We don’t yet know the price of the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition, but it doesn’t require psychic powers to know that it isn’t going to be cheap. KGH analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s prediction of the most expensive model costing “several thousand dollars” is probably exaggerated, but may not be quite as far-fetched as it seemed.
David Pogue shared one of the things Apple didn’t mention on stage but did reveal during press demonstrations afterwards …
The fanciest model, the gold Apple Phone Edition, comes in a gorgeous jewelry box — which doubles as a charger. The back of the box has a Lightning connector, and the inside of the box has the watch’s magnetic round charger pad, standing vertically. So as you retire each night, you can just lay your gold watch into its case and let it charge.
Bedtime isn’t the only time you’ll be taking off your Apple Watch: while it is described as water-resistant enough to cope with sweat, rain and washing your hands, it isn’t fully waterproof, so you’ll want to take it off before taking a shower.
For those wondering whether you’ll be able to use the Apple Watch to make and receive calls, the answer is yes: that’s part of its functionality – if you don’t care what you look like while you’re doing it.
While the watch doesn’t go on sale until sometime next year, it has already been added as a product category on Apple’s website where you can see both the yellow and rose gold editions.
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While waterproof and a less chunky design would have been a dream come true, it is still by all accounts a magnificent product, with so much more grace and capability than its competitors. I hope the “thousands” price tag is an exaggeration, but I expect it depends on how many they want to sell and how much gold is actually in the watch.
You want it to be thin? There is a reason behind it, knowing Apple going thinner and thinner you think they didnt tried?
They’ll give incrementally thinner with new versions. As they have with iPhones and iPads.
This is the end……..
Of what?
…of the world as we know it?
His only friend; The End.
One thing apple does very well is marketing, look at those gorgeous photos. Even if you don’t like the product, it’s a marvel of technique in how they craft an aura around a product.
its a computer render, not a picture..
With the exception of the demo models on stage and behind glass in WhiteMecca outside the Flint Center, I don’t think we saw any physical device called the Apple Watch yesterday.
I wouldn’t be so sure. Have you seen the videos of Apple product shoots?
http://connect.dpreview.com/post/8243287005/apple-photographer-peter-belanger
They are indeed photos. I’ve read an article somewhere where the photographer of Apple products showed his tricks and incredible setup. Really, really impressive: dozens of statives and lights to have the perfect shot. A forest.
So if this Edition model is not going to be waterproof does it lead one to think that the Sport model will not be as well? And why doesn’t the sport have a sapphire screen like all the others don’t you think you would want the sapphire on the model that will get harshest of use?
1. Unfortunately its not entirely waterproof….it is however waster resistant, which helps for sport. Just don’t submerge it.
2. What makes you think any of the models don’t have sapphire screen? Did I miss something?
The Sports model definitely doesn’t have a sapphire screen, rather it has strengthened ion-X glass.
The Sports model does not have a sapphire screen. This was made pretty clear during the Keynote. Sapphire is $$. This is why I kept making it plain that Apple would not be using Sapphire for the screens of the iPhone. People don’t seem very clear on what Sapphire is, how difficult it is to work with, and how stinking $$ it is.
All models have sapphire screen on the face, but the back screen, with the sensors, on the sport model is not sapphire.
So what would be the benefit of getting the model with sensors with sapphire glass?
For weight-saving measures.
Personally, I was hoping for more medical benefits. I will wait until 2nd or 3rd gen when it´s thinner, longer battery life and completely waterproof. I also can´t wait for it to be independent of the iphone. This would be my ideal “phone” to carry around, I don´t need the big screen iphone with me at all times.
I don’t think you will ever see it independent of the iPhone…
Unless it becomes the phone itself but that would be a very premium model with a very premium price point…
It was never meant to be independent of the iPhone…..just the opposite….it REQUIRES iPhone, because it is designed to be an iPhone accessory. This was always going to be the case, because it can take advantage of all that hardware the iPhone contains, that cannot physically be put into a tiny device.
What medical benefits? You want it to stab you and check your blood sugar? 200,000,000 potential buyers will not have that high of their list of priorities.
If the average statistics apply across Apple’s customer base, of those 200,000,000 people, 20,000,000 would have that high on their list of priorities. If half of those target customers bought the base model, that’s $3,500,000,000 worth of Apple Watches. That’s a significant number.
If it provided medical benefits then maybe some insurance would cover it, they way they do for glucose monitoring.
No photos of this box yet?
Not as yet
There is no watch that is water proof. Watches are measured by “Water resistance” and that works by how much pressure at what depth can the watch take before leaky time. Breitling Navitimer is rated at 30m, You can’t get it wet or water will leak in. Most dress Rolexs which are very tough watches are 100m,You can shower and swim with it safely. most dive watches are 300m which means you can snorkel with it on. Some watches are crazy with 3,000m. http://www.prestigetime.com/page.php?water-resistance
Here’s a good question…why are watches waterproof at all? Or rather, why has that ever mattered? Do people really need to tell time 300m below the surface?
It has become more of a pointless bragging point than anything. The only real value it has is to say, “You don’t have to take this watch off everyday when you shower, or wash your hands.”
Well, the Apple Watch has to be taken off to charge, so that goes out the window.
It would be cool if you could swim with the watch and track fitness in the pool. Before yesterday I was hoping to use it in triathlons. Hopefully this will be something that at least the sport collection will feature eventually.
Yes, divers do need to check the time underwater, just like you use a watch to check the time when you’re in your work space.
When one is diving, carrying a finite amount of air on your back, the absence of which would cause your rapid death, the amount of time that you’ve been underwater is of some importance.
Plus they need to surface so they can feed the parking meter!
It has been confirmed else where that the Apple watch is water resistant so you don’t have to work about getting it wet from washing your hands or a rain storm. However, it is water proof so you can’t take a shower with it on or go swimming with it. Although I don’t take a shower with a watch on, swimming would be nice especially will all the health monitoring features of the watch… I am sure we will probably see that in the Apple watch 2 or 3…
That should be worry instead of work and isn’t water proof…
I’m sorry, but the apple watch looks ugly compared to moto 360. Looks like apple’s 1st generation iPhone shrunk down
Actually, it looks just like an iPod Nano with rounded edges…
I’m sorry, but the 360 looks like a generic watch. I simply don’t get the appeal. It doesn’t look bad, but it doesn’t look like a watch I’d be caught dead wearing.
I think the 360 is far more attractive than this, but Apple was shooting for functionality more than looks. Apple’s product, in the 360’s looks would be perfect.
The fanciest model, the gold Apple Phone Edition
M
Phone?
I don’t give a fuck what anyone says, the Apple Watch is drop-dead gorgeous, and so are the bands that accompany it. The 360 doesn’t hold a candle to this, round face be damned.
Best comment so far!!! Go Robert!!! Say it like it is!
I guess I’m ignorant in my thinking that there won’t be a new one every year but it seems like these are built to last awhile
Every year? I guess we’ll see. They may release new versions, and software updates, but a wearable device seems like a more personal artifact that you’ll want to keep rather than sell/exchange/upgrade.
A gold automatic will last generations. Your grandchildren’s grandchildren can pass that watch down. A old Apple Watch will last how long? Replaced by new models with better functions and longer battery life in 1 year and only getting more outdated beyond that. After 4 to 6 years it’s likely you won’t be able to run the latest apps and possibly needing a battery replacement – hopefully one is available.
This is a neat first generation and proof of concept, but IMO, I don’t feel as strongly about this product as I did about the first iPhone that didn’t even have third party apps. Hopefully the second generation brings a lot more desire to the table, even if it’s not in the form of “wow.”
Maybe they will keep the strap connection the same and give us a discount next year on the new thinner model. Maybe it won’t be updated yearly.
“Your grandchildren’s grandchildren can pass that watch down.”
No matter how difficult that task may be… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFtHjV4c4uw
This won’t last a half-generation!
And a sport watch that you can’t swim with? Sorry. While I can see a tremendous amount of engineering has gone into this, it still seems completely half-baked to me. They should have waited another year to release this.
… another beta release, like Siri.
Which means they will make money off something that isn’t really ready.
That’s sad, in that the gold editions are the tackiest ones. I’m sure a lot of self-styled ganstas will love them though.
I don’t know how the 18k gold wouldn’t be several thousand. Just because we’re all use to paying a couple hundred for a phone, gold is gold. Think about how much your Gold rings cost which include 0 technology. And Apple has no incentive to take a loss on it nor do they want to sell lots of the gold watches. They want to sell lots of the regular watches, and that way when people spend a lot of the gold only the elite can afford it which is why people buy expensive watches in the first place.