Poll: The Apple Watch - who wants one?

Will you buy an Apple Watch?

  • Yes

    Votes: 106 12.7%

  • No

    Votes: 622 74.6%

  • Maybe

    Votes: 106 12.7%
  • Total voters
    834
Most of the people knocking the watch aren't knocking the Sport but the SS and Edition models for their price/price of straps, mostly because the don't understand the kind of market Apple is aiming at with these.

I think one of the main bones of contention is the fact most people would like the sapphire screen over the glass of the Sport. This however is classic Apple - steering the customer who can stretch to the SS model into buying it. At the same time, given the Edition is out of the reach of most people, the SS still offers configurations aimed at those slightly better off earners with more disposible income (e.g. the black steel/band model). If in time Apple can start churning out sapphire screens and can lower the price whilst still making a good profit then it will probably end up on the screen of the base model - features always trickle down over time.

Even the Edition has a market, it's just us plebs aren't part of it:

I'm a professional musician. I'm not a wealthy guy, but I spend a lot of time working for people who are. I've learned that there are many, many people out there who debate buying something like a $17,000 watch in the same way I agonize about buying a $700 iPad.

They aren't douchebags, they aren't insane, they don't have more money than brains and all the other insults I've been reading. They are perfectly normal human beings who happen to have lots of disposable income. Why does this offend and upset some people?
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I was in Dubai last year in the Panerai store, looking for a steel watch. They didn´t have them. The only ones they sold were encrusted with diamonds and looked ridiculous.

While I was looking for a "normal" watch an Arab guy walked in, pointed at two of the watches, smacked a credit card on the table and walked out 30 seconds later with about USD 50,000 in watches in a bag.

I didn´t see any joy on that guy´s face from the purchase. I later saw him in the valet parking queue (there is a separate luxury car valet parking service). He drove a Lamborghini and also didn´t seem to enjoy that a lot.

It´s a different culture. That USD 17,000 Apple Watch will mostly be sold there and to them it will be of the same value as a USD 450 Steel version is to us.
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I buy luxury timepieces, accepting that they're completely unnecessary. I just like them.

The Apple Watch will have more uses to me than my nice watches, it's built well enough, and I think it's a nice design. If the Watch ends up being useful enough to leave my nice watches at home most of the time, which I expect it will, I may start unloading my mechanicals. If not, I'll get rid of the Apple Watch and try something else down the road.

It's funny to me that the Apple Watch is creating a stir. I think it's due to a couple of things.

First of all, to some people, $350 is a lot of money, and, to others, $10,000 is no big deal, so people are sensitive to the wide price range of the different models, because it puts all of those people in the same pool.

Secondly, while Apple has always generally had better looking and built devices, anti-Apple people contend that the aesthetic design of a device shouldn't matter. Now that we're entering a potential future in wearables, that argument doesn't hold up, because people care more about the looks of items they're wearing. That must be frustrating, so price criticisms are all that they've got, which makes me laugh. We all spend money "uselessly" on clothing and jewelry. If not, we'd all be wearing the same designer potato sack.
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For those who can remember, it's like going back to the 1970's when we had this choice over some newly released tech.




or



I didn't buy either of those either.
 
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I think I'm going to get one, but I don't think I'll pre-order.

As it's a personal device (Apple marketing guff) I'd like to see it in the flesh and how all the different straps look and fit, rather than making a slightly blind purchase online.

It's not really clear how the launch will go, as it's not a phone, or even an iPad which originally had a lot of claims of 'Why do you need that?". Obviously it will have the usual draw of Apple first day purchasers, but perhaps the reseller types who buy to sell on is such a permanent feature now that it will be a sell out for a while anyway.
 
Nexus said:
I think I'm going to get one, but I don't think I'll pre-order.

As it's a personal device (Apple marketing guff) I'd like to see it in the flesh and how all the different straps look and fit, rather than making a slightly blind purchase online.

It's not really clear how the launch will go, as it's not a phone, or even an iPad which originally had a lot of claims of 'Why do you need that?". Obviously it will have the usual draw of Apple first day purchasers, but perhaps the reseller types who buy to sell on is such a permanent feature now that it will be a sell out for a while anyway.
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Indeed, "it's just a big iPod Touch, why would you buy one of those?!"

Actually on an iPad note - there are still people using the iPad 2 out there happily, so this whole idea of the watch being obsolete the moment a new one comes out is a bit silly. The patenting of the strap mechanism suggests like the 30-pin or lightning dock, it's going to be something that's carried on through models, so buyers may find that there's the initial expense (watch w/bundled band + nice strap) but the upgrade path might not involve the need to keep buying added straps.

On the sales side of things, given the fact they're rejigging their stores out and hired Angela Ahrendts more or less for this purpose, I think it's safe to say they anticipate there being a lot of buyers who want to come in and figure out what configuration they want and they'll be dedicated areas to do this. I've read that in Japan one of the stores essentially has a whole floor dedicated just to the Watch.
 
God, the 10th is getting closer and I'm getting more worried that they will sell out in seconds. I'm not sure the best way to do it, I think I will just keep hitting refresh on the store page and hope Safari's autocomplete lets me fill in my details faster than the next person.
 
Every major Apple product sells out on launch. The hardcore fan will always exist and supply will always be constrained by manufacturing capacity and yields.

Apparently Apple will be taking pre-orders at Selfridges in London. You'll be able to make an appointment and try one on before launch.
 
phil_t98 said:
I will be getting one, job am in I cant have my phone displayed at all times so it will be pretty handy knowing I can still see important notifcations when I need them, price wise am gonna get the black sport watch 42mm version which I don't think is to bad. Can get a decent normal watch for that price so doesn't seem to expensive to me. I cant see the ones much higher up shifting loads tho
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You're assuming your work doesn't alter their policies to cover these things. It's a fairly safe bet that if they've got a problem with people using phones, then "things that operate like phones and/or are just as distracting / liable to result in lost productivity" are likely to be treated the same.

Trying to game the system seldom works the way people think it will.
 
I'm coming round to them more, as of late. Right now I'm thinking I'll probably pick up the sports model and buy the stainless steel strap separately. Then shift it with the sports strap and upgrade to the 2nd/3rd revision later, which makes the investment in the stainless strap more reasonable imo.
 
Not planning on buying a wearable but if I had the spare cash I'd prefer the Microsoft Band being almost half the price and having GPS. Although I've not seen either in the flesh so my opinion might change :p
 
I don't think the MS Band is directly comparable to the Apple watch or any smart watch it seems to compete more with fitness bands like fitbit, jawbone etc rather than smartwatches.

While this isn't the thread for MS, I'm quite interested in a lot they are doing recently, the new browser, Windows 10, Surface 3 etc. interesting times at MS.
 
I may get one as I would love a watch to use as I cycle to work to see everything (calendar, emails, as well as fitness)

Obviously only use it at red lights!
 
Good article http://www.wired.com/2015/04/the-apple-watch/

Love it that when you receive a notification what happens is dependent on how long you look at it. If you receive a text and glance at your watch it just tells you who it's from and dismisses the notification. If you keep your wrist up a fraction longer it displays the full message and let's you interact with it. Stuff like that is why I love Apple and why I want an Apple watch.
 
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