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So that's why at launch, both were only sold at exclusive luxury fashion boutiques, where they continue to be sold? I'm sure Maxfield and Colette are thrilled to be selling the same thing you can buy at Target for $50 off when you buy an iPhone, something those stores don't also sell.



There's a lot of revisionist history going on here. The iPod was in decline the moment the iPhone was released. And it was selling so well Apple gave it away with a MaBook? Theres virtually no market for the iPod now, yet Apple just released a bran new iPod Touch with the latest technology, to a dwindling market segment. Why? And if they would do that for a product that's selling to a limited audience, then why wouldn't they do the same thing with the Watch.

Oh come on. Kohls sells Vera Wang. There was no way that Apple was going to keep the Watch exclusive to high end boutiques, particularly the Sport.

The Hermès is an exclusive and I expect to see similar collaborations in the future. Apple needs to sell products by the millions. So it was never going to be exclusive forever. They had a limited rollout in early 2015 so keeping it exclusive at launch made sense. Heck, they couldn't even supply their own retail network at the start.

Colette, Maxfield, and Selfridge's don't need to sell Apple Watches. They were happy to lend their prestige to the launch because Apple wanted the publicity and was willing to pay for the shelf space. There was no doubt in my mind at all that by the time the holiday season came along the Watch would be available for purchase everywhere.
 
Steve Jobs...

"There is always someone who bought a product before a particular cutoff date and misses the new price or the new operating system or the new whatever," Jobs said today. "This is life in the technology lane."

But he tacitly acknowledged that Apple had stumbled. "We need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price," Jobs said in the letter. "Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these."

Gee -- last I checked the iPhone 6/6 plus sold over a QUARTER BILLION UNITS in fiscal 2015. What a disaster!

Yeah, that's great. Lovely. Have a nice day :)

You too
 
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Annnnd here come the haters. "Oh! This proves it. The Apple Watch is a flop. I knew it! Blah, blah, blah...."

I have to say...I think the Apple Watch is a flop as far as comparisons to the iPod and iPhone and iPad and Mac product lines and the *hundreds* of millions of people who own those Apple products created in the last 7+ years. I'm sure Apple sold a few million Watches since there are a few million Apple fanatics these days who will buy anything Apple sells....but I know quite a few people who returned their Watch.

I looked at the Watch when it first came out...I thought it LOOKED kind of neat and somewhat stylish to me...but price-wise it was far too high ($349 base model)...feature-wise (as billed as some kind of smart watch) was very lacking....battery life is a joke...tied to my iPhone was bad, too. Maybe Revision 3 will make it far more appealing. If I want a *watch*, I can find a ton under $250 that are incredibly stylish and offer a few extra features if I wish to have them. If I want some kind of smart thingy, I have tons of smartphone options, great iPod choices, and even fitness-type watches (that do more than just fitness and tell time such as tell you when your phone is ringing or if you got a text or other alert).

That's me...my opinion. I did like the look of the Apple Watch but after asking a few basic questions found it to be far too immature. Apple's on Watch OS2 less than 5 months of release so that's kind of bad news in my eyes...why would a product they worked on for years, announced and then forced the public to wait 6+ months, release an OS2 so soon?...the reason, in my eyes, is partially bug fixes but moreover I think OS2 has stuff the consumers actually want(ed)...I think OS1 was probably barebones and left people upset at what their shiny new $349 Watch (more expensive than an iPhone or Touch) actually could do.

Again...I'll see how Rev3 looks...I'm sure Rev2 will be more of a transitional piece. Buttttttt....maybe this is a chance to buy a few of these, never open them, then sell them years from now as collectors items. Seriously.
 
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Not disagreeing with you. What it was hailed to be and what it is are two different things.
Hailed as an iPhone equal in profit. Is a decent portion of the Other profit column.
Find me one article or Apple claim that it would be equal to the iPhone in profit.

Things like the iPhone happen once in a generation. That product completely transformed Apple and came 10 years after Steve Jobs' return. Expecting Tim Cook to replicate it in 4 years was unrealistic. That said, under Tim Cook Apple's revenues have tripled and will soon exceed the entire revenue during both of Steve Jobs' tenures as CEO.

Apple Watch is a good product and a good long term investment for the company. Wearables may eventually replace phones and it's better for Apple to be in this space than on the outside looking in. They outsell every other wearable and are learning valuable lessons in the meantime.

I looked at the Watch when it first came out...I thought it LOOKED kind of neat and somewhat stylish to me...but price-wise it was far too high ($349 base model)...feature-wise (as billed as some kind of smart watch) was very lacking....battery life is a joke...tied to my iPhone was bad, too. Maybe Revision 3 will make it far more appealing. If I want a *watch*, I can find a ton under $250 that are incredibly stylish and offer a few extra features if I wish to have them. If I want some kind of smart thingy, I have tons of smartphone options, great iPod choices, and even fitness-type watches (that do more than just fitness and tell time such as tell you when your phone is ringing or if you got a text or other alert).

That's me...my opinion. I did like the look of the Apple Watch but after asking a few basic questions found it to be far too immature. Apple's on Watch OS2 less than 5 months of release so that's kind of bad news in my eyes...why would a product they worked on for years, announced and then forced the public to wait 6+ months, release an OS2 so soon?...the reason, in my eyes, is partially bug fixes but moreover I think OS2 has stuff the consumers actually want(ed)...I think OS1 was probably barebones and left people upset at what their shiny new $349 Watch (more expensive than an iPhone or Touch) actually could do.

Again...I'll see how Rev3 looks...I'm sure Rev2 will be more of a transitional piece.

Maybe it's a generational thing, but I spent $500 on a Movado Quartz watch with a $12 movement that tells time as well as a $20 Timex. $349 is not too expensive at all. When I was in line to buy my Hermès the 50ish woman in front of me was trying to decide whether or not to treat herself to a Rose Gray Leather Edition. She'd have walked out with 2 Hermès Double Tours for her friends if they had them in stock.

There is plenty of room for everyone in the Apple Watch range. $350 for an entry level, $550 for the masses, $1100 for a premium limited edition product like the Hermès and $10k plus for the luxury Edition is no different from anything else in the fashion industry.

Glad your happy. Should have waited till you upgraded your phone. Could have saved $50. ;)
Well I bought an Hermès so I guess it doesn't matter. :D
 
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Oh come on. Kohls sells Vera Wang. There was no way that Apple was going to keep the Watch exclusive to high end boutiques, particularly the Sport.

The Hermès is an exclusive and I expect to see similar collaborations in the future. Apple needs to sell products by the millions. So it was never going to be exclusive forever. They had a limited rollout in early 2015 so keeping it exclusive at launch made sense. Heck, they couldn't even supply their own retail network at the start.

Colette, Maxfield, and Selfridge's don't need to sell Apple Watches. They were happy to lend their prestige to the launch because Apple wanted the publicity and was willing to pay for the shelf space. There was no doubt in my mind at all that by the time the holiday season came along the Watch would be available for purchase everywhere.
Kohls and Vera wang are not the same thing as the Watch and Target.

A customer buying an Watch at any of those High end stores, all the way down to Best Buy and TMobile are going to get a better customer experience than at Target, a retailer they don't actually need, as it tends to duplicate the other outlets in the same markets. And now they are discounting them too with the purchase of an iPhone. You can spin this any way you want, but just like the original iPhone, the watch is not selling as well as Apple hoped, so they are pulling out the stops. I don't believe Target was ever part of the distribution plan, especially considering how Apple positioned the watch, the most personal product they've ever made, at its own stores following the launch. Hermes was a project set in motion well over a year ago, when Apple was giving away solid gold link watches to Karl Lagerfeld. And now they're discounting them at target. Since neither of us are likely ever to get the proof well need to confirm either of our positions, we might as well not escalate this. But, the watch has definitely fallen from Apple's original positioning since the launch. Of course Apple has to sell millions of them, and I always expected it to be sold much more widely than the boutiques, but Target never crossed my mind as a possibility. Heck I'd even take Khols over Target, at least you'd get a good customer experience there. And I wasn't alone. Where's Macy's or Nordstrom? Where's the mom and pop, or even chain jewelry stores? How is the most personal device Apple ever made being sold any differently than any other product which demo units are left to languish in unattended isles at Target? Nah, Apple never intended to sell this at Target, they don't even take Pay (so clearly they needed them to carry the watch more than they needed them to accept Pay)! They may not have even intended to sell it at Best Buy, but that one makes slightly more sense.
 
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I think it's fair to say the Apple Watch hasn't been the massive success Apple had hoped. And if it was selling like hotcakes such a promotion would not be unnecessary.
 
I actually really like the Apple Watch. I just think it's priced $100 too much.

I use it quite a bit for Apple Pay, Siri, and health features.
 
Indeed.

That would make it a stocking filler. I think the problem is that most people simply don't have a problem with getting notifications on their iPhones, and health and fitness only attracts a very small audience.

As others have said, I am skeptical that wearables will ever take off. It's not really attractive having a cold, hard mechanical object chained around you the whole time.

Not really attractive to who? I've seen many women who looked quite attractive with 'a cold, hard mechanical object chained around' them.
 
I think it's fair to say the Apple Watch hasn't been the massive success Apple had hoped. And if it was selling like hotcakes such a promotion would not be unnecessary.
Perhaps, but-
a) It is not a wide scale promotion, but for some reason a very limited promotion at select stores (market research?) and
b) It is not a watch sale. You -need- to buy an iPhone as well. Hmmmm, anyone consider that maybe iPhones not selling as well as they would like and they need the watch to sweeten the deal??
Regardless, the watch is not worth a whole lot without an iPhone. The more you use your iPhone the more you'll appreciate the watch. Bundling the two together and offering a discount is natural marketing IMHO. They sell two sister units, the user gets a price break for 'bulk' purchasing...

Sounds like a normal day at the market to me. Why is everyone taking this to places it doesn't need to be???
 
This. I was worried I'd get the watch and find I don't use it enough. But it's actually the opposite that happened, I got the watch and I'm using it for things I didn't even think I'd use it for. I can see the argument that it's not for everyone, but I don't get the hate for it. If you don't like it and think it would be useless to you... Don't get one. But don't try to diminish the opinions of others who have and use one, and enjoy it. I mean the Mac Pro isn't for me, and likely doesn't sell as well as other macs, but I'm not going to tell everyone that's buying one that it's a useless and overpriced product.

With all that being said the Apple Watch could stand to be a lot cheaper. Personally, I'm finding mine very useful and I don't really want to go back to not wearing one. It adds a layer of convenience in so many different ways it's hard to even explain. It's just there and it does things quicker/easier than the phone, or things I wouldn't even have bothered to do on my phone at all.

I'm glad Apple is doing discounts of any form on any scale. Discounts are always welcome in my opinion.
I share your views on the watch - For me, there was enough things the watch could do I was pretty comfortable buying it, but since using it I have found extra bonuses.

I too can, accept we all have different interests and needs, and some people might not find value in some of the things I find of value. I suspect most that spew hate have an agenda and just using any opportunity to espouse negativity. If that's not it, I am at a loss to understand why they would waste there time and energy posting on the forums as they do.

I understand what you mean about it being hard to explain the convenience the watch offers. I appreciate all the cumulative things the watch provides that make things easier to get things done. Sometimes they are small things, but other times they have more significance. There was one time I was working in the attic, without my phone, draped across the ceiling joist when a call I had been waiting 3 hours came in. I know the caller couldn't know, but was surprised they waited ;) until I had just wiggled my way into the tight space where the rafters and the joists come together. I'm not even sure I would have been able to reach the phone if I had brought it with me, but the watch was easy to use.
 
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I would like to get an Apple Watch but I'm trying to hold out for 2nd gen.
 
Call me when I don't have to charge my WATCH every night..

I left you a voice mail. :)

My Apple Watch consistently has 50% power or more when I take it off after 15 hours of use. Apple really underestimated the battery life. I'm pretty confident that Version 2 will last 2 days easily.

I think it's fair to say the Apple Watch hasn't been the massive success Apple had hoped. And if it was selling like hotcakes such a promotion would not be unnecessary.
But it isn't a nationwide promotion. My guess is that Apple is hoping to up sell a lot to iPhone buyers, particularly as we head into the Christmas shopping season.

Kohls and Vera wang are not the same thing as the Watch and Target.

A customer buying an Watch at any of those High end stores, all the way down to Best Buy and TMobile are going to get a better customer experience than at Target, a retailer they don't actually need, as it tends to duplicate the other outlets in the same markets. And now they are discounting them too with the purchase of an iPhone. You can spin this any way you want, but just like the original iPhone, the watch is not selling as well as Apple hoped, so they are pulling out the stops. I don't believe Target was ever part of the distribution plan, especially considering how Apple positioned the watch, the most personal product they've ever made, at its own stores following the launch. Hermes was a project set in motion well over a year ago, when Apple was giving away solid gold link watches to Karl Lagerfeld. And now they're discounting them at target. Since neither of us are likely ever to get the proof well need to confirm either of our positions, we might as well not escalate this. But, the watch has definitely fallen from Apple's original positioning since the launch. Of course Apple has to sell millions of them, and I always expected it to be sold much more widely than the boutiques, but Target never crossed my mind as a possibility. Heck I'd even take Khols over Target, at least you'd get a good customer experience there. And I wasn't alone. Where's Macy's or Nordstrom? Where's the mom and pop, or even chain jewelry stores? How is the most personal device Apple ever made being sold any differently than any other product which demo units are left to languish in unattended isles at Target? Nah, Apple never intended to sell this at Target, they don't even take Pay (so clearly they needed them to carry the watch more than they needed them to accept Pay)! They may not have even intended to sell it at Best Buy, but that one makes slightly more sense.

Target and Best Buy are long time Apple resellers. I agree is a bit surprising that Apple hasn't landed deals with Macy's and Nordstrom, but they did launch the Hermès, and they seem to be selling well there so there is some demand at the upper end of the market.

I don't really call a targeted $50 bundle discount "pulling all the stops." The iPhone 6s launch would have been the perfect opportunity to do a broad price drop if that's what Apple wanted to do to boost Apple Watch sales. (I can hear Tim Cook saying "We want to get Apple Watch onto as many wrists as we can this fall, so we are announcing a new starting price of $299, plus an additional $50 off if you buy it with an iPhone. [Applause]"). Given that it is probably halfway through its cycle, the modest bundle discount that Target is offering and Apple is testing seems reasonable.

Viewed simply as an accessory, Apple Watch seems to have more than offset the decline in the iPod. Plus it is Version 1. Whether it is the iPod, iPhone, MacBook Air, or iPad, consumers realize that Version 1 is often a proof of concept and that Apple often hits it out of the park with Version 2. The biggest complaints about the Watch seem to be that Glances are slow to update and the battery ought to be able to last two days. A switch to a 14nm or even a 21nm processor running at a faster speed ought to take care of both. I think that is likely with next year's release.
 
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Well, the watch needing the iPhone to function is most probably why they are being promoted as a combination ;)

It's simply a way to get a few customers who are buying a phone anyway to spend more.

obviously but to me its far too expensive to be classified as some kind of accessory (obviously you didnt use that word) and its capabilities by itself are extremely limited and what it offers iphone users isnt that much as well.

its a strange one to me.
 
Hate to say it, but this is an easy way for Apple to move their stock of Apple Watches; they're clearly not selling.

It was a nice idea to see if Apple could make a success of wearables; they could hardly know that it was going to become Newton 2.0.

Regardless of its failure, I'm glad that it has brought so much joy to many here at MacRumors; long may they enjoy their Apple Watches.

If it was selling well, they wouldn't be giving discounts. Apple has always (in recent history, in particular) been about creating desire to sell products at the price they set and people coming in droves.
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if the number of watches sold to now is far, far less than a million. I travel extensively, see hundreds of people every day, and the number of wrist apples I've seen so far is two. TWO.

Even if they sold 3 million in the US, I should see one wrist apple for every one hundred people I see. And I have been looking. They're just not out there.

$100.

That's where they'll sell as an amusement for lots of people. Right now there is just no compelling reason to have one at such a high price because it requires a phone tethered, and "why bother" is the thought that I and most people have had.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if the number of watches sold to now is far, far less than a million. I travel extensively, see hundreds of people every day, and the number of wrist apples I've seen so far is two. TWO.

Even if they sold 3 million in the US, I should see one wrist apple for every one hundred people I see. And I have been looking. They're just not out there.

$100.

That's where they'll sell as an amusement for lots of people. Right now there is just no compelling reason to have one at such a high price because it requires a phone tethered, and "why bother" is the thought that I and most people have had.

Although I don't think the Apple Watch has sold very well either, one reason for not seeing them is that the people who bought them aren't wearing it. Only two of my friends bought the watch and neither wear it at all now, it just sits in a drawer in their houses.
 
I wish my iPhone had a battery life that came remotely close to the Apple Watch. End of 16+ hour day my Apple Watch is seldom less than 60%; my phone never makes it through the day. Apple Watch takes less than an hour to fully charge; iPhone, more.

So what else you have? Any real arguments?

Why are you getting defensive - "what else do you have".

To answer you defensive question ( maybe you've got buyers remorse? ):
My personal preference - a watch who's battery doesn't last for more than 5 days is pretty pathetic.

Have you actually used one?

In store - sure - they appear vey nice - well built, good display - but ultimately poor battery life is an absolute show stopper, for me.
 
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In store - sure - they appear vey nice - but poor battery life is a absolute show stopper, for me.
But I mean have you actually owned one and used it for a week, two weeks?

I say that because otherwise it's impossible to pass judgement on the battery life.

If you look at the Apple Watch forum, and people who've reviewed it, almost nobody is complaining about the battery life. You can charge it overnight and it will very easily last a day.

(Of course, if you're comparing to a normal watch, then yes, the battery life is worse. But that's not really a like for like comparison.)
 
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Why is everyone taking this to places it doesn't need to be???[/QUOTE

Simple. People want to be justified in their opinions about the  Watch. They see it as a sign when items are discounted then it clearly means it's not selling well.

But I like your point that Apple is selling both the iPhone & Watch whereas I think it would add fuel to the people who are heavily against the Watch if they discounted only the Watch.
 
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