The Apple Watch Doesn't Have To Be a Hit Right Away
Many people have asked me if I plan on getting an Apple Watch when it comes out next month. The answer is, not the first version and probably not the second either. I'm not sure if I'll ever buy one but haven't ruled it out in case the price and performance are right.
Apple's launch event yesterday confirmed what we already presumed. The Apple Watch will ship next month (preorders begin April 10 and they'll appear in stores April 24) and the starting price is $350. If you want to spring for one with an 18-karat gold band, that'll cost $10,000 and if you must have the most expensive model -- with sapphire faces -- it'll set you back $17,000. If you collect Rolexes and the like, it'll be the perfect addition to your collection.
Who needs an extension of their iPhone on their wrist? Let's face it, the Apple Watch is yet the latest accessory to the iPhone, which is required for the watch to work. If you want to glance at your messages, view alerts and maybe access some information without removing your iPhone from your pocket, it's certainly could be convenient. The question is how much will most people be willing to pay for that convenience?
Back in 2007 when the first iPhone came out it cost $599 and that was with the carrier subsidy (only AT&T offered them for the first few years). And they were basically just iPods with phones on them with e-mail access and a handful of other apps. When the iPod came out in 2001, Apple certainly wasn't the first to release an MP3 player. In both cases though, the company was the first to legitimize and create a mass market for their offerings in a way others before them were unable to do.
Will Apple be able to catch lightning in a bottle yet again? While that remains to be seen, it's a reasonable bet we'll see substantially less expensive versions of the Apple Watch in the next few years that'll be much more functional than the $17,000 models that are now debuting.
Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on 03/10/2015 at 2:13 PM