Apple Watch - Apple's worst value proposition?

[Huliodude]

I don't know why I've ordered the Series 1, other than I like it, and it's cool. While there's some convenient and useful benefits to it, they're not coming close to anything else Apple offers for the money. Even perceived "worse" investments offer better value:

For example:

iPhone: This device is awesome, and packed with features and benefits. This device makes me money, keeps me safe, entertains me, saves me money, keeps me informed, and much more. A smartphone is worth every penny.

MacBook: Very useful, entertains me, makes me money, allows me to be productive, a learning tool, and in many cases an absolute necessity to conduct business and get stuff done.

Choose an Apple product, and most have incredible value propositions for what they cost.

Automobile: Everyone says they're lousy investments. But again, it makes me money, takes me wherever I want to go more conveniently than anything else, keeps me safe, provides freedom, etc etc. As big a money pit as a car is, they make us money by allowing us to go to work, do business, etc.

Apple Watch: Series 2 is around $500 depending on your currency. It helps you stay fit (however this can easily be achieved without it, and there are better products out there for that).
Notifications - It's only repeating what's right in your pocket on your iPhone.
Lost your phone? - Call it with another phone, or ping it with another iProduct using FindmyiPhone.
Weather - Check your phone, etc etc.

And to top if off, someone on here defined this watch perfectly. It's not really a watch, it's a disposable tech gadget. It's merely in the shape and functions like a watch, but really isn't one, somehow.

My lower end Seiko divers hold their value better than the Apple Watch. In 3yrs, the Apple watch is basically worthless. My Seiko or Citizen $500 divers will be worth the same, and in many cases they're worth more.

So I'm buying it because it's kinda cool. Sounds like a lousy value proposition to me, and feels a bit financially irresponsible, but I still want one, again. Anyone else feel this way?

 

[Newtons Apple]

Electronics are never a good investment. Come to think about it few consumer goods are a good investment. Only thing I ever bought that has increased in value were 4 Leica 8 bit Lenses

 

[Skika]

Have you ever had an Apple watch? I would say its a bit harder to justify it compared to my iphone, ipad or macbook but still a device that i enjoy wearing and has made life easier in number of ways.

 

[Huliodude]

Have you ever had an Apple watch? I would say its a bit harder to justify it compared to my iphone, ipad or macbook but still a device that i enjoy wearing and has made life easier in number of ways.

Yes I've had a few that I got deals on, and always felt compelled to resell them before their value dropped. They're cool, but I find them very expensive for what they offer. I don't feel like reselling my iPhone ever, unless I'm replacing it with another that is...

 

[IngerMan]

Yes I've had a few that I got deals on, and always felt compelled to resell them before their value dropped. They're cool, but I find them very expensive for what they offer. I don't feel like reselling my iPhone ever, unless I'm replacing it with another that is...

I traded in an extra line iphone 6 Plus for $288 to Best Buy for a gift card to use on the new watch. The phone was over $800, so I lost over $500 for the 2 years I had it. Plus the $50 in cases I bought. That was just as bad an investment for me.

 

[exxxviii]

So I'm buying it because it's kinda cool. Sounds like a lousy value proposition to me, and feels a bit financially irresponsible, but I still want one, again. Anyone else feel this way?

Luxury items are almost universally lousy value propositions. Work up the examples, and you can knock most of them off... A $1,200 MacBook is a pretty horrible value proposition compared to a PC-based laptop at 1/2 the price. A BMW 750Li is a horrible value prop compared to a 3 year old Accord. Even the iPhone is a pretty crappy value prop next to a crapton of very capable phones at a fraction of the cost. All of these derive their value from intangibles that a luxury buyer can afford.

The principal reason I bought mine is because it is cool.

 

[Huliodude]

Luxury items are almost universally lousy value propositions. Work up the examples, and you can knock most of them off... A $1,200 MacBook is a pretty horrible value proposition compared to a PC-based laptop at 1/2 the price. A BMW 750Li is a horrible value prop compared to a 3 year old Accord. Even the iPhone is a pretty crappy value prop next to a crapton of very capable phones at a fraction of the cost. All of these derive their value from intangibles that a luxury buyer can afford.

I don't know about that. I could argue a MacBook is a great value proposition compared to PC based laptop because it will often last longer, is better built. They're also easier to buy because the product line is much smaller than most other manufacturers.

A BMW 750Li could make you more money than an Accord if the situation fits. The better car carries status and shows others that you are a successful business person. In this way, you can make more sales and cause others to trust your skills, depending on what you do. So even this expensive car can have financial merit to owning one.

The iPhone while more expensive than other phones, tend to last very long, have longer OS support than any other phone out there, and have features that other phones simply do not, or don't work as well. Such as force touch, or touch id, or iMessage. The iPhone easily offers big value for the money.

All the above examples, you are replacing one product for a lesser product in order to get the job done. The watch however, you can do completely without, and be just fine. In fact, having an Apple Watch means you can't wear your awesome Rolex or Omega, or Seiko for that matter. And you have to charge it daily, it drains your iPhone battery quicker with bluetooth always on, etc. But I still want one, it's cool. Blows my mind.

 

[exxxviii]

Total reach. My last 2 cars were BMW 7s. There is no universe where those could have made me more money. Ditto for others I knew who had them. It was purely a luxury and lust decision. I will probably never own another 7 because the value prop was so massively horrible. Want a first-hand object lesson in how to piss away an amazing amount of money, buy a BMW 7 Series.

I have currently have 2 MBAs in my household along with several PC laptops and tablets. There is nothing special about the MBAs other than the light-up Apple on the back. They all last about 3 years before daily life pushes them to their ends. If you sell a MB after three years, it has more value than 3 YO PC. But, it does not overcome the >$600 initial cost difference. I have lost count of my iPhones. I used to hang on to them for 2 years. But a few phones ago, I realized that even the vaunted Apple phone starts to fade and have issues after about 18 months. So, I now upgrade annually. There is not much special about an iPhone that justifies its massive cost difference over cheap alternatives.

Apple products are poor value propositions. But they are better than a BMW 7 Series. And, I love the Apple products that I have, despite the cost.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I'm not a big laptop or tablet user so MacBooks and iPads don't have much value for me, but it doesn't mean others don't derive value out of them.

The AW can't really be compared to a dumbwatch which remains useful for as long as you maintain it in working condition.

Why are we even talking about cars? Unless they're a classic/supercar, they're a depreciating assets.

 

[lordofthereef]

Dollar for dollar I think something like a $50 case is the worst value Apple product.

I see where you are coming from. $270 gets you much less functionality in the watch than that $270 might towards another device.

I don't think the smart watch has yet become the powerful tool the smartphone has become. But let's go back ten years and think about what smartphones looked like then. Even the original iPhone, known as the device that revolutionized smartphones, really wasn't THAT useful, right? There was no appstore (at the start), you could browse the web wonderfully (if you were on wifi... or reallllllly patient with edge), and you could throw some songs on there to listen on the go. Video streaming wasn't yet a thing, and storing videos on there was (I think) possible, but with 4 or 8 gb variants you likely weren't storing too much video. There was no copy and paste (for many years, in fact). All the while you were paying out of pocket for the device almost what you are today (before the price drop).

I think the watch is on a faster track than the iphone was. We are already on watch OS 3 after a mere year and a half of the watch launching. I think that is the most change in an OS in the least amount of time Apple has added in modern memory. Apple is unafraid to mould the hardware and, more importantly, software, around the needs of their users. Just looking at watch OS3 versus its predecessors, I am truthfully more excited for the net five years with Apple watch than iPhone. I was less than excited about the original watch launch (well, after see what it could, and more importantly couldn't, do), but I have gained a great deal of confidence since.

 

[mcaswell]

While admittedly it's tough to say that it's worth what I paid for it mainly for this feature, I find the notifications to be extremely helpful. During the course of my work I get texts with information that I need, and before the watch I would constantly miss notifications, not noticing them until I happened to pull my phone out 10-15 minutes later. I never miss notifications now, and this is important to me.

Secondarily, I like being able to subtly give a reply to a message without having to pull my phone out, oh and also being able to see what time it is.

Still though, $600 (I wanted the scratch-resistance of the sapphire) is a lot to pay for what mainly amounts to a notification repeater, but then again, that's why I'm keeping it at least for another year or two (or three) before buying a new one (I'm not really tempted by the v2, as I have no need for built-in GPS, and the performance of the current model is fine especially with os3, though the increased waterproofness would be nice).

 

[jasie02]

Have you live with a Apple Watch for extensive time, like 2+ week?
Once upon a time, a lot of people will say why do we need to have smart phone, when there is laptop and PC, isn't phone is just for phone call?
There is different between test drive a super sports car once vs owning or renting a super sports car for at least 2+ weeks.
It is all about "LIVING" experience, in capital, not just 1st impression.

 

[JamieLion]

Hello,

For users with disabilities like myself it's game changing. I have more autonomy and independence directly due to features of the Apple Watch.

I am unable to speak and use my phone to communicate, the watch provides an app for that which works even when my phone goes flat. It also acts as an emergency beacon and helps me to stay organised and safe.

Resale value also helps. In 1-2 years time I can still sell the watch for 50% or more of what I paid for it. A watch at £100-150 a year is helping to reduce my dependence on support at £10-30 an hour. It quickly pays for itself.

Hope that helps provide another perspective.

Jamie + Lion

 

[MTD's Mac]

It helps you stay fit (however this can easily be achieved without it, and there are better products out there for that).
Notifications - It's only repeating what's right in your pocket on your iPhone.
Lost your phone? - Call it with another phone, or ping it with another iProduct using FindmyiPhone.
Weather - Check your phone, etc etc.

Value propositions vary person to person, so this may well be true for you. But I'm looking forward to getting a Watch for a number of reasons. The idea of using your phone to check the weather is a funny default, since I'm sure people said "check the newspaper" when weather.com launched. It's about where/when/how you want to get your information.

 

[julesme]

If the Apple Watch helps a person stay fit, encouraging a greater level of exercise, and eventually adds years to his or her life, how exactly would you value its worth to that person over time (relative to another Apple product)?

 

[Resqu2]

If the Apple Watch helps a person stay fit, encouraging a greater level of exercise, and eventually adds years to his or her life, how exactly would you value its worth to that person over time (relative to another Apple product)?

I let my Watch push me every day to meet and exceed the exercise goals. I'm at 20 lbs weight loss as of today. I can't put a price on how much better I feel because of it.

 

[Huliodude]

Some of you make excellent points. Makes me feel better about my purchase. For me, notifications is the killer feature of owning one, but YMMV.

 

[iApPel]

Same dilemma here. I had the watch series 1 for a number of days en bring it back because I could not justify what it costs.
The main reason why I bought the watch was that I like the workout options en the activity app, it just motivates me. After bringing back, I bought the fitbit charge 2 which provides also good in my needs an saved me E210,-!! But after a couple days also the fitbit went back because the Apple watch was still in my mind, I really like the activity rings interface of the watch and integration with IOS.
So back to basic, now I dont know what to do..buy the watch again or buy nothing..luxury problems..I know

[UPDATE] I bought the series 1!

Some of you make excellent points. Makes me feel better about my purchase. For me, notifications is the killer feature of owning one, but YMMV.