Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says Apple Watch is really just a 'luxury fitness band'

Wozniak has spoken disparagingly of other companies' smartwatches, although he conceded that Apple's offering was "more distinctive" than those of its rivals

The Apple Watch will track users' movement and pulse throughout the day, nudging them to move more.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has said that the company’s forthcoming smartwatch is really a “luxury fitness band” rather than a shrunken-down smartphone.

However, listening to Wozniak’s opinions on the current crop of smartwatches, this is almost certainly a good thing.

"I kept saying that I'd like to have a smartphone on my wrist, so I bought a few smartwatches when they first came out,” the legendary engineer told CNN Money. "I got rid of them so quick. I got real negative on smartwatches."

Wozniak has previously expressed his disappointment with smartwatches from companies like Samsung and LG, saying that the devices’ screen size is simply not practical.

Wozniak has said he's a 'big fan' of smartwatches with smartphone capability, but doesn't want the small-sized screens.

He told the Guardian in July this year that the category may come into its own when folding screen technology becomes affordable, but until then he didn’t “want just a little Bluetooth connection to the smartphone in my pocket because then it’s just an intermediary”.

He does, however, have kind words to say about the Apple Watch, which is set to be released in the US in spring 2015. "It's more distinctive than all the others," he said. "And who knows? It might sell well. There are a lot of wrists out there."

Early indications suggest that Apple will be marketing the device as much as a lifestyle product as a practical gadget.

Although the Apple Watch will be capable of messaging, displaying notifications and fine-grained health tracking, it will also be available in a number of styles and variations, with estimated prices for the solid-gold number going up to $5,000 (£3,150).