Apple Watch Off To An 'Appy Start'

The Apple Watch sports model starts from $499. Image via Apple.

It may or may not live up to the hype – and the hoped-for sales figures – but when it comes to apps, Apple's Watch beats the iPad and iPhone out of the gates.

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed there are more than 3500 downloads available at launch for the company's shiny new piece of wrist candy. In comparison, only 1000 apps were available when the iPad went on sale in 2010, and 500 when the iPhone launched in 2008.

As far as fitness apps go, the built-in Workout app might be enough for many exercisers – during a cardio workout it displays real-time stats including elapsed time, distance, calories, pace and speed for various common cardio activities. Your hard work also links to the Activity app, which provides a visual snapshot of daily activity using a ring-style graphic. The Move ring shows how many active calories you’ve burned, the Exercise ring shows how many minutes of brisk activity you’ve done, and the Stand ring shows how often you’ve swapped sitting for standing.

Beyond these built-in helpers, our pick of the downloads is the Boiled Egg Timer – never again will your day get off to a bad start thanks to a badly boiled egg.

Want to put these apps (and the rest) on your wrist? The sports model starts from $499.

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