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gcooldude86

macrumors 6502
Jul 28, 2014
323
46
Ontario, Canada
If I bought the edition watch and cost me a few grand I would definitely want the option to upgrade the chip and still keep my old case. I can't see this as an option for the sport because if it did cost $300 to upgrade the chip, most would pay the extra $50 to have a totally new watch. If I pay $3K for a watch upgrading the chip for $300 would be well worth it.
 

ksuyen

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2012
772
141
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.

Then you had never (and probably would never) own a piece of jewellery. If you do, I apologize, but you need to remember...

First and foremost, people need to get rid of the preconception that Apple Watch is just a high tech gear (I blame those cheap Android wears for this).

Apple does not nor will they try to sell Watch as a piece of technology device, but rather as an expensive jewellery. Most of the complains in this forum stem from 1 basic assumption: AppleWatch is same as AdroidWear.

It is not. It is a jewellery. It competes with Tag Heur, Rollex, and the likes. And you don't replace those watch every 10 years, let alone every year. With 1 exception. Apple gives you ability to upgrade the Tech gut inside.
 

Cashmonee

macrumors 65832
May 27, 2006
1,504
1,245
Then you had never (and probably would never) own a piece of jewellery. If you do, I apologize, but you need to remember...

First and foremost, people need to get rid of the preconception that Apple Watch is just a high tech gear (I blame those cheap Android wears for this).

Apple does not nor will they try to sell Watch as a piece of technology device, but rather as an expensive jewellery. Most of the complains in this forum stem from 1 basic assumption: AppleWatch is same as AdroidWear.

It is not. It is a jewellery. It competes with Tag Heur, Rollex, and the likes. And you don't replace those watch every 10 years, let alone every year. With 1 exception. Apple gives you ability to upgrade the Tech gut inside.

If this is their strategy, I think this is the next Apple HiFi. Apple is not a luxury brand. They are not high end. This watch has next to nothing in common with those brands. I don't believe Apple will try to push this as high end, luxury, jewelry. To me, that just seems silly. But hey, I could be wrong!
 

DC Wallaby

macrumors regular
Aug 22, 2014
158
151
Nailed it again!
A close friend of mine and I talked about this at length several months ago, but you are articulating it in a way that is really easy to make sense of.
Granted, none of us knows but Apple, but I am extremely hopeful that the watch trends in this direction.
Thanks. :) I mean, I may be buying into the marketing hype, but let's be honest: Apple is always very careful with their message, and there's a reason tis is being presented the way it is. Apple is deliberately making these comparisons for a reason, and coming up short in something as important as the longevity ("timelessness") of the device would invite some major negative comparisons--negative comparisons that they could easily avoid by just not presenting the device the way they are.

They might make money off of this by only allowing employees to replace watch parts. They'll probably won't let you buy an upgradeable chip unless its serviced by Apple them self.
Oh, I agree completely. Apple would have you bring it in for service by their certified technicians, just like with any other part replacement. Just because Apple might make it upgradeable/modular does not mean they'll let go of their control.

----------

If this is their strategy, I think this is the next Apple HiFi. Apple is not a luxury brand. They are not high end. This watch has next to nothing in common with those brands. I don't believe Apple will try to push this as high end, luxury, jewelry. To me, that just seems silly. But hey, I could be wrong!
Clearly, you haven't been paying attention.

They're making a GOLD watch.
They hired Burberry's CEO.
They hired people from Swiss watchmaking companies.
They invited fashion journalists to the unveiling.
They showed it off at a major French fashion show.
They had it modeled in China's Vogue magazine.

This is very much being treated as a fashion accessory in addition to being a wristbound computer. There's no getting around that. Is it competing with high-end luxury watches? No, it's not in that tier. But it's definitely a "high-end" product compared to Apple's normal standards.

Will they fail? Maybe. But Apple didn't make this move without doing their homework and hiring the right people. So I won't bet against them.
 

ksuyen

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2012
772
141
Clearly, you haven't been paying attention.

They're making a GOLD watch.
They hired Burberry's CEO.
They hired people from Swiss watchmaking companies.
They invited fashion journalists to the unveiling.
They showed it off at a major French fashion show.
They had it modeled in China's Vogue magazine.

This is very much being treated as a fashion accessory in addition to being a wristbound computer. There's no getting around that. Is it competing with high-end luxury watches? No, it's not in that tier. But it's definitely a "high-end" product compared to Apple's normal standards.

Will they fail? Maybe. But Apple didn't make this move without doing their homework and hiring the right people. So I won't bet against them.

Thanks DC Wallaby - you wrote it so clearly than myself :D That's exactly my point. It's difficult to predict how successful AppleWatch will be since we only know half the facts of the product itself. Apple has been very careful in every steps to ensure people know about it and yet not enough to limit any expectations. I suspect they don't really mind about Android Wears (since AppleWatch will be very different than those) and they don't really care what people think of it either (most people have said they are not interested so far). It's likely that Apple is very confident on this one.
 

oldmacs

macrumors 601
Sep 14, 2010
4,941
7,182
Australia
I really really agree with DC Wallaby, and I had never thought of any of this before!! It is a piece of jewellery, a highly personal item. I form emotional attachments to my watches... As do many people to their jewellery.

I'll be very interested to hear what Apple does. Hopefully it is upgradable as for once Apple would be giving some advantage to the consumer.
 

macguy90

macrumors member
Oct 14, 2011
59
34
Upstate NY
Wow, this is the first I'm hearing about this but I'm very intrigued for sure. I'm not sure that it sounds like something Apple would do, but who really knows.
 

dctid

macrumors member
Feb 15, 2015
52
0
UK
apple are going to have to be very careful with the refresh cycle time of this watch too short and at the prices they are asking i really can't see it being a huge success too long and if its not well received from day one then it won't be sold in large numbers

personally however i think it will be a success and will blow away other smart watches what we don't know yet is how successful it will be in apple terms
 

macguy90

macrumors member
Oct 14, 2011
59
34
Upstate NY
apple are going to have to be very careful with the refresh cycle time of this watch too short and at the prices they are asking i really can't see it being a huge success too long and if its not well received from day one then it won't be sold in large numbers

personally however i think it will be a success and will blow away other smart watches what we don't know yet is how successful it will be in apple terms

I absolutely agree, they will need to bring the price down dramatically as soon as the 2nd generation if they want this to continue to be a massive success. As a new product, we know it'll sell very well at first. But at $350, I do feel it'll be a tough sell to the average, non-tech geek consumer. I can see them bringing it down to $250 and maybe even $199 within 2-3 years.
 

Mr. Buzzcut

macrumors 65816
Jul 25, 2011
1,037
488
Ohio
apple are going to have to be very careful with the refresh cycle time of this watch too short and at the prices they are asking i really can't see it being a huge success too long and if its not well received from day one then it won't be sold in large numbers

personally however i think it will be a success and will blow away other smart watches what we don't know yet is how successful it will be in apple terms

But why? Fashion changes are arbitrary or maybe seasonal. People so vain and obsessed with the latest will buy whatever, whenever. The rest of the sane will continue to use what they have until it doesn't suit them any longer.

This whole notion that product and software cycles need to be long just so people can always have the latest drives me crazy. People need to get over themselves.
 

dctid

macrumors member
Feb 15, 2015
52
0
UK
But why? Fashion changes are arbitrary or maybe seasonal. People so vain and obsessed with the latest will buy whatever, whenever. The rest of the sane will continue to use what they have until it doesn't suit them any longer.

This whole notion that product and software cycles need to be long just so people can always have the latest drives me crazy. People need to get over themselves.

The watch indeed any of apples products are time limited, we see that in product sales, we see iPhone sales slump as we approach a new release. Which ever way you look at this the watch is first and foremost a piece of techno (its very limited without an iPhone) the fashion angle is nothing more than a selling tool Apple are using to justify the price, and you have fallen for it

As fashion goes there are more fashionable watches out there

Yes i will be buying one probably the watch but I'm a bit of a gadget guy but i also like a decent watch.
 

Mr. Buzzcut

macrumors 65816
Jul 25, 2011
1,037
488
Ohio
The watch indeed any of apples products are time limited, we see that in product sales, we see iPhone sales slump as we approach a new release. Which ever way you look at this the watch is first and foremost a piece of techno (its very limited without an iPhone) the fashion angle is nothing more than a selling tool Apple are using to justify the price, and you have fallen for it

As fashion goes there are more fashionable watches out there

Yes i will be buying one probably the watch but I'm a bit of a gadget guy but i also like a decent watch.

I haven't fallen for anything. This entire thread is about how the watch is somehow different. That was the basis of my question, not what I believe. I think it's a gadget and there isn't much value outside of the convenience and novelty. Some on here think the watch will run up to $15K. My gut says no way but we'll see soon enough!
 

arubinst

macrumors 6502
May 26, 2008
328
189
Lausanne - Switzerland
The Watch should not be compared to other Apple products, such as an iPhone for example.

When a new Watch model comes out, if you buy it, your don't have to stop wearing the old one. In fact, you could have as many different :apple:Watch models as your money can buy and use them depending on your mood/clothes/occasion.

Just as with any other brand that makes watches, new models won't necessarily replace the old ones. They will just become part of the collection.

In this context, upgradable battery/internals would make sense.
 

Cashmonee

macrumors 65832
May 27, 2006
1,504
1,245
The Watch should not be compared to other Apple products, such as an iPhone for example.

When a new Watch model comes out, if you buy it, your don't have to stop wearing the old one. In fact, you could have as many different :apple:Watch models as your money can buy and use them depending on your mood/clothes/occasion.

Just as with any other brand that makes watches, new models won't necessarily replace the old ones. They will just become part of the collection.

In this context, upgradable battery/internals would make sense.

If Apple either takes too long to bring out the 2nd iteration, or the 2nd iteration isn't enough of an upgrade to make the 1st gen seem old fashioned, they will get hammered by reviewers and other manufacturers. I don't care what the marketing spin says. Apple is a tech company and the :apple:Watch is a tech device. Tech devices get abandoned as new, faster, shinier models are introduced. I would love to be wrong, but I don't see the :apple:Watch changing that in any way. I also don't think Apple believes it will. I think you are falling for the famous Apple marketing.

My guess is Apple know they will sell almost exclusively the Sport. The SS and Edition will be there as high margin cash grabs. This could change if the Stainless is priced to sell.
 

dctid

macrumors member
Feb 15, 2015
52
0
UK
I haven't fallen for anything. This entire thread is about how the watch is somehow different. That was the basis of my question, not what I believe. I think it's a gadget and there isn't much value outside of the convenience and novelty. Some on here think the watch will run up to $15K. My gut says no way but we'll see soon enough!

apologies i agree its a gadget sadly for me I'm a gadget guy and worse still an apple gadget guy so I'm screwed, i dread to think how much of the stuff i have

For me i think that the watch will start at £499 GBP (north of $700) and then u pay more for the leather or metal straps

I agree $15K for an apple watch not a hope in hell for that u would want a serious top of the range either that or you have more money than sense

sadly i haver the money burning a hole in my pocket and no doubt so have many others and apple knows this

after this purchase however that will be it i think i have every product category you can have iPhone, iPad, iPod, mac mini, time machine

----------

If Apple either takes too long to bring out the 2nd iteration, or the 2nd iteration isn't enough of an upgrade to make the 1st gen seem old fashioned, they will get hammered by reviewers and other manufacturers. I don't care what the marketing spin says. Apple is a tech company and the :apple:Watch is a tech device. Tech devices get abandoned as new, faster, shinier models are introduced. I would love to be wrong, but I don't see the :apple:Watch changing that in any way. I also don't think Apple believes it will. I think you are falling for the famous Apple marketing.

My guess is Apple know they will sell almost exclusively the Sport. The SS and Edition will be there as high margin cash grabs. This could change if the Stainless is priced to sell.

i think the obvious upgrade would be increased battery performance and increased memory to run bigger apps and make the watch less dependant on the iPhone. Also if it had a killer feature, non invasive blood glucose monitoring, they will fly off the shelf.

As it stands it highly probable that they will out sell within the first 2 months what all the other smart watches combined have sold over the last 2 years.

Will apple pull it of course they will
 

NT1440

macrumors Pentium
May 18, 2008
15,089
22,155
I think anyone that subscribes to this idea really hasn't thought it through.

What benefits would replacing the S1 with an S2 do? Cook tipped his hat at D10 a few years back, there is going to be an explosion of sensors in the wearable market. Replacing the brain of the watch won't suddenly allow it to do things that are definitely coming down the road such as read skin temperature, blood O2 levels, glucose, etc.

Replacing the brain without a way to interact with the new limbs doesn't make any sense, business or otherwise.
 

dctid

macrumors member
Feb 15, 2015
52
0
UK
I think anyone that subscribes to this idea really hasn't thought it through.

What benefits would replacing the S1 with an S2 do? Cook tipped his hat at D10 a few years back, there is going to be an explosion of sensors in the wearable market. Replacing the brain of the watch won't suddenly allow it to do things that are definitely coming down the road such as read skin temperature, blood O2 levels, glucose, etc.

Replacing the brain without a way to interact with the new limbs doesn't make any sense, business or otherwise.

agree totally also these units are IP67 (or something like that) which means they are factory sealed they are not going to be opening these in Apple stores and run the risk of associated warranty issues if its not done correctly

i think there will be tweaks and improvements but i can't see step changes without changes to the watch itself to accommodate more sensors
 

Julien

macrumors G4
Jun 30, 2007
11,847
5,441
Atlanta
agree totally also these units are IP67 (or something like that) which means they are factory sealed they are not going to be opening these in Apple stores and run the risk of associated warranty issues if its not done correctly

i think there will be tweaks and improvements but i can't see step changes without changes to the watch itself to accommodate more sensors

A crystalift is all it takes to open an IP67 watch. This is a simple to use tool that all jewelry stores have.
 

AppleCorn

macrumors newbie
Feb 15, 2015
21
5
It might not be evidence that it's upgradable but serviceable. I guess it can mean anything from servicable to upgradable. Maybe trade-in?

I agree with JayLenochiniMac on the Trade-in's. I trade my iPhones and IPads in and get around a hundred to buy the new.
By the same percentage a Editotion Watch would get a lot better amount, maybe in the thousands, back to help buy a new one?
 

extricated

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2011
448
65
Arkansas
What benefits would replacing the S1 with an S2 do?
...
Replacing the brain without a way to interact with the new limbs doesn't make any sense, business or otherwise.

I agree, but I think it's plausible that if the S1 can be replaced, then the means of access to that chip can be upgraded as well. That is, in this scenario, I'm assuming that the back cover (containing the sensors) could be designed with future upgrades in mind.
 

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,182
4,112
A crystalift is all it takes to open an IP67 watch. This is a simple to use tool that all jewelry stores have.

Looking at the Apple watch design, you will not be able to use a Crystalift on it.

There is no edge for the device to get a hold of.

Perhaps it's been designed for a suction device to pull it apart.
 
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