The Sport is $349

[Azzin]

I'm confused (doesn't take much these days! )...

I thought the Watch was the 'entry' level (cheapest) model, with the 'Sport' sitting in the middle and the Watch Edition sitting at the top of the pile (in terms of price).

This thread/article implies that the Sport edition will be $349.

That either suggests the Sport is the base model (as we've been told that the watch will start at $349), or there's a cheaper Watch.

Which is it?

[Edit] - Even Apple's own website seems to show them in 'order':

 

[The Doctor11]

I'm confused (doesn't take much these days! )...

I thought the Watch was the 'entry' level (cheapest) model, with the 'Sport' sitting in the middle and the Watch Edition sitting at the top of the pile (in terms of price).

This thread/article implies that the Sport edition will be $349, but that either suggests the Sport is the base model (as we've been told that the watch will start at $349), or there's a cheaper Watch.

Which is it?

[Edit] - Even Apple's own website seems to show them in 'order':

Image

Yeah Apple's website confused me a little at first too. But if you look closer you see the Apple Watch Sport will be cheaper for many reasons. Such as, aluminum is cheaper then SS, Lon-X Glass for display (SS version has Sapphire Crystal), and it has the higher end bands.

 

[TheDeviceUser]

Yeah Apple's website confused me a little at first too. But if you look closer you see the Apple Watch Sport will be cheaper for many reasons. Such as, aluminum is cheaper then SS, Lon-X Glass for display (SS version has Sapphire Crystal), and it has the higher end bands.

Yes, but maybe Apple is selling he lightness?

 

[The Doctor11]

Yes, but maybe Apple is selling he lightness?

They are. It's because it's light and made from aluminum that it gets the Sport name. And if the SS and the Sport were priced the same (they won't be) I would still get the Sport because of this.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

[Edit] - Even Apple's own website seems to show them in 'order':

Image

Apple seems to be ignoring the order for the entire Watch section for some reason. Even the lineup of stainless steel models in the Apple Watch collection isn't in 'order'. The models (arranged from left to right) aren't in the same order as the corresponding bands (arranged from top to bottom).

 

[AngusW]

I think they'll be the same as it doesn't make sense to punish someone for having slightly larger wrists, with no meaningful benefit of the bigger product.

I can see an argument towards that end. However I think it will be slightly more only because of extra materials used. But I hope I'm wrong.

 

[kmj2318]

I don't see why people are hung up on the order of the watches on the website. The tiers seemed obvious since the beginning.

 

[czecho7]

I'm confused (doesn't take much these days! )...

I thought the Watch was the 'entry' level (cheapest) model, with the 'Sport' sitting in the middle and the Watch Edition sitting at the top of the pile (in terms of price).

This thread/article implies that the Sport edition will be $349.

That either suggests the Sport is the base model (as we've been told that the watch will start at $349), or there's a cheaper Watch.

Which is it?

[Edit] - Even Apple's own website seems to show them in 'order':

Image

The Apple Watch is shown first because it is the "flagship" model. Which is why it is simply called "Apple Watch." Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition are the offshoots—Sport being the lower end model, and Edition being the higher end model.

I understand why people would see this image and mistake the Apple Watch as being the lowest priced model, but when you take into account the materials used for the Sport model—aluminum instead of stainless steel or gold, ion-x glass instead of sapphire crystal, and composite instead of ceramic used on the sensors—I think it's pretty clear that the Sport will be the lowest priced model, beginning at $349.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

The Apple Watch is shown first because it is the "flagship" model. Which is why it is simply called "Apple Watch." Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition are the offshoots—Sport being the lower end model, and Edition being the higher end model.

That doesn't make sense. The flagship would be the highest trim, and the Edition carries this distinction.

I think they're just not lining up in the usual cheaper to most expensive order. The order of models in the Apple Watch stainless steel collection is also the same way.

 

[czecho7]

That doesn't make sense. The flagship would be the highest trim, and the Edition carries this distinction.

I think they're just not lining up in the usual cheaper to most expensive order. The order of models in the Apple Watch stainless steel collection is also the same way.

I don't think you're looking at this the right way. Take the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. The 6 Plus is the more expensive of the two, but it's the iPhone 6 that is the flagship model.

The flagship model is the model that is the most important because it becomes a representation of the product lineup. I would argue that it has much more to do with product name and broader consumer appeal than product cost.

The Apple Watch Edition could never represent singularly represent the Apple Watch lineup and be the flagship model, because it is too polarizing. People have very strong feelings about the color of yellow gold, and it is very cost prohibitive to those looking for a more simple smart watch. This is made even clearer by the fact that Apple made fewer watch bands to match the gold and rose gold of the Edition. The Edition is more of a niche, elite model that is meant to appeal mainly to those who really love the idea of wearing gold, simply want a watch that is more expensive, or like the idea of a gold watch as a status symbol. Apple isn't going to sell the most amount of watches based on these factors. It will sell the most watches based on proving that Apple Watch has functionality that will improve a persons every day life, without blowing up their wallet.

Apple Watch is the flagship model because it is singular in it's naming. Make no mistake that the names of products such as these are chosen very specifically. iPhone 6 Plus is an iPhone 6, but it is not THE iPhone 6. The Apple Watch Sport is an Apple Watch, but it is not THE Apple Watch.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I don't think you're looking at this the right way. Take the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. The 6 Plus is the more expensive of the two, but it's the iPhone 6 that is the flagship model.

Oh man, go over to the iPhone forum and post this. I guarantee you you'll be bashed left and right.

Your definition of flagship isn't consistent with how manufacturers market their products. For example, the flagship BMW model is always the highest trim of a series.

 

[czecho7]

Oh man, go over to the iPhone forum and post this. I guarantee you you'll be bashed left and right.

Why is that exactly? Care to elaborate?

Your definition of flagship isn't consistent with how manufacturers market their products. For example, the flagship BMW model is always the highest trim of a series.

Flagship products differ from company to company, based on a variety of factors, so to say that my definition of flagship isn't consistent with how manufacturers market their products is really missing the point. It's naive to think that you can compare a luxury car to a consumer device—they have completely different target markets.

A BMW is a high end car that caters to a specific market. Overall, Apple is targeting a broader consumer base with Apple Watch. Especially considering that this is the first generation of the device, and people still need to learn all that an Apple Watch has to offer them, and to be convinced that they NEED to buy one, and that it's worth it given the price. You can't honestly say that you think that the most expensive model in the Apple Watch lineup is going to help the average person get on board and decide to buy one.

Honestly, it just seems to me that you'd prefer to get confrontational and ignore all the points I made in my last post and just reiterate your initial point about "highest trim," and that's fine.. it's just not going to make for an interesting conversation.

 

[gregvet]

Re flagship

I think calling the stainless steel version the flagship may not be how apple sees it.

The Oxford english dictionary definition of flagship is:

1.1The best or most important thing owned or produced by a particular organization.

I am pretty sure they would consider their flagship products to be the highest end stuff, including the edition apple watch.

 

[Julien]

Flagship as a metaphor according to Wikipedia

As with many other naval terms, flagship has crossed over into common parlance, where it means the most important or leading member of a group. It has also come to be an adjective describing the most prominent or highly touted product, brand, location, or service among those offered by a company. It now has common derivations such as the "flagship brand" or "flagship product" of a manufacturing company or "flagship store" of a retail chain. Auto companies usually have a flagship in the form of their leading, highest-priced car.

 

[czecho7]

I think calling the stainless steel version the flagship may not be how apple sees it.

The Oxford english dictionary definition of flagship is:

1.1The best or most important thing owned or produced by a particular organization.

I am pretty sure they would consider their flagship products to be the highest end stuff, including the edition apple watch.

Flagship as a metaphor according to Wikipedia

It terms of Apple, I agree with the flagship product being the most important, but not the most expensive.

I think we'd all agree that if we had to name one Apple product as the flagship product of the company, it would be the iPhone. Even at it's highest price point, the iPhone is nowhere near Apple's more expensive products. The iPhone is the flagship product because it's their most important product—the product that put them into the mainstream in the biggest way, has sold the most units, reaches the broadest consumer base, and has come to represent the type of company that Apple is.

Apple sells their products at a premium, but their higher priced products are not the ones that have made Apple what it is today.

Out of the Apple Watch lineup, the Apple Watch Sport and the Apple Watch will be the ones that sell the most, and will come to represent "Apple Watch."

 

[Rogifan]

I've never equated flagship to most expensive. For me flagship would be most popular rather than most expensive. Otherwise the Mac Pro would be considered the flagship Mac. Does anyone really think that?

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I've never equated flagship to most expensive. For me flagship would be most popular rather than most expensive. Otherwise the Mac Pro would be considered the flagship Mac. Does anyone really think that?

Yes, many do. Just a few examples from searching:

"Despite upgrades to numerous other models, the Mac Pro saw few changes for several years, leaving anxious Mac users in fear that Apple's flagship desktop computer would die entirely and prompting them to launch petitions seeking more information about Apple's plans."

"Inside its completely redesigned case, Apple's flagship quad core desktop is equipped with the most advanced Intel processors, dual GPUs, and next-generation flash storage, to guarantee a blazing performance even for the most processing-intensive tasks. "

"Professional Mac users can now get their hands on the company's all-new Mac Pro in as little as two days, as shipping times for the desktop flagship's standard configurations have dropped to 24 hours for the first time since it went on sale six months ago."

 

[gregvet]

Re flagship

I've never equated flagship to most expensive. For me flagship would be most popular rather than most expensive. Otherwise the Mac Pro would be considered the flagship Mac. Does anyone really think that?

Yes that's exactly how I see it.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Yes that's exactly how I see it.

So the iMac is Apple's flagship desktop? Sorry, but nobody thinks that.

 

[cmChimera]

So the iMac is Apple's flagship desktop? Sorry, but nobody thinks that.

That's exactly what I would call it.

 

[gregvet]

So the iMac is Apple's flagship desktop? Sorry, but nobody thinks that.

I was asked if the Mac Pro was apples flagship, not the iMac. I said that that is how I see it, because it is always described as the flagship, and the best desktop computer that apple makes.

I would argue that the retina 5k iMac is another flagship for Apple as well, but not the whole iMac line.

 

[jsmith189]

delete.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I was asked if the Mac Pro was apples flagship, not the iMac. I said that that is how I see it, because it is always described as the flagship, and the best desktop computer that apple makes.

I would argue that the retina 5k iMac is another flagship for Apple as well, but not the whole iMac line.

Sorry, thought you were saying the opposite. Yeah, the Mac Pro is considered Apple's flagship desktop.

 

[Night Spring]

Oh man, go over to the iPhone forum and post this. I guarantee you you'll be bashed left and right.

Why is that exactly? Care to elaborate?

There is an ongoing dispite in the iPhone forum over which iPhone is the "best" -- 6 or 6 plus. The dispute gets quite extreme, and resembles the Android vs iOS or Windows vs Mac debates.

 

[noobinator]

I always saw flagship as the product they want to use to show the world what they are capable of.

Here is my best, most awesomest ship and I shall fly my flag on it!