Apple’s Watch will launch with dozens of apps to begin with, and here’s our selection of some of the most useful and interesting apps you’ll be able to download from the App Store for your expensive new wrist rocket…

Quite a few of Apple’s launch apps are geared towards our Yank cousins, with baseball, hotel, retail and transport apps that wil be as useful as a sherbert dildo to us Brits. And of course, anything Apple Pay related is going to be null and void until the service actually launches over here. But the following apps will be well worth grabbing from the App Store when the Watch goes on sale here in the UK on April 24th.

1. Nike+ Running

The Apple Watch couldn’t call itself a smartwatch without the obligatory fitness apps, and Nike’s effort is one of the more feature-packed apps coming at launch. The slick, colourful interface clearly shows you vital stats and can also track your progress over time, but it’s the social features that we like the most. Your mates can cheer you on and you can also see how you size up to their best runs, for some good old-fashioned macho chest beating.

2. Glimpse

Glimpse is a nifty little app that gives you a quick glance of a specific section of a webpage, whenever you like. So for instance, you can quickly check your Kickstarter page to see how the bids are looking, or a news site for the latest breaking news, or a sports site for your team’s stats. Handy, and perfect for the dinky watch screen.

3. Whole Pantry

Home chefs will love cooking and baking apps like The Whole Pantry, which clearly show you instructions on how to prepare your dish without any awkward phone fumbling. You even get a countdown clock to show you exactly how long ’til your scran is ready.

4. Shazam

We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve heard an awesome song on the radio, but by the time we’ve yanked out our phone and fired up Shazam it’s already ended. Now you can get it on your watch, so you can figure out the band and song in just a few seconds. You can even get the lyrics streamed to the dinky screen so you can sing along and look like a proper loony.

5. Uber

For those few countries that haven’t banned it yet, you’ll be able to hail an Uber cab and see all of the usual details, including your driver’s name and mug shot, the license plate and how far away your ride is. Very handy when you’re staggering around late at night in a dodgy neighbourhood and want to discretely call a cab, without pulling out your shiny smartphone.

6. Babbel

If you’re in a foreign land and don’t speak the lingo, the Babbel app might be a lifesaver when you’re desperate for the bogs or a beer and finding it tricky to communicate. The app will help to teach you phrases as well as how to actually speak the language, with a bright, colourful and friendly interface.

7. Rules!

There aren’t many watch games out there – or rather, there aren’t many good ones – but Rules! looks like it makes good use of the Apple Watch’s tiny screen. It’s a reaction-based puzzle game with some cute graphics, steeped stages and daily targets that should help it appeal to all kinds of ages.

Check out our full Apple Watch features, price and release date round-up