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Apple Watch Annual updates (or not) [MERGED]
- Thread starter saintforlife
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You're a fool if you think Apple will allow us to upgrade our watches. They solder their ran so we are forced to buy a higher end model from the start.
If you're that paranoid that you think thats why they solder ram in then I feel really bad for you.
Do you really expect them to swap out the S1? Maybe on the Edition models, MAYBE. Certainly not for Sport.
I don't see Apple doing any kind of trade-in or upgrade program, and they really don't need to, since that's what the secondary market is for. The only model that people were really talking about this with was the Edition, due to its price, but the fact of the matter is that the Edition is targeted at people who couldn't care less about spending $10K on a watch every year. I don't see them lining up for a trade-in.
I also don't see them keeping the same Watch for an extended period of time, even though I would be okay with that. I'd prefer that they worked on perfecting the software for the first couple of years and then come out with better hardware.
I also don't see them keeping the same Watch for an extended period of time, even though I would be okay with that. I'd prefer that they worked on perfecting the software for the first couple of years and then come out with better hardware.
If the S2 upgrade cost $350 then it would still probably make more sense for us to upgrade than to resale a $600 SS watch -- no brainer on an Edition. This would probably net more profit for Apple and reduce the number of watches on the second hand market.
So no, I don't think it is crazy that they'd design the chip and battery to be easily swappable.
So no, I don't think it is crazy that they'd design the chip and battery to be easily swappable.
If the watches were upgradeable, why on earth would Apple be keeping it a secret? It would be a big selling point for them.
No way will the Apple watches be upgradable. How on earth do you sell people a new one each generation if they can just "swap out the guts?" It makes no sense from a business standpoint.
If the margin on the upgrade is more than that of a watch, then it makes total business sense. Add in the fact that you won't resell the old watch to a potential customer and it's a even better deal.
What if you paid $600 for a SS watch and could upgrade it for $350?
Either way, we should be able to eliminate this possibility ones iFixit takes one apart. Just because it's easy to replace doesn't guarantee Apple will offer upgrades, but if it really hard to swap, then odds are this is a pipe dream.
Yes I do. Across all product lines. Just like they put same guts in the $349 watch as they do the $17,000 watch now. And they will charge enough for the processor swap that they net 40% profit on the deal. By having an option to swap, they will convince a wider range of people that the Watch is worth buying because it will be feasible to keep it for 5-10 years rather than the 2 years of a typical smartphone.
Agreeing with an article I read that predicted a new model in 2017. So we get bands and firmware updates for the next two years.
No reason to let that cat out of the bag now. They are already selling more than they can make, and more than all other smart watches combined. Sure there are plenty of potential customers who are holding out due to the uncertainty around the obsolescence cycle of the Watch, but Apple can afford to finalize that business decision later, maybe not for a year or two, and then if it still makes sense, they can roll it out. In the meantime, they can keep the competitors guessing.
I still strongly believe they will do it, for these reasons:
- The circuitry is all in one sealed package.
- Apple is treating the product like a piece of jewelry. Jewelry is supposed to last a long time.
- Apple makes their own CPUs and can afford to do this. The cost per unit will be reasonably low and will drop over time.
Once these watches hit the street on Friday, I look forward to the iFixit teardown to see just how easy it is to get the chip in and out. If it's glued in there, then I'm probably wrong.
This is a 2 to 3 year cycle. There's no way they'll do a yearly release. They are backed up on orders from the first generation. They are going to use this generation for the min of 2 years as they work on new technology to make it thinner, better battery and more then likely extensions such as accessories attached to the bracelets themselves. With the amount of time and work put into gen 1, they'll add a lot of features and smooth things out with firmware updates.
I predict the 2nd gen to be released during the 2016 holiday season followed by yearly updates after that. Also, I think the 2nd gen will be a significant redesign like the iPhone 3G and iPad 2 were. With this redesign I could see them changing the band latching interface but then staying with this updated interface for a few model (3-5) years. With a stable band interface in place, they could then release "standalone" Apple Watches that are sold without bands which would bring down the price. Now Apple is introducing yearly updates on a product that costs as low as $300 which might just hit the sweet spot for users to upgrade without concern for their bank accounts, especially if the yearly updates are significant enough. Knowing their consumer base, why wouldn't Apple take advantage of releasing a yearly product that could generate a huge amount of revenue?
Unfortunately, those "significant updates" are what I see Apple having the most problem developing on a yearly basis. There are finite amount of use cases and features that belong on a 42mm device strapped to your wrist and a watch can only get so thin and so light before feeling cheap. However, Apple just proved with the latest iPad Mini that they will release an "update" to a product almost just for the sake of doing it yearly.
Unfortunately, those "significant updates" are what I see Apple having the most problem developing on a yearly basis. There are finite amount of use cases and features that belong on a 42mm device strapped to your wrist and a watch can only get so thin and so light before feeling cheap. However, Apple just proved with the latest iPad Mini that they will release an "update" to a product almost just for the sake of doing it yearly.
Well I will bet you a beer that this won't happen across all product lines, if it happens at all.
At the Apple store today I asked two different employees separately when they thought model 2 would come around (letting them know that I was fully aware they are just guessing and have no inside info), and both of them said they felt like this would not be an annually updated product but would be more like Apple TV, which gets updated every 3ish years. Both employees separately brought up Apple TV as a comparison. Make of that what you will. I wonder if they were told to let customers on the fence over waiting for the next model know that it won't be updated as often as the phone.
On a side note, there was no wait so I went ahead and accepted an appointment to try a watch on and for ***** and giggles they let me try the 42mm Edition with the Classic band. That's the only time I've ever worn a $15,000 item.
On a side note, there was no wait so I went ahead and accepted an appointment to try a watch on and for ***** and giggles they let me try the 42mm Edition with the Classic band. That's the only time I've ever worn a $15,000 item.