Evidence that Apple Watch might be upgradeable

[k3ith]

Have any of you seen this? - http://loumiranda.com/2015/01/10/is-the-apple-watch-s1-chip-replaceable/

It is actually pretty suspect the way everything lines up... and yes this would really put Apple Watch far ahead of any of the competition. Why buy a Moto 360 once that you'll eventually have to upgrade when you can but an Apple Watch and only upgrade it's internals at a fraction of the price.

I think Fitbit, Android Wear, and Jawbone would have a lot more to worry about if this was true.

 

[iamMacPerson]

Have any of you seen this? - http://loumiranda.com/2015/01/10/is-the-apple-watch-s1-chip-replaceable/

It is actually pretty suspect the way everything lines up... and yes this would really put Apple Watch far ahead of any of the competition. Why buy a Moto 360 once that you'll eventually have to upgrade when you can but an Apple Watch and only upgrade it's internals at a fraction of the price.

I think Fitbit, Android Wear, and Jawbone would have a lot more to worry about if this was true.

If this is true I will be very excited. Apple probably won't tell us until the next Apple watch update if its true or not, then announce the pricing. $150 - $199 would be reasonable to pay as long as the changes were significant.

 

[Rogifan]

Very intriguing. I always thought the way Apple presents the S1 chip makes it seem like it could be a modular system. If Apple really wanted to drop a bomb on the competition they would announce that the battery and chip were upgradable.

 

[Julien]

If this is true I will be very excited. Apple probably won't tell us until the next Apple watch update if its true or not, then announce the pricing. $150 - $199 would be reasonable to pay as long as the changes were significant.

I have said before I think it will be upgradable. However I suspect the S2/batt price will be closer to $300. This will make the Sport replaceable and offer Apple a stedy income stream from the much more expensive SS and Edition.

 

[macslayer118]

If this is true I will be very excited. Apple probably won't tell us until the next Apple watch update if its true or not, then announce the pricing. $150 - $199 would be reasonable to pay as long as the changes were significant.

I think they will tell us because then people would be more inclined to buy the first gen if they know they will be able to upgrade. But those are just my thoughts, nobody really knows

 

[Cashmonee]

It seems as though this may be a good option, especially for the pricier versions, but I just have a hard time believing it will actually happen. Think about how many limitations would be placed on future models in order to keep the old models upgradeable. It also makes no sense for the low end model, and possibly the SS version. The likely price to upgrade would come too close to just buying the new version.

 

[Tanegashima]

Wow... very cool feature if true...

 

[banyanjd]

The first question I'm hearing from people just introduced to Awatch is "can you FaceTime?"

No not yet. But who would be shocked to see that sometime and how is that upgradeale. So why upgrade the S1 and not other elements that improve.

That's what we expect with our gadgets. That they holistically improve. We expect our watches to endure.

If the S1 is NOT upgradable maybe it's Apple way of saying, "expect major improvements

 

[Julien]

...But who would be shocked to see that sometime and how is that upgradeale. So why upgrade the S1 and not other elements that improve....

If a camera is added to the 2ed gen you would probably need to do a replacement to get that. However I have also speculated that the sensor back may be upgradeable (replacable) too.

If you think about it why would Apple spend all the R&D integrating ALL functions into the S1 when they could have just used high quality subsystems and chips. This would have cut development time, costs, testing, licensing, firmware development,......

It must be so a complete upgrade can be done quickly and easily.

 

[Rogifan]

If a camera is added to the 2ed gen you would probably need to do a replacement to get that. However I have also speculated that the sensor back may be upgradeable (replacable) too.

If you think about it why would Apple spend all the R&D integrating ALL functions into the S1 when they could have just used high quality subsystems and chips. This would have cut development time, costs, testing, licensing, firmware development,......

It must be so a complete upgrade can be done quickly and easily.

Bob Mansfield left his gig as SVP technologies to work on this project. I've no doubt some of the best employees at Apple have been working on this project. When Tim Cook tells Charlie Rose that the technology in Watch is "killer" I don't think he's BS-ing. And as you say what is the point of miniaturizing an entire computer on a chip that's completely enclosed if not for upgrade capabilities? But for the me the biggest sign that there will be some upgrade capability is the Edition Watch. I have a very hard time believing Apple would sell a watch for thousands of dollars expecting you to buy another one a few years later.

 

[Piggie]

Hand up how many people here.
After owning their iPhone (daily use) would be willing to pay Apple a few hundred dollars to open up the back and put a new circuit board and batter inside, as opposed to paying a bit more and having a totally fresh looking brand new, unmarked iPhone.

Be honest.....

Think about it for a bit.....

 

[banyanjd]

iPad 1 was transforming. No camera. I didn't heaitate to upgrade.

This is a fight over syntax. "Watch" or "computer"

I think the killer tech is that they made the S1 water resistant.

 

[OllyW]

Hand up how many people here.
After owning their iPhone (daily use) would be willing to pay Apple a few hundred dollars to open up the back and put a new circuit board and batter inside, as opposed to paying a bit more and having a totally fresh looking brand new, unmarked iPhone.

Be honest.....

Think about it for a bit.....

If their iPhone was made out of 18K Gold and cost $2,000-$3,000 they might, especially if it's only a S upgrade.

 

[Piggie]

If their iPhone was made out of 18K Gold and cost $2,000-$3,000 they might, especially if it's only a S upgrade.

Please note:

It's not how much a Gold iPhone (as you suggest) costs, it would be how much it would cost to upgrade the whole device, or how much you would lose to sell it on and buy a new device.

I think we all are aware how poor many handheld devices can look after a year or two.

Do you REALLY want to walk out of the Apple store, having handed over a few $100 for the new circuit board, and still be looking as your scratched and marked 2 year old watch, as opposed to paying that bit more and having it all looking totally brand new.

I really struggle seeing this be a reality.

An official Trade in, yes... I can see that totally, but having your old watch (with 1 or 2 years of wear) handed back to you, I struggle to see your typical Apple user, being happy with that.

 

[maflynn]

I'm a doubting thomas on this.

Apple has for intents and purposes moved away from upgradeable products to sealed products that cannot be upgraded. The iPhone, the iPad, the MBP, the Mac Mini. Only the Mac Pro and the iMac have some components that are upgradeable.

I don't see apple designing a brand new product that can upgraded, when its in their best interest to sell new versions.

 

[BvizioN]

Hand up how many people here.
After owning their iPhone (daily use) would be willing to pay Apple a few hundred dollars to open up the back and put a new circuit board and batter inside, as opposed to paying a bit more and having a totally fresh looking brand new, unmarked iPhone.

Be honest.....

Think about it for a bit.....

Phone upgrades usually do bring additional hardware improvements (such as better cameras and touch ID) I seriously don't see the point or the need for neither on a watch. Now if your phone was made of sapphire screen, 18 carat gold or stainless steel, and you had 2 option: 1- buy a brand new one with only internal upgrades, 2- upgrade only the internal upgrade with probably much less then you would pay for a brand new phone. Which option would you pic? Think about it.

Do you REALLY want to walk out of the Apple store, having handed over a few $100 for the new circuit board, and still be looking as your scratched and marked 2 year old watch, as opposed to paying that bit more and having it all looking totally brand new.

I thought sapphire glass would only be scratched by diamonds, no?

 

[Rogifan]

Please note:

It's not how much a Gold iPhone (as you suggest) costs, it would be how much it would cost to upgrade the whole device, or how much you would lose to sell it on and buy a new device.

I think we all are aware how poor many handheld devices can look after a year or two.

Do you REALLY want to walk out of the Apple store, having handed over a few $100 for the new circuit board, and still be looking as your scratched and marked 2 year old watch, as opposed to paying that bit more and having it all looking totally brand new.

I really struggle seeing this be a reality.

An official Trade in, yes... I can see that totally, but having your old watch (with 1 or 2 years of wear) handed back to you, I struggle to see your typical Apple user, being happy with that.

Who says your two year old gold or stainless steel watch is going to be scratched/marked up? And with the aluminum watch it might not even be cost effective to do it so you'd just a new one (assuming there's a need/reason to upgrade in the first place).

 

[OllyW]

Please note:

It's not how much a Gold iPhone (as you suggest) costs, it would be how much it would cost to upgrade the whole device, or how much you would lose to sell it on and buy a new device.

I think we all are aware how poor many handheld devices can look after a year or two.

Do you REALLY want to walk out of the Apple store, having handed over a few $100 for the new circuit board, and still be looking as your scratched and marked 2 year old watch, as opposed to paying that bit more and having it all looking totally brand new.

I really struggle seeing this be a reality.

An official Trade in, yes... I can see that totally, but having your old watch (with 1 or 2 years of wear) handed back to you, I struggle to see your typical Apple user, being happy with that.

Good quality watches with 18K Gold or Stainless Steel cases and sapphire crystals are very durable and hard wearing and will last for years as long as long as they are not abused. The aluminium Sport Watch probably won't be so durable but I would doubt that upgrades would be offered for that model.

Here's one of my watches I bought new 18 years ago. It's been worn regularly and hasn't been wrapped in cotton wool but is totally unmarked and would look like new with a replacement strap.

 

[Vundu]

Just looks like where the battery clips in to me.

 

[cmChimera]

Hand up how many people here.
After owning their iPhone (daily use) would be willing to pay Apple a few hundred dollars to open up the back and put a new circuit board and batter inside, as opposed to paying a bit more and having a totally fresh looking brand new, unmarked iPhone.

Be honest.....

Think about it for a bit.....

iPhone isn't a watch.

 

[GoCubsGo]

There's just no way this will be an upgradeable device. When Apple wants over 50% of the price of a MBP to repair something like a logic board or when they take away the option of replacing a hard drive or memory on our laptops, why would they allow for a watch to be upgraded. The model is that you'll buy Rev A and you'll ultimately buy Rev B. Me, I've had a number of watches for years and they function exactly as they did when I bought them.

 

[Rogifan]

I'm a doubting thomas on this.

Apple has for intents and purposes moved away from upgradeable products to sealed products that cannot be upgraded. The iPhone, the iPad, the MBP, the Mac Mini. Only the Mac Pro and the iMac have some components that are upgradeable.

I don't see apple designing a brand new product that can upgraded, when its in their best interest to sell new versions.

This is nothing like Apple's other products. Viewing it under that lense is a mistake IMO. Apple may never get the first sale if people think it's going to be outdated in two years. As far as selling new versions, one would assume the design will change over time (and there may be new sensors or other things not available for older versions) that will keep sales humming along.

 

[Julien]

I'm a doubting thomas on this.

Apple has for intents and purposes moved away from upgradeable products to sealed products that cannot be upgraded. The iPhone, the iPad, the MBP, the Mac Mini. Only the Mac Pro and the iMac have some components that are upgradeable.

I don't see apple designing a brand new product that can upgraded, when its in their best interest to sell new versions.

Understandable, and this is why it will likely be about $300 for the upgrade. This will be like selling a 'new' Sports watch to the people who invested several $1000 into the Edition. I betting the SS will be close to a $1000 to making upgrading a couple of times economical to the consumer while still being finically beneficial to Apple.

 

[Cashmonee]

This all sounds like a bunch of wishful thinking.

You redesign the chip from the ground up and make it self contained because of the tiny amount of space you have available and the need for at least some water resistance.

Also, Apple is not interested in selling a product to you once every 10 years. They need you to buy that product over and over again. In order to match that profit margin, they will have to price the upgrade rather high. Think about how expensive it would be for them to put in place a process to upgrade. It requires new employees, new parts, distribution, etc.

Plus, do you really think the watch design won't change? You don't think there will be a better screen? A different charging solution? Don't forget, the new parts would have to be compatible to with everything left over. Keeping compatibility with legacy parts is far too limiting these days. And I don't see them continuing to make upgrades for old versions that don't also work with the new versions.

I could be wrong, but I just don't think this is going to happen. A trade-in program seems much more likely.

 

[Rogifan]

This all sounds like a bunch of wishful thinking.

You redesign the chip from the ground up and make it self contained because of the tiny amount of space you have available and the need for at least some water resistance.

Also, Apple is not interested in selling a product to you once every 10 years. They need you to buy that product over and over again. In order to match that profit margin, they will have to price the upgrade rather high. Think about how expensive it would be for them to put in place a process to upgrade. It requires new employees, new parts, distribution, etc.

Plus, do you really think the watch design won't change? You don't think there will be a better screen? A different charging solution? Don't forget, the new parts would have to be compatible to with everything left over. Keeping compatibility with legacy parts is far too limiting these days. And I don't see them continuing to make upgrades for old versions that don't also work with the new versions.

I could be wrong, but I just don't think this is going to happen. A trade-in program seems much more likely.

All good points. What I still struggle with is how much Apple is treating this like a watch (from the name to using terminology like "complications" and working with horological experts) and making a big deal about the materials used, where they're sourced from, how the bands are made etc. Apple sure seems to want Watch to be thought of as a fine timepiece and not a piece of disposable technology. I suppose a generous trade in policy is most likely, like you suggest. But they need something as I don't see anyone spending several thousands of dollars on a watch and doing it again two years later.