Apple Targeting March for Apple Watch Launch, Retail Training Begins Next Month

[69Mustang]

That's practically child abuse! Shameful.

Tee hee. That's probably what she thinks. But hey, I control the finances. She's a good kid, but still a kid nonetheless. She has an iP6 but pays her own phone bill from her allowance ($40 unlimited through MVNO so I never worry about overages). Not happy about that, let me tell ya. None of her friends pay their phone bills. Most hated phrase in my house: I didn't sleep your her friends mothers so they're not my kids. We're currently in negotiations to see what other additional responsibilities she can undertake to get a raise. We're down to volunteering at a senior center or animal shelter. No matter what she does, still no Gen1 watch though.

 

[JAT]

A good rule of thumb is to not be blown away by pictures, one way or another, and not especially of technology products. You won't know if a tech product is beautiful or ugly until you actually use it.

Also esp true for internet dating.

 

[ksuyen]

I want it now! Shut up and take my money!

Now!
Now!
Now!

Pretty please???

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why does anyone even want one of these? the only way i'd take one is if i won one for free. The price is absurd for a device with less functionality than a phone, crap battery life, and a chunky boring design. if this thing had turned out to be a wrist cuff with a wrap around screen like the Moment Smartwatch it might have been more compelling

Why?

I tell you why.

It's made by

That alone makes all other reasons obsolete.

 

[69Mustang]

While I agree with your parenting in this post, I disagree with the facetious "1st world". In fact, if she has any 3rd world problems, then maybe your parenting isn't so hot. Hopefully that isn't the case.

Officially uninviting you to all parties and renaming you Debbie... as in downer.

btw, the 1st world problem referenced is mine. As in dealing with a teenager who wants frivolous stuff opposed to a teenager wondering where her next meal is coming from, or how she is going to have to take care of 15 siblings while her mom works two jobs because her dad left when she was 6.

Holy crap, that was lugubrious. I am now officially uninviting me to all parties.

How 'bout we both lighten up a bit?

 

[lazyrighteye]

"Sources in the retail segment..."
I want to that's a new one.

 

[BvizioN]

why does anyone even want one of these? the only way i'd take one is if i won one for free. The price is absurd for a device with less functionality than a phone, crap battery life, and a chunky boring design. if this thing had turned out to be a wrist cuff with a wrap around screen like the Moment Smartwatch it might have been more compelling

Man, aren't we gonna have fun reading comments like yours in a few years to come

On the side note....

I don't understand people who opt for a second generation, saying it would be a better one. I mean why not wait for the third or forth right? Surely they would be better then the second generation, if waiting for something is not a biggie for you?

 

[Neepman]

On sale mid March? Getting ready to dump my stock mid-April. Or sooner.

 

[BruceEBonus]

Man, aren't we gonna have fun reading comments like yours in a few years to come

On the side note....

I don't understand people who opt for a second generation, saying it would be a better one. I mean why not wait for the third or forth right? Surely they would be better then the second generation, if waiting for something is not a biggie for you?

Erm ..yeah ... right.

Anyway - heres to the fact we shall be "having fun" in a few years time reading the comments like yours regarding the naysayers comments about the Apple Watch and how it was amusing to read the stoic defence of what will be Apples White Elephant (AWE) and how people really would buy anything with the logo so long as Apple made it no matter what.

Print off these comments now! Store them in a box and bring them out in 2016 and laugh heartily at how folks couldve been so daft as to believe that such a crazy idea as a brick-on-a-wrist was a step forward.

When in fact it was actually a two steps back.

Oh ... and dont make any comments to this now .. you have to wait til this time next year for it to be taken into proportion you see.... thanks!

 

[BvizioN]

Erm ..yeah ... right.

Anyway - heres to the fact we shall be "having fun" in a few years time reading the comments like yours regarding the naysayers comments about the Apple Watch and how it was amusing to read the stoic defence of what will be Apples White Elephant (AWE) and how people really would buy anything with the logo so long as Apple made it no matter what.

Print off these comments now! Store them in a box and bring them out in 2016 and laugh heartily at how folks couldve been so daft as to believe that such a crazy idea as a brick-on-a-wrist was a step forward.

When in fact it was actually a two steps back.

Oh ... and dont make any comments to this now .. you have to wait til this time next year for it to be taken into proportion you see.... thanks!

Lol, you must have far to much time!
Make sure you have not disappeared when your comment have become embarrassing sometime in the near future

And calling anything a fact? ha ha... yeah, ok

 

[majkom]

That's not what I would call a "first world problem". Most first world teens don't demand $300+ gifts from their parents. I raised two, in an affluent suburb, and neither they nor their friends would do that, nor expect to use their parents' credit cards.

But the times, they are a-changing..

 

[freddiecable]

If i was not working with UX and software development i would also have waited. I think the lack of GPS is a bummer. But I need to try it asap for inspiration etc.

I will probably wait for the second gen

 

[thekeyring]

Erm ..yeah ... right.

Anyway - heres to the fact we shall be "having fun" in a few years time reading the comments like yours regarding the naysayers comments about the Apple Watch and how it was amusing to read the stoic defence of what will be Apples White Elephant (AWE) and how people really would buy anything with the logo so long as Apple made it no matter what.

Print off these comments now! Store them in a box and bring them out in 2016 and laugh heartily at how folks couldve been so daft as to believe that such a crazy idea as a brick-on-a-wrist was a step forward.

When in fact it was actually a two steps back.

Oh ... and dont make any comments to this now .. you have to wait til this time next year for it to be taken into proportion you see.... thanks!

You seem overly confident. Look at the iPad naysayers back in 2010. Hard to argue with them at the time, but they were wrong. Embrace the possibility you could be, too.

 

[ryansimmons323]

And it'll be released in the UK and everywhere else on December 31st 2015.

 

[Supermule]

I keep seeing this argument in the scope of comparing Apple's product to common wristwatches that have far less functionality. The reality is that very few, if any, of the current crop of wearables are fully waterproof.

I suspect that in time this will be remedied, but I don't think it is realistic to expect for a first generation product from any company.

I have a 7 year old garmin gps/computer watch. Its fully waterproof. And for several years there have been waterproof smartphones on market. This is not a done product in my view. Functionality is heavy limited as a sport/active watch when not waterproof.

 

[lincolntran]

Aesthetics are always an opinion

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

But there's always a common denominator of what beauty is.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

On sale mid March? Getting ready to dump my stock mid-April. Or sooner.

You are late. W$ already is not pricing a ton of valuation into the Apple Watch. If you wanted to dump your stock you missed the mark when it hit the all-time high of $118 and change in late Nov. Since then it's been trading at lower highs and lower lows -- not a great chart. It just broke support again yesterday.

I doubt initial Apple Watch sales are going to materially move the needle up. If it's a flop the stock will tank immediately, not a month later. If it's a hit the stock will tick up, but not significantly, because its $-wise it will need to mature to become a major product for Apple, not just an iPhone accessory, as it calls it.

Also if AAPL rebounds to 114 ( presumably around the Q1 earnings announcement) and finds support then it's likely going up another leg -- dumb time to sell on a lark if that happens. Good luck.

 

[x5tuu]

I just really don't get the "ill wait till 2nd gen" ... are people really that miserly ... its $350-500 people, its not a big deal ... especially when on an apple forum where many users have at least 1 iphone, 1 ipad, 1 mac derivative etc... I bet the vast majority of users on here waste more than $40 a month on junk anyways, its no more expensive than that!

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I have a 7 year old garmin gps/computer watch. Its fully waterproof. And for several years there have been waterproof smartphones on market. This is not a done product in my view. Functionality is heavy limited as a sport/active watch when not waterproof.

It will be water resistant. That's enough AFAIC. I don't swim or bathe with my watches. As long as it can withstand a rainstorm its fine with me. Also, since Apple refers to the watch as an iPhone accessory and the iPhone isn't waterproof, what would really be the point?

Other than diving or swimming how is it not being waterproof limiting functionality? Not all sport watches are swim or diving watches.

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I just really don't get the "ill wait till 2nd gen" ... are people really that miserly ... its $350-500 people, its not a big deal ... especially when on an apple forum where many users have at least 1 iphone, 1 ipad, 1 mac derivative etc... I bet the vast majority of users on here waste more than $40 a month on junk anyways, its no more expensive than that!

No, just "late adopters," unable to enjoy what exists because it doesn't perfectly match their own fantasy.

 

[TallManNY]

You are late. W$ already is not pricing a ton of valuation into the Apple Watch. If you wanted to dump your stock you missed the mark when it hit the all-time high of $118 and change in late Nov. Since then it's been trading at lower highs and lower lows -- not a great chart. It just broke support again yesterday.

I doubt initial Apple Watch sales are going to materially move the needle up. If it's a flop the stock will tank immediately, not a month later. If it's a hit the stock will tick up, but not significantly, because its $-wise it will need to mature to become a major product for Apple, not just an iPhone accessory, as it calls it.

Also if AAPL rebounds to 114 ( presumably around the Q1 earnings announcement) and finds support then it's likely going up another leg -- dumb time to sell on a lark if that happens. Good luck.

Yep, quite a drop in that Apple stock price. I wonder why. Everything I keep reading is that the 6 is selling like hotcakes. If Apple blows out its earnings again and then its P/E drops below 16, how could the stock market allow that to happen? I don't get it.

My prediction on Apple Watch is that there are lines and limited supply but that not enough actual product is sold to move the needle. So W$ will either panic or realize that this is is similar to iPhone and iPod, neither of which sold in large numbers during their first generation. Either way, I'm suspecting Apple revenue to continue to increase for the foreseeable future. And with added revenue at least there will be dividends and buybacks regardless of what W$ thinks and where the stock price goes.

I'm a long term holder based on what I see as a transition from a PC world to an iOS world. But I do check the stock price daily out of curiosity.

 

[eclipsevv]

The watch is missing water proofing and gps. The next gen should have these features.

I can understand why water proofing could be useful (even though I never shower with a watch), but I seriously doubt gps will be included soon.

The watch is limited by its small battery, GPS consumes too much power for a device of this size. It would need a major advance in battery technology... but that would not come in a year or two.

 

[TheAppleFairy]

The iwatch does not have that much demand.

Call it an iWatch and...

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Based on my experience with Apple their first gen products are always crippled in some way and then their 2nd Gen fixes what should have been fixed to begin with. ie iPhone 1 was only EDGE when 3G was already readily available for years. iPod Touch 1 didn't have volume buttons, iPad 1 lacked bluetooth and sufficient RAM.

iPad 1 has Bluetooth. Just double-checked on mine, which is still used daily by my son. Yes, I do mean the one released in 2010.

 

[paulsdenton]

March would be very good for a launch. Wonder if they'll have a Keynote, seeing as this is a major new category for Apple.

I doubt they would pass up an opportunity for the huge amount of publicity it would generate.

 

[Mascots]

iPad 1 has Bluetooth. Just double-checked on mine, which is still used daily by my son. Yes, I do mean the one released in 2010.

But that's a terrible thing to use to justify that the first gen iPad was good enough. Seeing how quickly it was retired compared to its successor seems like more than enough evidence IMO.

 

[smiddlehurst]

False. They had to announce the product well in advance to avoid leakage via FCC filings. They did the same with the original iPhone and iPad.

Even if it were true that it took them six months, that is much faster than most of the vaporware being demoed at CES this week that won't ship for a year, or in most cases, never.

I'll add one more to that list if I may: by announcing when they did they dropped a small tactical nuke on the rest of the wearables industry for the Christmas shopping season. Even thought the Apple Watch wouldn't be out until 2015 just the knowledge that Apple were entering the market was enough to make a lot of people postpone purchases. Basically they had nothing to lose by announcing ahead of time, avoided any possible leaks of the final design once production started and it fit the narrative for that event of this being Tim's Apple.