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Apple PR could be inflating price figure for PR reasons

A

aohus

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 4, 2010
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sky
Reasoning is from the first iPad, a new product category, where they had the media assume it would be $1000, only to exceed expectations by halving the price to $499.

I think the same is going on for the Apple Watch. None of these will include the band.

Cheapest band will cost $79.

Apple Watch Sports Edition: $249

Apple Watch Stainless Steel: $349

Apple Watch Gold Edition: $999

The watch is for existing iPhone users. If they can pleasantly surprise their base these watches will fly off the shelves.
 
The Apple Watch is a totally different thing. Jewelry is something you show off, so it "has to be" expensive. The iPad, not so much, as it fills a need.
 
Apple loves to say "and its ONLY $$$". I'd be shocked to see them show rip of prices (high figures shown in this forum) with a straight face.
 
skyhawkmatthew said:
The gold alone for the Edition costs $1500...
Click to expand...

From what I read the gold alone is supposed to cost ~$1300

Either way Apple PR is definitely pulling our chain, especially with Gruber pushing the story of the Gold edition to cost $20k.

It's all a media push imo to set the pricing very high until March 9 when Tim cooks out announcing the pricing of the watches to be lower than what many expect.
 
aohus said:
Reasoning is from the first iPad, a new product category, where they had the media assume it would be $1000, only to exceed expectations by halving the price to $499.

I think the same is going on for the Apple Watch. None of these will include the band.

Cheapest band will cost $79.

Apple Watch Sports Edition: $249

Apple Watch Stainless Steel: $349

Apple Watch Gold Edition: $999

The watch is for existing iPhone users. If they can pleasantly surprise their base these watches will fly off the shelves.
Click to expand...

They have already announced they will start at $349

If you really believe these numbers, you are in for a massive shock on Monday.
 
aohus said:
From what I read the gold alone is supposed to cost ~$1300

Either way Apple PR is definitely pulling our chain, especially with Gruber pushing the story of the Gold edition to cost $20k.

It's all a media push imo to set the pricing very high until March 9 when Tim cooks out announcing the pricing of the watches to be lower than what many expect.
Click to expand...

Gruber says no. But I hope he's wrong.

http://daringfireball.net/linked/2015/02/23/ipad-apple-watch

Apple needs to price the SS at a point where they can upsell people. If it's starting price is $300-$400 more than the aluminum most people will just buy the aluminum model.
 
Rogifan said:
Gruber says no. But I hope he's wrong.

http://daringfireball.net/linked/2015/02/23/ipad-apple-watch

Apple needs to price the SS at a point where they can upsell people. If it's starting price is $300-$400 more than the aluminum most people will just buy the aluminum model.
Click to expand...

I agree, and I also see this for Gold too.

Going to Apple store with your lady.

Does not want the sports watch.

Tried on the Steel one. Well it's nice and I like the straps, nice fine link, but the chrome look, Does not look very nice against my skin or match my other items I wear.

So how much is this steel one?

It's $599 madam.

Oh the gold one looks nice, may I try that? Oh yes, I prefer the colour of that, and if it's a little more, it will be worth it. So how much?

It's $10,000 madam!

:D
 
How did Apple PR get into this? Apple hasn't advanced any pricing information other than to say it starts at $349. That's with a band. And Apple never led any tech or other pundits to believe the iPad would be $1000. That was all the day dreaming from the pundits.

But the watch is different because Apple has given us an official start price, so it's just a matter of filling in the blanks with the other levels based on commodity prices and the profit margins Apple sets for its h/w products (30-50%)

I think your prices represent wishful thinking. Your price for the Edition watch is way off just based on the price of 18K gold. Apple would be LOSING money based on your price.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
How did Apple PR get into this? Apple hasn't advanced any pricing information other than to say it starts at $349. That's with a band. And Apple never led any tech or other pundits to believe the iPad would be $1000. That was all the day dreaming from the pundits.

But the watch is different because Apple has given us an official start price, so it's just a matter of filling in the blanks with the other levels based on commodity prices and the profit margins Apple sets for its h/w products (30-50%)

I think your prices represent wishful thinking. Your price for the Edition watch is way off just based on the price of 18K gold. Apple would be LOSING money based on your price.
Click to expand...

I would say the price of the Edition all hangs on just Apple's exact meaning of this sentence on their web page:

"Each has a watch case crafted from 18-carat gold"

In all honestly, this could mean almost anything, and the price/value of the gold will swing many many $100's in either direction based upon what this sentence actually means in reality.

We are all guessing, using some logic, and past knowledge to try and work our what this means, but until Monday we just don't know.
 
Piggie said:
I would say the price of the Edition all hangs on just Apple's exact meaning of this sentence on their web page:

"Each has a watch case crafted from 18-carat gold"

In all honestly, this could mean almost anything, and the price/value of the gold will swing many many $100's in either direction based upon what this sentence actually means in reality.

We are all guessing, using some logic, and past knowledge to try and work our what this means, but until Monday we just don't know.
Click to expand...

I don't follow. Crafted from 18K gold means just that. It will take about an .oz to make the case. An .oz of 18K gold is about $900 right now. Add band, price of the electronics, add 40-50% margin and there you are. So a $1K Apple Edition isn't happing.

We've had this conversation before I believe the watch is advertised as 18K gold, not 18K gold plate or 18K gold filled. The U.S. as with most countries, have very strict marketing labeling requirement for precious metals. A company cannot advertise 18K gold when the product is merely plated with 18K gold. 18K gold is a gold alloy containing 75% pure gold. Period. End of conversation.
 
Everyone has had since September to put money aside...but no one knows how much.
I think that this debate has got to be the most rampant one, even if they didn't plant the numbers...

I do, however, hope their pr department IS inflating the price pre-announcement.
Guess we'll have to wait and see.
 
aohus said:
they had the media assume it would be $1000
Click to expand...

Worst unsubstantiated bs claim of the day??

It always makes me chuckle, then shake my head when people come out with these idiotic theories like "Apple PURPOSEFULLY reducing own supply of a part to mess up shipping times", or "Apple trying to post fake rumors exaggerating own product cost".
It is so, the OPPOSITE of doing business & making money... would be outlandishly difficult, would be traced back, etc...
Trust me people, these silly crackpot theories are NOT true!!! They read like a treatise on how the Moon landing was faked.... just stop. It is embarrassing to yourself & everyone that reads it.
 
T'hain Esh Kelch said:
The Apple Watch is a totally different thing. Jewelry is something you show off, so it "has to be" expensive. The iPad, not so much, as it fills a need.
Click to expand...

Correction, it is not just Jewelry. Apple is trying to push Tech as Fashion, not just saying its Jewelry. It fills a need, that is what apple is pushing. Not saying we will see an Apple Watch Edition at $999 dollars, but I think everyone is overpricing the Stainless Steel and Edition.

Apple Watch will definitely be sold in the collections that Apple has indicated. The Sport will start at $349, Apple Watch will start around $500. Edition will be atleast $2000 and up, there will be an up-charge for a bigger size, probably around $50, definitely not $100. Bands will also be sold separately, Sports band around $29, leather buckle - $79, milanese loop close to $99 bucks, leather loop - $99, modern leather buckle $119, Link - $149. Edition bracelets might not be purchased separately, only as replacement. All watches will come with a set amount of storage, probably 8GB. All bands will be swappable.
 
FrankySavvy said:
Edition bracelets might not be purchased separately, only as replacement. .
Click to expand...

This is what I don't understand regarding not being able to buy edition bands.

If you say, swap it for a Sport Band, and lose your edition band, do you then not have a band?

Doesn't seem very fair. I doubt they'll do that.
 
Piggie said:
I would say the price of the Edition all hangs on just Apple's exact meaning of this sentence on their web page:

"Each has a watch case crafted from 18-carat gold"

In all honestly, this could mean almost anything, and the price/value of the gold will swing many many $100's in either direction based upon what this sentence actually means in reality.

We are all guessing, using some logic, and past knowledge to try and work our what this means, but until Monday we just don't know.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what you think the sentence means. What's important is "18-KARAT GOLD" stamped on the watch case, which must follow a very precise definition regarding what the case is constructed of.

----------
TheDeviceUser said:
This is what I don't understand regarding not being able to buy edition bands.

If you say, swap it for a Sport Band, and lose your edition band, do you then not have a band?

Doesn't seem very fair. I doubt they'll do that.
Click to expand...

They can make them available only to Edition owners as replacements. Car manufacturers also do this with certain models where you can buy model-specific rims only as a replacement (by requiring the VIN), but not individually as a second set for another model.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
It doesn't matter what you think the sentence means. What's important is "18-KARAT GOLD" stamped on the watch case, which must follow a very precise definition regarding what the case is constructed of.
.
Click to expand...


Yes, it means what it says. The case is made from that material.

It does not say anything about the wall thickness or internal structure of the case though, only that's it's gold.

We know it's all machined away inside to take the main parts of the watch, Screen, Chip, Battery Sensors, together with, perhaps whatever those items are fixed within, within the watch.

Earlier pictures show there is some other material in there between the case and the electronics, so it still leaves over the question of how thick the gold is, which is the overriding factor when it comes to pricing.

I'm looking forward to seeing how right or wrong we are when we see this in cross section, and taken apart.
 
Piggie said:
Yes, it means what it says. The case is made from that material.

It does not say anything about the wall thickness or internal structure of the case though, only that's it's gold.

We know it's all machined away inside to take the main parts of the watch, Screen, Chip, Battery Sensors, together with, perhaps whatever those items are fixed within, within the watch.

Earlier pictures show there is some other material in there between the case and the electronics, so it still leaves over the question of how thick the gold is, which is the overriding factor when it comes to pricing.

I'm looking forward to seeing how right or wrong we are when we see this in cross section, and taken apart.
Click to expand...

You've already shown that just 1mm is a predicted $1200 worth of gold. Can't be any cheaper than that and Apple by law cannot substitute with any other metal if they are to make it even thinner.
 
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