Apple Rumored to Offer Personal Engravings on Apple Watch

[koruki]

Many people think this will happen, but it won't. Not because Apple "never does anything differently" as the comment above mine suggests sarcastically, but because it makes zero sense from a business perspective.

Apple will focus on getting people to purchase their new watches with the newest features, not limiting their future design flexibility nor wasting money and Apple Store resources for an "internal swap" program just to keep old watches in circulation for as long as possible. Apple has too much to gain from getting everyone to have the latest product.

Yes Apple is a business but lets take a fair perspective here. How many watches in the market even let you upgrade? How many smart phones on the market ever let you upgrade? Now considering this is a watch/smartphone device, wouldn't it make any less sense to upgrade. If Apple wanted to be silly they could offer upgrades that cost as much as buying new. Not a surprise when you consider the inefficiency of disassembling it, doing the part swaps, and reassembling.

It also limits any design changes to the device too.

 

[doelcm82]

Sure, that makes sense from a business standpoint. The problem is that this constrains Apple's future designs to support the older form factors. I'm not sure they would be willing to do it unless they already have next year's product fully specified on paper.

I agree that it constrains Apple to a particular form factor (they couldn't make version 2 of the watch thinner, as some people are obsessed about saying that Apple always does). They also couldn't make it thicker, but I don't see that as something they are likely to do. If Apple's strategy is to allow the internals to be replaced, then I feel certain they know what constraints they have to work within for the next few upgrade cycles.

I think we will get a clue next Monday, though Apple may also remain silent on the upgrade path until they announce version 2 (maybe a year from now). If Apple doesn't tell us upfront, the inevitable iFixit teardown will reveal if the internals are replaceable as a unit.

 

[koruki]

I agree that it constrains Apple to a particular form factor (they couldn't make version 2 of the watch thinner, as some people are obsessed about saying that Apple always does). They also couldn't make it thicker, but I don't see that as something they are likely to do. If Apple's strategy is to allow the internals to be replaced, then I feel certain they know what constraints they have to work within for the next few upgrade cycles.

I think we will get a clue next Monday, though Apple may also remain silent on the upgrade path until they announce version 2 (maybe a year from now). If Apple doesn't tell us upfront, the inevitable iFixit teardown will reveal if the internals are replaceable as a unit.

I wonder how difficult it would be to get the thing open, its sealed and its why they put the effort to make the wireless charging just to stop moisture from entering.

 

[Thanks pal]

Yes Apple is a business but lets take a fair perspective here. How many watches in the market even let you upgrade? How many smart phones on the market ever let you upgrade? Now considering this is a watch/smartphone device, wouldn't it make any less sense to upgrade. If Apple wanted to be silly they could offer upgrades that cost as much as buying new. Not a surprise when you consider the inefficiency of disassembling it, doing the part swaps, and reassembling.

It also limits any design changes to the device too.

In the watch world it's called a service. You take your multi thousand dollar watch to someone who takes it all apart, replaces the parts that have worn out, and adjusts the movement to run within certain tolerances. The cost to do this unsurprisingly costs more than a lot of people would spend on a watch.

 

[rekhyt]

My thought is that Apple will offer updated internals for the pricier models, including the sensor array on the back of the Watch. So for a nominal fee (say, $348), you can renew your Watch to the latest technology.

Someone who likes their Stainless Steel or Gold Edition Apple Watch, but doesn't want to pay the premium to replace it with a comparable model might be likely to pay the upgrade fee. From a business perspective, it's better to sell the upgraded internals than to sell nothing at all to a customer who decides to hold on to her current Watch for another year.

I don't have any inside knowledge, but that is how I would escape the inescapable trap set by those who argue that no one will pay $10,000 or more for a watch that will be tossed in the trash in two years because it is obsolete.

We'll all find out Monday, most likely, how Apple plans to address the absolute impossibility of selling gold watches the way they currently sell iPhones.

Doesn't feel nominal to me.

 

[koruki]

In the watch world it's called a service. You take your multi thousand dollar watch to someone who takes it all apart, replaces the parts that have worn out, and adjusts the movement to run within certain tolerances. The cost to do this unsurprisingly costs more than a lot of people would spend on a watch.

yep, not an upgrade though.

 

[doelcm82]

Doesn't feel nominal to me.

It could be less than $348. I picked that number because it's $1 less than buying a new entry-level model that has all the new technology.

It would be nominal to someone who fits this description:

People spend that much for a plane ticket or a hand bag. The Edition is not intended to be a priceless heirloom that people save up to buy as an investment. It's for people who don't need to ask how much it cost. $5-10K is a drop in the bucket for the people who will be buying it. They'll just buy a new one in a year or two when its updated, no problem.

Celebrities, pro sport players, CEOs, hedgefund babies, etc etc. are Apple customers and tech enthusiasts. There will be *plenty* of buyers like this. I used to work at an Apple Store and I assure you there is no shortage of black-card customers.

It would be somewhat nominal to those who have an otherwise shiny stainless steel model, and don't want to give up the comfortable patina it has developed after being worn for a year or two.

And for those who have the entry-level watch, it doesn't matter, because they will just buy a new one anyway.

All of this assumes that Apple's thinking is along the same lines as my own, and that is still a very open question. Check back on Monday.

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I wonder how difficult it would be to get the thing open, its sealed and its why they put the effort to make the wireless charging just to stop moisture from entering.

Perhaps the back screws off like the backs of many watches. But doing so will probably ruin the seal and void the warranty if not done by an authorized agent of Apple.

 

[Thanks pal]

yep, not an upgrade though.

It is when the S1 processor (which is sealed) is popped out and replaced with the S3. How much smaller can a watch case get? The processors will get smaller and more powerful but the watch cases will stay about the same size. I completely acknowledge that the screen and other unknowns will change over the life of this product but Apple should have no problem changing your S1 processor to the next few upgrades when you pay $5000 - $10ooo... (how ever high it goes) for a watch. Yes, you won't have the 3D, Super High Intensity, blah blah blah that the 3Gen watch has, but you will have the ability to upgrade so that your gold watch will work with your iPhone 12.

At least that's my opinion.

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It would be somewhat nominal to those who have an otherwise shiny stainless steel model, and don't want to give up the comfortable patina it has developed after being worn for a year or two.

And for those who have the entry-level watch, it doesn't matter, because they will just buy a new one anyway.

doelcm82. I think the problem is that Macrumors followers aren't necessarily Watchuseek followers as well. Watch culture of holding on to a watch for years and years "does not compute" with the computer world.

A buddy of mine just spent $275 to have his 15 year old watch re-built that he bought for $100. Watches Are personal and I really believe that Apple understands this.

 

[koruki]

It is when the S1 processor (which is sealed) is popped out and replaced with the S3. How much smaller can a watch case get? The processors will get smaller and more powerful but the watch cases will stay about the same size. I completely acknowledge that the screen and other unknowns will change over the life of this product but Apple should have no problem changing your S1 processor to the next few upgrades when you pay $5000 - $10ooo... (how ever high it goes) for a watch. Yes, you won't have the 3D, Super High Intensity, blah blah blah that the 3Gen watch has, but you will have the ability to upgrade so that your gold watch will work with your iPhone 12.

At least that's my opinion.

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doelcm82. I think the problem is that Macrumors followers aren't necessarily Watchuseek followers as well. Watch culture of holding on to a watch for years and years "does not compute" with the computer world.

A buddy of mine just spent $275 to have his 15 year old watch re-built that he bought for $100. Watches Are personal and I really believe that Apple understands this.

You said watches get serviced, replacing worn parts hence I said that's not an upgrade. If you look at the board layout of the iphone 3, 4 and 5 you will see it's no doubt that it is not upgrade-able, especially to a low level of a chip swap.

 

[shenan1982]

Personal engraving. The one sure fire way to lower resale value.

Not to mention guarantee the customer won't (read: can't) return the product.

Actually it's a genius idea Apple came up with.... "Free Engraving" aka guaranteed non-return policy.

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Watches Are personal and I really believe that Apple understands this.

I don't think so... offering two sizes with a dozen different combinations of bands is no different than offering 2 size iPhones with 3 colors each, customizable with 9 different leather\silicon skins is the same thing. You can't make a mass-market product personal. That's the point of being mass-market vs boutique.

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I'm going for "For Barry, with Love from Rush."

I'm going with

"Bill, your wife is hiding emails from you. But I still Love You, - Monica"


THROWBACKTHURSDAY!

 

[cr2]

People spend that much for a plane ticket or a hand bag. The Edition is not intended to be a priceless heirloom that people save up to buy as an investment. It's for people who don't need to ask how much it cost. $5-10K is a drop in the bucket for the people who will be buying it. They'll just buy a new one in a year or two when its updated, no problem.

Celebrities, pro sport players, CEOs, hedgefund babies, etc etc. are Apple customers and tech enthusiasts. There will be *plenty* of buyers like this. I used to work at an Apple Store and I assure you there is no shortage of black-card customers.

Most people don't know how much women spend on Handbags or shoes. I did not until someone told me and when I laughed about it, sent me an article about it.

http://www.forbes.com/2005/12/16/expensive-womens-shoes-cx_sb_1219feat_ls.html

His close relative sell such stuff and told him that many non celebrities buy these things and actually look forward and discuss the new seasons collections, just the way we look for the next iPhone.

 

[Kajje]

You want to upgrade your golden iwatch?
There will be companies buying that old device for scrap value. Considering there's like... gold in it. And probably there will be loads of it considering the original price of the device.

Why I think its scrap value can be considerable? While Apple *does* indeed add a very healthy premium on every device it ships, its premium is not going to be ten-folded just for the golden version. That premium might be higher to to cover the lower quantity of unit sales though.

Apple isn't the first company to introduce such high priced bling tech though. Vertu did 15 years ago. They did 'ok' I guess.

 

[RobertMartens]

Yes. There absolutely is...a possibility...that this will be the case. We'll likely find out on Monday.

The argument against is that it's not the way Apple does things.

No, the argument against it is that it is stupid. And I think even you agree.

 

[Jynto]

That's why I'll engrave "Prototype" on mine.

It's a gen 1 Apple Watch... of course it's a prototype.

 

[i5pro]

I don't get why people think Apple is going to let you upgrade and only swap the internals. I doubt it's serviceable. I can see them doing an trade-in program just like their iphone/ipad program...You'll buy watch, and when v2 is released you'll trade in v1 offsetting the cost.

 

[extricated]

Maybe they (the French site) confused "engraving" with the upcoming "monogram" option. ?

Most of you probably remember the article in 9to5Mac that talked about the companion app. It mentioned a "monogram" feature as a complication.

 

[anthonylambert]

Apple may of planned to make it upgradable... The insides will only get thinner so in a later watch the whole thing might get thinner too... but if you own a fatter one you can still fit the smaller insides with an adapter to hold it in place.

 

[anthonylambert]

as they say a watch is more personal... a lot of the cost goes on stuff that isn't tech... the strap and case of the watch are jewelry. If you spend 9/10ths of the cost on a gold case and strap you are probably going to start to resent Apple having to re buy those every year. To get the 1/10th of new tech !

Unless they change everything case and straps every release....

 

[kingofwale]

hmm is there a possibility there will be a way to update your iwatch by keeping the skeleton? werent the internals all cased?

is there a possibility of offering iphone with micro SD card slot?

is there a possibility to have user replaceable battery on apple devices?

is there a possibility to have slightly thicker iPhone so they can put in a bigger battery instead?


Yes to all, and then again, no way in hell

 

[MH01]

People spend that much for a plane ticket or a hand bag. The Edition is not intended to be a priceless heirloom that people save up to buy as an investment. It's for people who don't need to ask how much it cost. $5-10K is a drop in the bucket for the people who will be buying it. They'll just buy a new one in a year or two when its updated, no problem.

Celebrities, pro sport players, CEOs, hedgefund babies, etc etc. are Apple customers and tech enthusiasts. There will be *plenty* of buyers like this. I used to work at an Apple Store and I assure you there is no shortage of black-card customers.

That is very true. Though those people most likely will have time pieces on the wrist that make a 10k apple watch look like a cheap electronic toy. Maybe they will buy it as a device to work out with

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

Am I the only one to notice MacRumor's error in stating the iPhone also has engraving service??? iPhone has never sold with engraving service.