Apple has pulled an update for its smartwatches after some owners complained the software had caused their devices to stop working.  

Those affected reported that their watches had become stuck in a state showing the Apple logo - but nothing else - on their screens. Of course they thought this was a feature and after several days praying to it, they finally realised that the iWatch was not going to tell them the time.

The problem appears to have baffled the firm's repair staff who can't repair the watch and it is hard to see how a rudimentary QA didn't spot a software howler which fried the hardware.

Several have said they have been told they need to send in the devices for a fix. Apple said it intended to release a revised update one of these days.

Chris Ball from Belfast expressed frustration that having recently spent £750 on the device he would now be without it for days.

"My Apple Watch is now completely useless, stuck on the Apple logo screen. So I have to wait, due to a problem Apple's software caused, meaning I have no watch. I would like to question their quality assurance on software."

The Tame Apple Press has been playing down the issue saying it is not uncommon for device makers to release glitchy operating-system code. However Apple seems to have an almost total inability to write glitch free code for anything time related. Its devices have suffered from time zone issues, and could not cope with summer time or laughing gas.

Apple issued its usual statement about the problem only affecting a "small number of people" it is only a matter of time before it adds "but they were holding it the wrong way" but that does not expain why it pulled the software back if it was not the cause of the problem. 

"Any customers impacted should contact AppleCare, but no action is required if the update installed successfully. We are working on a fix for an upcoming software update", Apple said cryptically. Perhaps the implication is that the software is perfect just those twatty users didn't intall it correctly. Although if that is the case why did they need to pull the software?