Happy birthday, Apple Watch!

Apple’s former head designer Jony Ive knew from the get-go that the Apple Watch would be a hit.

“Sales will start slowly,” he told me, “but eventually everybody will wear one, because it could save your life.”

I scoffed when he told me this (secretly, to myself) because the Apple Watch hadn’t even gone on sale yet. And it looked more like a gimmicky fashion accessory than a lifesaving device.

Its built-in heart rate monitor was pretty basic, and the launch emphasized its communication capabilities over its health features.

But Ive obviously knew about the device’s road map (which he didn’t reveal to me, naturally) — and its potential to become a must-have, lifesaving wearable.

And so it came to pass. As the Apple Watch celebrates its 10th birthday today, it has steadily added more and more health-monitoring features to become a sort of silent guardian on your wrist.

It has also sold more than 100 million units.

I see them everywhere. And though it isn’t celebrated as such, it’s definitely one of the big hit products of the Tim Cook era (for which he deserves the credit he’s not getting).

To celebrate the device’s birthday, we put together some packages:

• Here’s a roundup of all the different ways Apple Watch has saved lives, from detecting cancer (yes, really) to helping rescue helicopters find drowning swimmers in rough seas.

• It’s only 10, but Apple Watch has really grown up. Our timeline of the device’s evolution from Series 0 to Series 10 shows how this essential wearable has matured.

• If you close your rings today, head to your local Apple Store for a limited-edition badge — it’s free!

• I think the entry-level iPad is a great device for most people, and it just dropped to its lowest price yet.

• This is very interesting: The upcoming iPadOS 19 update might bring some very macOS-like features.

• I’ve wanted a good backyard projector forever, but there’s no way my accountant/spouse will authorize it. Shame, ‘cos this new Nebula projector looks awesome.

• Cult of Mac Deals has a sale on MacPilot, a handy utility that dives deep into the underlying Unix base of macOS and lets you really customize your Mac.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

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