Apple Watch: new smartwatch will cost between £299 and eye-watering £13,500

Apple chiefs tonight unveiled the latest gadget in its ever-growing range - a smartwatch which it claims will revolutionise the wearable technology industry.

Tim Cook, the company's chief executive, led the hotly-anticipated product launch in San Francisco.

He described the watch as the "most advanced timepiece ever created" and "incredibly accurate".

Its features include an all-day battery, a calendar and a heart rate checker.

The device even tracks your daily movements and reminds you if you've been sitting too long, its designers claim.

It will also send reminders to remind wearers to be more active, and will send you a report of how you did the previous week, which Mr Cook likened to "having a coach on your wrist".

Apple has said the device could be used to get its wearer through security at airports as it brings up a barcode to be scanned - and then bypass the front desk of certain hotels by using the watch as a room key.

The watch is due to hit shops on April 24, with pre-orders being taken from April 10.

It will retail in the UK from between from £299 to about £690 depending on the model.

Meanwhile the much-anticipated Apple Watch Edition, which is made from 18-carat solid gold and will be limited edition, will cost up to £13,500 in the UK.

As well as the watch, Apple also introduced a new MacBook notebook, which will come in space grey and gold for the first time.