are 10 groundbreaking announcements made at Apple's event.

10. Apple TV/HBO Partnership

Cook announced that HBO would be using Apple TV as an exclusive launch pad for its new streaming service, HBO Now.

The HBO service will be cable subscription-free and will come in April for $15 per month, according to Richard Plepler, the CEO of HBO. The service allows end users instant access to HBO's broad catalog of TV shows, such as "Game Of Thrones," and feature films.

"All you need to get for HBO Now is a broadband connection and an Apple device," Plepler stated.

9. Apple TV Price Drop

More than 25 million units of Apple TV, the company's set-top box, have been sold so far since the product's release in 2006, said Cook.

In addition to Apple TV's partnership with HBO Now, Cook also revealed that Apple would drop the TV's price from $99 to $69, in hopes of increasing sales even further to bolster the partnership.

8. Apple Retail Store Successes

Cook stated that Apple currently has 453 retail stores globally, and saw 120 million customers at its stores in the last quarter.

However, the company continues to expand its retail sector, recently opening 21 stores in China. Apple is aiming to continue that progress by opening 40 stores in China by mid-2016, said Cook.

Cook also announced that 700 million iPhones have been sold, calling Apple's iPhone a "benchmark to which all other phones are compared."

7. New Apple Pay Features

Though Apple Pay, the company's mobile payment platform, was only launched in September, more than 700,000 retail locations and 2,500 banks currently accept the system in the U.S., said Cook.

Apple Pay faces competitors like Google Wallet, but Cook stressed that he is bullish on the mobile payment feature.

He added that the product would be coming to 100,000 Coke vending machines by the end of the year, transforming how users utilize the machines.

6. ResearchKit Changing the Medical Industry

Apple also unveiled software framework ResearchKit, which allows researchers to easily create apps that facilitate health-tracking research methods for diseases like Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes and breast cancer.

The app is open-source, and aims to help medical researchers track and record data, said Cook.

For instance, with Parkinson's disease the app allows the iPhone to become a diagnostic tool for researching hand shake rates and various other patient activity.

5. CarPlay

Cook stated that Apple's music service designated for cars, CarPlay, will be shipping on 40 new car models in the coming year. CarPlay, announced initially in 2014, is software that allows users to connect their iPhones to their car and interact with music-streaming apps without the distraction of touching their devices.

"CarPlay is changing the way we use our iPhone in the car," said Cook. "Now, every major car brand is committing to this service."

4. Notebook Refreshes

Apple paid a lot of attention to its laptop families during the launch, with the launch of a new MacBook (see slide 10) as well as updates to the MacBook Air and 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

The latter two notebooks will be upgraded with faster, fifth-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 Broadwell chips, as well as quicker Thunderbolt 2 ports.

Pricing for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display with an Intel Core i5 processor starts at $1,299. Pricing for an 11-inch MacBook Air with and Intel Core i5 processor starts at $899, while a 13-inch model starts at $999. Upgrading to an Intel Core i7 processor adds $200 to the cost of the MacBook Pro and $150 to the cost of the MacBook Air, according to Apple's website.

The upgrades are available now, said Cook.

3. Apple Watch Apps

Tim Cook said thousands of apps have been created on the development platform for Apple Watch, WatchKit.

Apple Watch will support apps like Digital Touch, which will allow consumers to send messages and sketches to other Apple Watch users.

Other features, such as Apple Pay, will be offered on the smartwatch as well. Like many other wearables in the market, the watch also includes comprehensive health and fitness features, including workout apps and heart rate tracking.

2. New MacBook

Cook took the wraps off a new, redesigned 13.1mm-thin, 2-pound MacBook laptop, available in gold, gray and silver, with an all-metal enclosure and an all-new keyboard with individual LEDs for each key.

The device will have a 12-inch Retina display, as well as a USB-C port that supports USB, HDMI and DisplayPort. It will run on a dual-core Intel Core M with 1.1 GHz.

The new MacBook will start at $1,299 and will be available April 10, said Cook.

1. Apple Watch

Apple Watch will be sold in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, and will have display options for a high-end 18-karat rose or yellow gold models, as well as stainless steel and a sport-styled aluminum versions, according to Apple.

Its prices will range from $349 for the sports model to more than $10,000 for the gold, high-end model, said Cook. Apple Watch will be available starting April 24 for purchase, and pre-orders begin April 10.

The watch will connect to the user's iPhone to offer instant notifications for email, messages and social media, said Cook. In addition, the smartwatch comes with a built-in microphone and speaker system to make and receive phone calls.

"In addition to being a beautiful object, Apple Watch is the most advanced time piece ever created," said Cook. "It's a revolutionary way to connect with others."