Apple got real cheap with Series 6

[C. Robert]

I know its controversial to talk bad about apple and I hate doing it but it has to be said. Every year apple updates the watch and the price really hasn't changed much. They add new tech a few watch bands and sell it to us but this year its the same price (sure they added more features but they do every year) and thats crazy that the price is the same.

1. The last band was three parts, which means it probably cost way more to produce than the single band they are selling now. Its different and if you swim daily a cool thing but that would have dropped the price a bit. Even the packaging for the watch band is smaller.
2. Took out the charging brick and called it environmentally friendly. They should have environmentally taken $25 off of the price which also lessoned the size of the packaging which also lessons the price of shipping.

 

[Mercenary]

Also the little suade like pouch the watch comes in is now just paper.

apple, stop penny pinching.

 

[deeddawg]

Not really understanding your point...

#1 - you're not prevented from ordering an S6 watch with a three-part Sport Band. I'm rocking Cypress Green with my S6. If you want a Sport Band, configure your S6 order with one.

#2 - look on Alibaba - 5W USB bricks are available for around 60 cents each in bulk, and those companies are making a profit at that price. Thinking Apple's going to discount the watch by $25 for not including a likely under-50cent part is silly.

The relatively few people who simply have no other 5W USB brick can solve their problem for $5 and a stop by any convenience/drug/grocery store. The rest of us with a drawer full of the useless things see it as wasteful to continue to include them.

 

[WitchDoktor]

I think it's a complicated thing. A few thoughts:

-You aren't just paying for hardware, but also paying for support for the foreseeable future. I have a Series 3 GPS Aluminum that I bought at launch which is still being updated and still being supported, for example. Throughout that time Apple needs to pay support people, WatchOS developers, and so on. As Apple does not sell user data for advertising, the tradeoff is that we pay for those expenses as part of the purchase price.

-The products themselves are built about as amazing as I've ever seen. Everything from design to manufacture to presentation is something that's carefully thought out in detail to the nth degree. Even tooling in the facilities is spare-no-expense. Manufacture is the same - Apple laser-polishes the microphone port, a part that no one ever sees but does stand as an example of this kind of thinking. Point here being that if I amortize out the cost of that entry level Series 3 for it's useful life, the per-year cost is going to be pretty darned reasonable. This goes to most of Apple's other products as well...I'm still using an old MacBook Air, iPhones are useful well beyond the so-called Obsolete date, etc.

-A somewhat technical point: there's a difference between the present and future value of money. Something that cost $800 both in 2019 and 2020 can, depending on about two million economic factors, end up with the real price of the 2020 item being lower than 2019.

I'm not one to shy away from criticism of Apple as out of bounds, certainly. In this case I think it's a function of their business model decisions and not ad hoc things like the power brick. I don't think the power brick is a loss-leader at $19, so likely not having it included with the AW wouldn't change the final price all that much.

Again, just some random thoughts. Yeah, maybe $50 seems steep for a sport band, but on the other hand the band that came with that S3 is still looking like new despite it being worn continuously. Beats buying a new band every year to replace a worn out one...

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am not seeing where Apple went cheap with the series 6. You can order any band you want with the watch. The only thing missing is the power brick. And if I needed one, I would have bought one from someone on MR.

 

[johnyyz]

My Ti watch came with a power brick that I promptly tossed in a drawer because I have about 20. Good on Apple for removing them, I wish my watch didn’t come with one.

OP: If you need a power brick let me know and I’ll mail you one free of charge.

 

[BigMcGuire]

But ... my S6 came with a 3 part band? I ordered the XL Sports band and I got 2 bands and one latch band. I got the sports loop (Velcro) and needed to opt for large so I figured I'd do the same with the sports band. Nope, way too big. lol.

Mine had 3 parts (2 bands with holes, and one connecter band).

Most everyone I know, myself and my wife included, have houses littered with chargers and cables we don't need. I can't give these away --- and I've tried. I wouldn't have really cared if I had to buy something because... this last year I've actually picked out some Anker and Insignia power strips that have USB C and USB A ports on them for the very purpose of getting rid of chargers in power ports.

The paper watch holder ... I'm venturing to guess that most people throw that way. I have on my last two watches. :/

You're definitely welcome to your opinion - I don't mean to belittle it at all.


Imo, millions and millions of people - A lot of them have chargers. There is a lot of waste happening.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Also the little suade like pouch the watch comes in is now just paper.

apple, stop penny pinching.

You can't be serious. You touch that pouch for all of what? 3 seconds? What's the point of wasting money on fabric?

 

[edhchoe]

As AAPL shareholder, i like all the penny pinching apple is doing.
Buy aapl and be happy.

 

[Vance9991]

I can see where you're coming from especially with the pouch. I buy a new AW every year and when I opened my box for the Titanium this year I was a little let down when it was made of paper. I know it has nothing to do with the daily function of the watch but part of the fun for some Apple users is the unboxing experience no matter how minor.

 

[jz0309]

I respect your opinion but I see it differently, finally apple is treating the watch as what it is: a disposable smartwatch and packages it like it should. I have enough little power bricks and don't need anymore, of course YMMV.
I do agree with you (indirectly) that Apple's watch bands are way overpriced, but compared to the couple non-apple ones I have, they're much better quality

 

[canyonblue737]

I know its controversial to talk bad about apple and I hate doing it but it has to be said. Every year apple updates the watch and the price really hasn't changed much. They add new tech a few watch bands and sell it to us but this year its the same price (sure they added more features but they do every year) and thats crazy that the price is the same.

1. The last band was three parts, which means it probably cost way more to produce than the single band they are selling now. Its different and if you swim daily a cool thing but that would have dropped the price a bit. Even the packaging for the watch band is smaller.
2. Took out the charging brick and called it environmentally friendly. They should have environmentally taken $25 off of the price which also lessoned the size of the packaging which also lessons the price of shipping.

1. well that isn't valid because you can continue to get your "3 part band" with a watch purchase for the same price.
2. the adapter likely was a real cost to them of $1-5 so that is what they should have reduced it by, not $25, clearly they are either pocketing that as extra profit or they invested the $1-5 into a more expensive sensor package in the back that does blood O2 etc. ... either way, it's the way of technology and at this point even though I'm fairly cynical there probably is a logic to not supplying endless little charging bricks we all already have 10 times over.

i get what you mean overall, but these are the targets worth fighting about.

 

[44267547]

The only thing that I personally was thought was really unique to the watch experience was when Apple used the ‘hard plastic’ outer shell boxes for the Apple Watch (Originally for the sport and stainless in 2015), and then they changed that making that exclusive to the ceramic Model at one point. Those plastic boxes were actually selling for quite a bit on eBay at one point.

As for not including the ‘felt pouch’, Penny-pinching is not appropriate example, when we don’t know if Apple maybe had supply issues with the manufacture for providing those or any other use cases.

 

[movieator]

The power brick thing I'll give you. Maybe. Granted, I have a drawer full of them, so maybe this only affects those who are first time purchasers. However, I'm not understanding the band thing. My watch came with a three part band because I configured my style that way with the sport band that comes in three parts.

I can take a picture if you'd like.

 

[movieator]

You can't be serious. You touch that pouch for all of what? 3 seconds? What's the point of wasting money on fabric?

I accidentally ripped my pouch a little when I took out the watch. Just a corner, but still.

Gutted. I'll never be the same.

 

[wilberforce]

You can't be serious. You touch that pouch for all of what? 3 seconds? What's the point of wasting money on fabric?

I dunno. Part of the Apple experience. Pretty soon it will be in welded plastic clamshell blister packaging

 

[kristiguin]

You can't be serious. You touch that pouch for all of what? 3 seconds? What's the point of wasting money on fabric?

Also, that must have been a new feature at some point. My 3 Ceramic Edition did not come with a fabric pouch!

 

[44267547]

Also, that must have been a new feature at some point. My 3 Ceramic Edition did not come with a fabric pouch!

The ‘felt like pouch’ fabric you’re referring to, didn’t start until the Series 4 with the stainless model and transitioned from that point forward.

 

[matrix07]

I think it's a complicated thing. A few thoughts:

-You aren't just paying for hardware, but also paying for support for the foreseeable future. I have a Series 3 GPS Aluminum that I bought at launch which is still being updated and still being supported, for example. Throughout that time Apple needs to pay support people, WatchOS developers, and so on. As Apple does not sell user data for advertising, the tradeoff is that we pay for those expenses as part of the purchase price.

-The products themselves are built about as amazing as I've ever seen. Everything from design to manufacture to presentation is something that's carefully thought out in detail to the nth degree. Even tooling in the facilities is spare-no-expense. Manufacture is the same - Apple laser-polishes the microphone port, a part that no one ever sees but does stand as an example of this kind of thinking. Point here being that if I amortize out the cost of that entry level Series 3 for it's useful life, the per-year cost is going to be pretty darned reasonable. This goes to most of Apple's other products as well...I'm still using an old MacBook Air, iPhones are useful well beyond the so-called Obsolete date, etc.

-A somewhat technical point: there's a difference between the present and future value of money. Something that cost $800 both in 2019 and 2020 can, depending on about two million economic factors, end up with the real price of the 2020 item being lower than 2019.

I'm not one to shy away from criticism of Apple as out of bounds, certainly. In this case I think it's a function of their business model decisions and not ad hoc things like the power brick. I don't think the power brick is a loss-leader at $19, so likely not having it included with the AW wouldn't change the final price all that much.

Again, just some random thoughts. Yeah, maybe $50 seems steep for a sport band, but on the other hand the band that came with that S3 is still looking like new despite it being worn continuously. Beats buying a new band every year to replace a worn out one...

Also, when you buy Apple’s you also buy into their supports, which is top notch. When my S5 had problem with cellular after 8 months of use and my carrier coudn’t solve it I told my carrier support that Apple would give me a new one. He didn’t believe it. A week later I show him my new S5 when I had him set cellular up for me. He’s very surprised. Needs to say there was no question asked from Apple. When they saw it’s not working, here the new one.

 

[Techmaestro]

You feel their penny-pinching now?! Wait until they announce the iPhone 12 series. The first thing that comes to mind is that the non-"pro" models are supposedly shipping with 64 GB, I don't need to tell this group how ridiculous that is...right!? and not to mention the potential lack of a 120 Hz screen.

Look, like all of you I'm in the Apple ecosystem but it does feel like Apple is marching in place when it comes to advancements. Whatever you do I strongly recommend you do not look at Android flagships! For instance I saw a review for a model that came with a 120 watt (environmentally unfriendly ) charger that could charge your phone from 0-100 in less than 30 minutes and has a 120 hz screen and costs $865.

 

[matrix07]

You feel their penny-pinching now?! Wait until they announce the iPhone 12 series. The first thing that comes to mind is that the non-"pro" models are supposedly shipping with 64 GB, I don't need to tell this group how ridiculous that is...right!? and not to mention the potential lack of a 120 Hz screen.

Look, like all of you I'm in the Apple ecosystem but it does feel like Apple is marching in place when it comes to advancements. Whatever you do I strongly recommend you do not look at Android flagships! For instance I saw a review for a model that came with a 120 watt (environmentally unfriendly ) charger that could charge your phone from 0-100 in less than 30 minutes and has a 120 hz screen and costs $865.

My girlfriend used to had high end Android phones and she had to replace her phones every 2/3 years because some problems, both software and hardware, just accumulated until she couldn’t tolerate it.
I’m now have iPhone X for 3 years and it still feels like a new phone.

 

[deeddawg]

.

The first thing that comes to mind is that the non-"pro" models are supposedly shipping with 64 GB, I don't need to tell this group how ridiculous that is...right!?

Why would that be ridiculous? What benefit would I get from having a bunch more unused phone storage?

and not to mention the potential lack of a 120 Hz screen.

... also kinda unclear on just exactly what real world benefit that's supposed to provide to folks who aren't into action games?

120 watt (environmentally unfriendly ) charger that could charge your phone from 0-100 in less than 30 minutes

Hello early battery replacement!

 

[techno-Zen]

If you care about any of those things.. I have 4-5 power bricks with factory paper still on them

 

[Bazooka-joe]

The paper pouch is certainly disposable and to be discarded once you remove your watch from it. Its not designed to be used again but then does that matter? I did keep the felt pouch from my S5 but its locked away gathering dust. I agree that Apple packaging has significantly reduced ever since the days of the S0 but despite rising prices of components, Apple have kept price rises to a minimum. I would gladly trade in a plastic box for cardboard, a felt pad for cardboard and lose the charger if Apple can keep the prices the same year on year. Lets face it, with the Apple watches, we are getting faster and better products with more functionality every year for a minimum or zero price rise.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

You feel their penny-pinching now?! Wait until they announce the iPhone 12 series. The first thing that comes to mind is that the non-"pro" models are supposedly shipping with 64 GB, I don't need to tell this group how ridiculous that is...right!? and not to mention the potential lack of a 120 Hz screen.

Look, like all of you I'm in the Apple ecosystem but it does feel like Apple is marching in place when it comes to advancements. Whatever you do I strongly recommend you do not look at Android flagships! For instance I saw a review for a model that came with a 120 watt (environmentally unfriendly ) charger that could charge your phone from 0-100 in less than 30 minutes and has a 120 hz screen and costs $865.

I'll take your advice and not look at Android phones. They always look nice and tempt me into buying which ends up costing me a lot of money because Android is so frustrating and their resale value is **** when I try to sell to go back to iOS.