How many Watches will Apple flog? 20, er, 18.5, no, five, wait, 50 million! With the Apple Watch allegedly just weeks away from going on sale, industry pundits are weighing in on their predictions for the Cupertino wearable. And boy, do those estimates differ, with wide ranges of price tags and sales figures. According to analysts, the Apple watch will be a hit, unless it's not, and its cost will …
Battery run time of a day.
Battery life on AVERAGE of 2 years. Some may make to 3, some won't make it to 1.
The 2 years may be wishful thinking.
Will they try and sell extended Warranty for after the 1st year even though the SOGA says that it should last 2 years minimum (some things are expected to last 5 or 6).
I don't know what world you live in, but I wouldn't any of my heirs get hold of an expensive watch, because it would end up being sold in the next boot sale for £5. That's not what I buy a watch for.
I have an expensive watch, wear it every day, and enjoy wearing it. That's what you buy a watch for. What idiot buys a watch thinking "and in 30 or 40 years I hand it down to my heirs"? These people don't exist. That's the most idiotic argument against an Apple Watch.
In the case of the Apple Watch, the idiots claiming that the battery is gone in one or two years should realise that an iPhone battery lasts much longer than that, and once it's no good, you go to an Apple Store and they put in a new one. That's what will happen with the Apple Watch as well. And on top of being good looking (you don't have to like them all, it's fine if you like just one and don't like all the others), that watch is _useful_.
For the gold watch (not gold plated, but gold), you pay $4,600 for the gold and $400 for the watch. In two years time you go to the Apple Store and they replace the watch for you.
Now I expect at least 20 thumbs down. Make it 30: Samsung "stalker" smart watch stinks.
I"m an Apple fan, lots of Apple gear, but I own about two dozen, mechanical, and electro-mechanical (non Quartz) wrist watches, from thirty to one hundred years of age, I just can't see retiring them to wear a tinier screen for my iPhone on my wrist. Maybe I'm old fashioned, I don't know, but I can get any number of beautiful, classic watches for $350+ that will certainly outlive me, and could easily go on for a century. And one that will be obsolete in 3 years just does not cut it in comparison.
Exactly, my Casio is still on its first battery, it is now 10 years old, so should need replacing soon.
My Seiko is coming up for 20 years old and cost about the same as the mid-range Apple Watches will cost. That should keep going for my lifetime and I can probably leave it to my heirs... I'm guessing an Apple Watch at 10 years is going to be a useless piece of junk metail, let alone at 50 or 100 years.
I agree with you Nathan, but am afraid you are sadly underestimating the power of Apple brand mania.
Superior similar products are already on the market, but Apple merchandise to a fan is much as a Louis Vuiton (or however it is spelt) bag is to the sleazier teen here, except that the latter is more sensible, treating the designer gifts as a form of currency, which is why most of the pawn shops are full of 'designer' handbags.
I may buy a new watch in response, sure will get a new band for my old self-winding one, maybe buy a Casio data watch or recent pro-trek, anything but Apple.
Wait and see, it would be lovely if the Apple watch turns out to be a huge flop, but I fear that the cult-like nature of their fandom may prevent that desirable outcome.
Beautiful sentiment, although I speak as one who wears a watch two or three times a week and am considering a return to daily use because checking time on the phone is a pain and too many public places have no clocks.
Sure as hell won't be turning to this overpriced throwaway battery-devouring monstrosity.
The thing with Apple is they always nail the first gen of product down perfectly. The original iphone worked brilliantly with every feature its competitors had (aside from 3G, a decent battery and a flash but who needs such things!). The iPad 1 was so magical it lasted a whole TWO years before it couldn't cope with new software that is much better than anyone could have ever wanted. And the original iPod's controls were so revolutionary they had yo be replaced with a new model less than a year later.
Anyone who isn't compelled to rush out and buy this superb little trinket I clearly bonkers in the but.
If they think that 50 millions suckers will go out and buy this POS.
Notice that Apple hasn't forcast any sales?
1-2 Milllion (for the die-hard Fanboi/FanGirl) is my estimate especially as once the 'This thing sucks' reviews start raining on us.
Total failure on the part of these so called experts.
I have to wonder ho many are preparing to storh Apple Stock? Big up a crap product and when the share price falls, they can make a killing.
Shoot the lot of em!
Pretty sure the fan boys will buy one. Stephen Fry will write some drivel about how beautiful it is.
As for the masses? unlikely given you need to be an iPhone user to use it. This takes us back to the days when an iPod was Mac only. Only when they opened it up to the PC market did sales take off.
"According to analysts, the Apple watch will be a hit, unless it's not, and its cost will range from very cheap to eye-watering expensive."
Wonderful - and captures the 'Analyst as Old Lady in the Tent Reading Fortunes at the Fair' jive.
Actually we do have some ideas for these - and have prototypes running on the Motorola equivalent. But then we also ran a prototyping project using Glass. It worked well enough that our customer bought 125 of the beasts for a broader trial - 2 days before the announcement. Trial is going well and we will be picking up a few of the rather less attractive Sony version.
I'm just wondering who might buy watches anymore and why?
The only use I have for a watch is when I go hiking or camping.
Once I get civilized there are clocks and phones everywhere.
I have known a couple people who still like to wear watches as jewelry.
50 million?
Seems to me watches are bought as items of jewelery. If so, it won't be possible for Apple (or anybody else) to say, "this is how to build an iWatch". The design dominance they achieved with iPods, iPhones and iPads won't be possible.
My prediction? The iWatch will fail. Apple will fiddle about with it for a couple of years then they'll start to licence it to Longines, Rolex, Accurankle, Swatch and the like who will incorporate the iStuff in their designs. Then it'll work.
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