Possibly the most highly anticipated announcement from its special event today, Apple announced that customers will be able to purchase the newly announced Apple Watch starting “early next year” in 2015. The Apple Watch will be available in various configurations differing from collection, size, and band. Price wise the wearable will start at $349 and go up. Compatibility for the Apple Watch and iPhone, which it requires, works with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Compatibility goes back to support the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5s as well.
The announcement-to-availability gap is reminiscent of both the original iPhone and iPad introductions in 2007 and 2010, respectively. As I previously wrote when we first learned that the Apple wearable would likely be announced today and available in early 2015:
“Specifically, the iPhone was announced January 9, 2007 and went on sale June 29, 2007. The iPad was presented publicly on stage January 27, 2010 followed by a public release April 3, 2010 for WiFi models and April 30, 2010 for cellular models.”
In the meantime, Apple announced its new iPhone models will be available starting next Friday for $199 and up.
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$350!! Really Apple? This thing looks uglier than what’s out now!! Then in 2015 it will be ancient. And it costs more for what!! LOL
$350 it’s a cheap price. Competitors have a bad ecosystem. Developers will deliver amazing apps on Apple Watch. Not on Android watches.
Exceuses excuses excuses. $350 starting isn’t cheap. If that’s what you need to tell yourself then ok. LOL Now it’s developers and ecostystem, okayyyyyy. That justifies the price tag…
Price point should be closer to $199. $349 is way to high! On the other hand they nailed it on iphone 6 pricing.
Don’t answer to this troll, he is posting on every news about today keynote. Let him be happy with his crappy and laggy suckdroid.
If you think this watch is ugly you have a eye problem or a problem with Apple.
So don’t buy one. Also, your god doesn’t exist.
I used to sell sports watches for $999+ which would only had GPS and weather. For $350 this is a bargain..
You do realize the Apple watch has no GPS? For only 350 bucks you get a watch that will give you GPS capabilities if…and only if….you also spend 900 bucks on an iPhone so it can share it’s GPS with the watch. Let’s face it – the Apple watch does nothing…nothing at all, without carting round an iPhone with you (not exactly ideal if you get a 6 plus and are into fitness tracking). Which is why the omission of battery life predictions is even more perplexing – you’d think since it does nothing unless paired with an iPhone it would have brag worthy battery life?
Visually I just wasn’t impressed by it. It’s thick, nothing thick is elegant. They did their best with the confinements they have at this point in time. Utilised little from their patents, e.g. circuitry in the strap. Nothing game changing. It lacks “many” expected sensors. User interface is nice, straps are nice as far as a dumb strap goes. Seems like the battery is very short lived.
The bit I really wanted to see with the new iPhones at the start was glitch of repeats, often with Chinese. It was disaster likely alleviated by those who gave up trying to watch it.
Your right, they were already working on a thinner and faster iPad 2 when the first iPad was sold. So you know they will eventually get thinner around the edges like iPad has, faster and cheaper. This first model like most of Apples new designs is just to pay off the R&D and advertising costs. Also to get the distribution and manufacturing channel bugs worked out for the much more widely distributed Apple watch 2 or 3. I see $99-$149 being the final entry level price for one of these watches in a few years.
All their competitors will work at beating this watch and raising their prices to do so and by the time their products are out to market Apple will speed it up, make it thinner and lower the price. They are playing more chess than trying to give the people the best of what they have to offer. That can wait a few years. Going to wait one year and get the next one. I did so for iPad and I still am happy using iPad 2.
The whole integration of Apple Watch with the iPhone may be better,, but the thing looks okay. Sorry Apple the best design goes to Moto 360.
Really all they did was make a circle. yeah that’s a awesome design.
The Moto 360 looks AWFUL. The LG destroys it on every possible level
I’m as much of a fan boy as anyone. I’m super excited for the iPhone 6. I was excited to get the new Apple Watch. I was convince that it didn’t matter what they would come out with, I would buy, but…
Why would you pay more then the price of an iPhone for a watch that only monitors you health/activity better than your actual iPhone, which is already with you all the time? What just happened? Great idea and concept, but they completely missed it with the price! It’s an accessory to your phone, not the other way around. Ouch!
You’re not paying more for a watch than an iPhone. You see those $199/$299/$399 prices, they come with a 2 year contract. Buy a factory unlocked, no subsidies iPhone, you’re paying $700+.
this is a typical apple first generation product. it’s the same every time. i could bet that the 2nd gen will be great and also cheaper.
Very cool, very beautiful, very functional. But that price….
At $249.00, I might get one.
At $149.00, I definitely would get one.
At $99.00, I would get four!
$349.00 for the base model is just a little too much. Darn.
You say at $99.00 you would but four. So you would spend $400 but not $50 less for an Apple Watch.
@Alex – right, because even though it’s still a lot of money, I’d be getting four devices – definitely a better bang for the buck! Are you thinking of getting one? So tempting!
Something about the watch I didn’t like, Its bulky, or was I expecting much?
Looks like:
$349 for the 38mm Watch Sport
$399 for the 42mm Watch Sport
$449 for the 38mm Watch
$499 for the 42mm Watch
$549 for the 38mm Watch Edition
$599 for the 42mm Watch Edition
I think they would be hard pressed to have a $100 increase for an extra 4mm, so an increase between $30-$50 seems fair. A $100 step up between models though seems reasonable enough.
Personally, I want the space gray watch sport. I like the darker color. I’ll want to see how the different sizes feel on my arm to decide which of those I’ll go with though.
I’m thinking watch edition would cost more, considering it’s 18 kt gold. However, I wonder if it’s a completely gold case, or just gold plated.
It’s completely gold case. I would estimate about 1-1.5oz. Current cost of 18k gold is about 940/oz so I would estimate the “edition” series to be well over $1000
It’s not pure gold. They’ve mixed it with something else to make it harder and more resilient to dings. Check the Jony video.
“Pure” gold is 24 carat – no-one makes watches with this quality gold as it is too soft. What some call pure gold on the Apple Watch is actually 18 carat gold – 18 parts gold + 6 parts base metal, a mixture in effect.
You’re all (mainly) miserable sods. This device is lush, the interface looks fantastic and the price is about right – a decent watch costs far more than this and this does so much more. It’s above and beyond what anyone else is doing right now and I personally can’t wait to get my hands on one (or should that be one on my wrist?!).
Wow you are definitely a fanboy, you reek of it. Learn to be honest and Objective even if you prefer a certain product or Platform. Lets be honest the Moto 360 not only looks 1000x better but its also $100 cheaper. You just sound like a blind sheep that will buy anything with an apple logo.
Hahaha u tell him “be honest and objetive” a after you write “the moto 360 looks 1000x better”. Hahahah, who’s the fanboy here?
I am currently running a Nexus 5, I have also owned a Nexus 4 (my last phone) & Nexus S. I have an iPad 3rd Gen and the latest Nexus 7. A 2012 iMac and a Windows laptop. I am not a fanboy, I appreciate technology. This thing looks sweet, the technology is extremely impressive and I am glad it is not round – screen real estate is an important thing when you are using a touch screen and my wrist is not a collection of circles, it’s rectangular. Like I said, miserable sods.
To each their own. I would totally buy this watch. I think it looks elegant and sleek. I also believe the UI is very intuitive and IMO it seems they put a lot of thought into it. I was thoroughly impressed with most of the features they unveiled today. There are a few things that seem a bit hokey but it’s definitely catering to a younger audience. The big thing for me will be the battery life and is it waterproof. On the Moto 360, there is a part of me that will NEVER get over the black space on the bottom of that screen and if the preliminary testing is right then the battery life leaves a lot to be desired for on the 360. So far this is the best presentation of a smart watch. I believe Apple will make a few tweaks before launch to make this a killer launch.
The Moto 360 looks like a traditional watch, granted. But it doesn’t do as much, or as well, as the AppleWatch.
Moto 360 is also running ancient hardware. I think it looks goofy, objectively speaking.
I recently bought the SevenFriday M1 (http://www.sevenfriday.com/shop/sevenfriday-m1.html), which costs around $1,300, it’s 47 mm, and it has a square case with rounded edges. The watch does just one thing, and that is to just tell time! The Apple Watch is quite a bargain for what you’re getting for. The build quality itself seems fantastic, not to forget the sapphire glass (Which is also found on Rolex’s, btw). So I’m not quite sure why people are complaining about the price, this is not a Casio or a Swatch (Swatches are great though). Just think about that, because from what Apple presented today, it looks quite nice.
The price will most likely end up being $299 for the standard model. Wondering what the difference in price will be between the 2 sizes in each of the 3 lines. I liked the Milan style metal band and the rippled leather.
I like the way the bands attach and the digital crown. In the end though it feels like an updated nano. The lack of info about the 4 sensors, the lack of a true curve to face is disappointing. It doesn’t make want to get a first generation model. Looks like I might have to hold out for 3rd generation model.
Without true health monitoring and the features so far I wouldn’t pay over $249 for the base lines. Maybe $299 for the fancier of the bands. At $349 it is a tough sale for me.
What does the compatibility with the iPhone 6 stressed in the article, when it’s also compatible with the iPhone 5 series? Are some features not going to fully work unless one has the iPhone 6?
I think the biggest thing that won’t work is Apple Pay. They mentioned a few times that Apple Pay relies upon the “Secure Element” chip in the iPhone 6, even when you use the watch to authenticate payment. So I’d be willing to bet that all the handoff / calls / texts / data integration works all the way back to the iPhone 5, but Apple Pay and perhaps the fitness stuff is reserved for iPhone 6 and above. Another question is how much the Watch can function out of Bluetooth range from your phone (like perhaps when out running). It doesn’t appear to have any wireless radios besides Bluetooth in it.
Everybody who has a problem with price has to think G Shocks for the same price and higher with none of features of the Apple watch.
Fuel bands were $200
YOU guys have been telling us about all those fancy sensors… now where the fuck are they???
Apple Watch Mark Gurman Edition. Where the fuck are those sensors Mark!!
Hipsters alone will have these sold out. This will be a mega success.
I have to agree with the others. Wasn’t feeling the design. I liked the strap options though. That could help it make it look better. However, I really like the concept behind the features and the OS they designed for it.
True to Apple criticism, the same things were said about the first generation iPad. Ugly, bulky, too expensive, just a big iPod, have a laptop and don’t need it.
2 years later the iPad has cameras, it’s lighter, has retina etc.
4 years later, there is hardly a bezel, and has begun completely replacing laptops
If there is one thing you can say about a new Apple product, is “wait for the 3rd generation…”
I’ll reserve all comments on this generation, until it is reviewed in the wild, or worn on my wrist
Totally wowed. Best watch I have ever seem. Plus all it can do. Nothing touches apple watch. Just wow. Loved everything.
Marc Newson’s hands are all over this watch’s design. Go look up the Ikepod line of watches if you think this is an expensive watch.
It’s arguably quite attractive. I liked the white strap, the stone leather one and the dark metallic one.
My impression is towards positive, but:
– they carefully failed to mention BATTERY LIFE. To me this is bad news. If it was something they could brag about, they would.
– Magsafe? on a watch? Please, Apple, not yet another cable / adapter that we’ll need to carry along with us when on the road. And since I’m on the road a lot, I’m afraid I’ll stick to my analog watch for the foreseeable future.
– $350? Hmmm, I wasn’t particularly impressed. In my mind $350 isn’t justified by what I saw. $300… more likely, but no more. 350 would be justified if it had more health sensors onboard (but that’d be bad news for the battery…). Maybe I’ll change my mind when I see it in the metal.
AND…
I’m quite disappointed with the Mic and Speaker. They could have easily missed them. They consume lots of battery and the result will suck!
BUT I did catch the crown bit. I was expecting a rotary physical button for navigation, but their approach was smarter and more complete (than my 5 minute planning, ok)
Is it water proof? For $350 is should be.
The stainless steel case fits my style most, but it reminds me of the backplate of the iPods, It looks great at first, but I remember it would scratch and scuff super easy. Being worn exposed on a wrist, I wonder if the stainless steel Apple Watch case will scuff just as easily. Not really a big deal, but just a thought.