Apple Launches Magnetic Apple Watch Dock for $79

[iPhone1]

Why?

To me it makes Apple seem like a greedy company that knows people will buy their stuff at pretty much any price. I'm sure that's not how they wish to be perceived but if you are going to charge premium prices a certain amount of criticism is to be expected. And why wait all this time to launch a dock? Apple Watch has been out for 7 months now.

 

[beanbaguk]

To me it makes Apple seem like a greedy company that knows people will buy their stuff at pretty much any price. I'm sure that's not how they wish to be perceived but if you are going to charge premium prices a certain amount of criticism is to be expected. And why wait all this time to launch a dock? Apple Watch has been out for 7 months now.

Because sales for the watch are slumping and they need to bleed every penny they can from the current users before sales dry up altogether.....

 

[maroot]

For that price it should include a power adapter.

And a reach-around!

 

[Narcaz]

Really the accessories are for either the very well to do or for folks who can't be bothered to do a bit of research. If you are sophisticated enough and interested enough in tech to post here, you really should care enough to just go get some nice third party accessories. That is certainly what I do. I'm not spending $40 for an iPhone case.

Definitely true, and i guess at least a few more people like you and me do their homework before purchasing such things. But as others have been pointing out you can't get everything from third parties (e.g. usb c adapters, lightning hdmi, trackpads etc.). So sometimes this research leads nowhere. You either buy it anyway or you don't buy certain Apple products at all. And this is certainly not what they want.

In addition with those recent price increases (imo without any obvious increase in value) this has the potential to severely hurt the brand image. They better don't convice people to consider Apple products (like the base iMac with a 5400rpm drive) to be overpriced and with a lot of hidden costs in accessories. They still have a good reputation and making some really great products, but if they push it too far, i will drop them completely.

 

[sofila]

And why wait all this time to launch a dock? Apple Watch has been out for 7 months now.

Like every small family business, it is better to concentrate on one step at a time.
Emojis took longer than expected, so all other items slipped further in the timeline

 

[geoff5093]

And why wait all this time to launch a dock? Apple Watch has been out for 7 months now.

My guess is to keep the Apple Watch in the news, and get more people interested. Maybe some would see this and think "Oh yeah, I forgot about the Apple Watch, I'll test it out and see if I want one".

 

[ke-iron]

I was wondering why it's so expensive at first but now I see it comes with the 2 meter long cable and built in magnetic charger. The price isn't bad since its included.

 

[doelcm82]

Does it even come with its own wall wort? I just see stand and Lightning cable in the store.

No. If you're deep enough into the Apple ecosystem to be buying this, you have a drawer full of AC Adapters.

No, that's another extra $19 on top.

Unless, like me, you have a drawer full of them and would be glad to put one that you already own to work.

 

[Zmmyt]

I don't think it's too expensive for what it is.

None if the other docks that also function as a stand appealed to me.

If I had an Apple Watch I'd go for this dock.

 

[palmerc]

I understand the Euro price includes VAT, while US prices are always pre-tax.

Prices include 25% VAT to be exact.

 

[tgwaste]

If it were only a charger, yes. But it is also a "stand" and not just one but two types of stands!

You're trolling us right?

$79 is bat-**** crazy for that product.

 

[rdlink]

No thanks. It's ugly, and I can get a better looking, better working nightstand mode dock and a charging cable for $40.

 

[palmerc]

With every day I'm more disgusted by the obvious greed of Apple. When I jumped into Apple ecosystem in 2007, I understood the products are a bit more expensive [than competition], but most likely worth it. But today everything they sell is so obviously and shamelessly overpriced, that it seems the millionaires/billionaires at Apple have lost any connection with reality and turned the brand in some sort of Vertu equivalent.

Yeah, those damn capitalists and their charging people whatever the market will bear.

Kidding aside, can you more succinctly articulate this idea of greed? What makes it greed, exactly? Apple is profitable and paying a large number of people salaries and dividends. Apple doesn't charge for most of their software, updates, iMessage, they don't sell your data to advertisers, and are an advocate of privacy. I think that might justify some premium pricing.

 

[tgwaste]

Yeah, those damn capitalists and their charging people whatever the market will bear.

Kidding aside, can you more succinctly articulate this idea of greed? What makes it greed, exactly? Apple is profitable and paying a large number of people salaries and dividends. Apple doesn't charge for most of their software, updates, iMessage, they don't sell your data to advertisers, and are an advocate of privacy. I think that might justify some premium pricing.

Greed is not giving customers AppleCare+ for free when they buy a $1000 smart phone.

Thats greed.

 

[LordVic]

The moment somebody thinks a cable priced at $29.99 is a steal is when you know you Apple has you by the balls and you've lost all sanity.

Except thankfully we've got a mostly market economy and I'm free to go elsewhere!

I don't think it's too expensive for what it is.

None if the other docks that also function as a stand appealed to me.

If I had an Apple Watch I'd go for this dock.

It's being considered expensive for the technology that it includes and what it actually does. This is a very simple, Wireless (not sure what standard) induction charging cradle, that so happens to have a magnet on on a hinge. There's nothing more to it.

you can get almost any other induction charging pad, some with very avanced features, like lights, multiple standards, magnets and the like for as little as $10. All coming with Wall wart, Cable and charging pads. There's nothing in this device that is particularly proprietary. There's nothing super out of the ordinary here from a technological standpoint.

It probably cost Apple all of $2 / item to make them, likely including R&D (which would be near nothing). So $79.99 price point seems absolutely insane.

 

[palmerc]

With every day I'm more disgusted by the obvious greed of Apple. When I jumped into Apple ecosystem in 2007, I understood the products are a bit more expensive [than competition], but most likely worth it. But today everything they sell is so obviously and shamelessly overpriced, that it seems the millionaires/billionaires at Apple have lost any connection with reality and turned the brand in some sort of Vertu equivalent.

Yeah, those damn capitalists and their charging people whatever the market will bear.

Kidding aside, can you more succinctly articulate this idea of greed? What makes it greed, exactly? Apple is profitable and paying a large number of people salaries and dividends. Apple doesn't charge for most of their software, updates, iMessage, they don't sell your data to advertisers, and are an advocate of privacy. I think that might justify some premium pricing.

 

[The Doctor11]

Holy crap that's expensive for a charger.

Yeah and I thought the wall to USB chargers were too much...

 

[palmerc]

Greed is not giving customers AppleCare+ for free when they buy a $1000 smart phone.

Thats greed.

They don't give things away, they sometimes build zero cost items like software into the price. Applecare+ is optional and for good reason. In many countries, you are afforded certain protections by law.

 

[avanpelt]

I think the flat mode would be perfect for charging an iPhone, assuming the iPhone 7 supports it.

I don't understand the hooplah with wireless charging. I guess people want it just for the novelty of "charging without a wire"?

From a practical standpoint, the only place I would use wireless charging would be on my nightstand; but most of the time when I'm in bed and want to use my phone, it's plugged in since it's at the end of the day and I want the phone to be charging while I'm using it. Can't do that with wireless charging.

 

[MrXiro]

Cool!!

...

$80????!!!!

...

...

No...

 

[BCC16]

Not talking about pricing per se, but what I really meant was that Apple shouldn't get comfortable with its position... we all know the stories of Blackberry, Nokia, Motorola who were all top of the cellular pile at one point or another... not to mention Microsoft of course, who are no longer the giants that they once were. I just meant that you can't be complacent in this industry or take your customers for granted.

Apple products have been pricier than completion for decades and yet it is not stopping a lot of people from buying them. Apple just know how to build products that most people want. The reason, IMO, why the companies mentioned are not the top dogs anymore is that, they don't know how to make a marketable products.

 

[Zmmyt]

You are right, but what about the looks? Didn't come across a dock / stand that looks this nice.

 

[rambo47]

It's pricey, but then what official Apple accessories are not? My biggest peeve is the amount of space it takes up on a nightstand vs. other solutions. The Elevation Labs stand is about the smallest stand I've seen, and it's the one I got.

 

[coreymac784]

https://www.twelvesouth.com/product/forte Like this one for $20 less

 

[chiefsilverback]

I still am a huge fan of the $29 "night stand" charger apple sells. It is small and works perfect.
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/H...2d9f2d15834722b1610394c610599f86df73a347552a2

I'm not, mine has stopped gripping the charging disc and the weight of the watch (42MM stainless with sport strap) pulls it out at night, based on the reviews lots of people have had the same issue and I note now that their product page explicitly excludes the stainless steel with link bracelet!

Also on the price front, if you are looking to buy a 2nd charging cable anyway, $29 + $29 ($39 for 6') is getting close to the $79 Apple is charging for this new stand.

One of the things that appeals to me with this is that it stops the cable dropping of the nightstand. My Elevation stand does the same thing now, and I just attached the charging disc to the back of the watch and lay it on my night stand!