Rather than browse an App Store for third-party Apple Watch software on the device’s tiny Retina touchscreen, fans will be instead using a dedicated iPhone app to manage their Apple smartwatch and apps, Ariel Adams noted two days ago in his hands-on article on A Blog To Watch.

The iPhone app, he learned, will be used to download apps onto the Apple Watch, “as well as likely manage Apple Watch settings”.

Apple is already offloading certain functions from the wearable device to the iPhone. For example, GPS positioning and Wi-Fi networking requires a paired iPhone.

A user’s iPhone is also used to help with computational demands, Adams noted. “Apple cleverly pushes a lot of processor needs to the phone in order to preserve Apple Watch battery life”.

For those wondering, you’ll be able to use your Apple Watch during exercise without an iPhone in your pocket, unless you require GPS functions, because the device can track “a lot of exercise and movement data” without being connected to an iPhone.

“Once paired again, the Apple Watch shares data with the host apps on the phone,” he added.

Earlier this morning, Taiwanese publication Apple Daily said contract manufacturer Quanta Computer is scheduled to kick off mass production of Apple Watches in January 2015, giving hope that the device may hit store shelves in time for Valentine’s Day 2015.

The Apple Watch is currently on display at Colette’s boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré.

Members of Apple’s industrial team (Jony Ive, Marc Hewson and others) flew to France yesterday to personally demonstrate the smartwatch to The Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Chanel creative chief Karl Lagerfeld and other high-profile fashion luminaries in Paris.

The device starts at $349 and is “coming early-2015,” as per Apple’s website.

[A Blog To Watch via 9to5Mac]