At least Apple woke up and realized the Gold edition was stupid. Nobody wants a $10k digital watch, period. Its why Casio and Timex never bothered to wrap their timepieces in real gold. I don't care what is behind an LCD screen, if a watch has a screen it is a utilitarian casual timepiece, not a fashion statement, regardless of what kind of material you wrap around it. It's just too many fanboys are deluded in thinking that putting a micro iPad on their wrist is the height of haute couture.
What disappoints me, still, about Apple is a complete reluctance to push the boundaries of industrial design anymore. Sorry, but the Apple Watch design is safe and pedestrian, the first time around, and given that Apple had 2 years to work on the follow up, having it the SAME design as 2 years ago is extremely dissapointing and should speak volumes as to how woefully inadequate this company has become in the last 5 years.
I have much more respect for a company that tries new things, like curved screens, round screens, or other design details, and yes, maybe even if that fails to sell as well as Apple's boring old designs, but I have ZERO respect for a company that is playing it safe for years like Apple.
Look at Apple's AirPods, simply the old Steve Job's approved EarPods design from YEARS ago, but with an extra long shaft to hold the battery and wireless components. ZERO design involved. If Jony Ives is proud of this it's because he has been drunk on Apple's rotten Kool-aid for 5 years and has become delusional.
I think Apple's consumer base is starting to slip away from the complete lack of anything exciting and NEW from this company, and if this company is going to start selling a $1000+ smartwatch or phone, then I EXPECT and RESPECT a company that pushes the boundaries and tries something new and exciting rather then boring and pedestrian and safe. I am not spending $1000 on anything SAFE anymore, I work hard for my money and not giving it to a company that is not working hard to earn it, and I think more and more consumers are tired of Apple's ridiculous pricing schemes for products with lazy antiquated design choices.
Apple has become the VW of consumer electronics, and sure, there are a lot of boring people out there that get excited about a "new" Jetta or Golf that looks nearly like they did back in the 90's, but if Apple simply tried to bring excitement back to their industrial design, even with risk of failure, they could gain more consumer mindshare in an instant because there are still far too many consumers who are bored to death by Apple. You can be a company that placates 10% of a market, or you can be a company that inspires the other 90%.
I respect trailblazers, period. I miss the Apple of the iPod era, and I haven't realized how much I have missed Steve Jobs until this year.
