Ever since Apple announced its newest product, a smart watch, last September, critics have debated whether it would be a technological triumph or a flop. Today in San Francisco the company will reveal more details about the Apple Watch, which goes on sale next month. It’s the first significant product to be launched under the leadership of Tim Cook, who succeeded Steve Jobs as the boss of Apple, and marks an attempt to push beyond the iPhone, which is responsible for the bulk of Apple’s revenues. Apple-watchers await answers to three questions in particular. First, what apps will be available at launch? Second, how long will the battery last, and how is it recharged? And, most important, how much will Apple ask for the top-of-the-line 18-carat gold model? Possibly more than $10,000; the price will show the extent of Apple’s ambition as it expands from consumer electronics into the luxury-goods market.

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