Apple Watch Sport's Ion-X Glass Display Cover Subjected to Scratch Test in New Video

[ZCT]

I wish people realized that Watergate was the name of the hotel that the robbery took place in under Nixon's watch, and an event that had nothing to do with water at all.

Maybe then we'd gate less -gate this and -gate that stuff.

Edit: Yeah Yeah I get it, Watergate is synonymous with scandal.

I hate that too. Half the audience were not even alive when Watergate happened. Just lazy journalism when they put the word gate after anything that happened.

How about spending time putting a good story together, rather than trying to be clever with the name that goes before the word gate.

 

[bobob]

Isn't this the same douchebag who made that viral phone-bending video?

The same douchebag that tried to make bank riding the "bendgate" wave?

like macrumors too

Shame.

 

[ZCT]

Actually there are plenty of under $100 watches with saphire glasses. The Sport version could have a saphire if they really wanted to. I bet all V2 versions will have saphire.

Why would they want to do that? If they make the cheapest watch too attractive it will hurt sales of the premium lines.

Also consider the true cost of the inside of this watch, including the R&D that allowed them to make it. Your typical under $100 watch contains a quartz movement that is worth far less than $5 with many less than $2.

You think the innards of an Apple Watch cost less than $2?

 

[Lancer]

So I can't go sanding the watch, I'm shock and never buying an Apple product again

Really like anything you value take care of it and it will last, it's like people who get a new iPhone and then just put it in their pocket, with keys and other crap. Where is can easily drop out when sitting or there back pocket and they wonder why it bends?

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

You can't compare the watch to the iPhone. I've yet to see anyone tape their iPhone to their wrist and have it exposed to the same dings and bangs that a typical watch does. Sandpaper may be not be typical or natural, but stucco and cement walls are. Walking closely by a wall or house/building and your arm accidentally bangs and scrapes into the coarse surface surely scratches a sapphire surface (my Tag watch is a perfect example).

While it may be very difficult to scratch, it's not impossible, and there are certainly many day-to-day scenarios that will put that sapphire glass to the test.

 

[ginkobiloba]

Why would they want to do that? If they make the cheapest watch too attractive it will hurt sales of the premium lines.

That's indeed the only reason why the Sport isn't saphire ( wich is odd, since a so-called "Sport" model is usually subjected to more abuse than an "urban" and more fashionable model). Wich is a shame, cause the aluminum Vs stainless steel difference should be enough to justify the price difference.

 

[ZCT]

It's weird Apple didn't just make the sapphire glass standard. The mark up on these watches must be huge! how much extra could the sapphire glass be?

I don't really understand why some people keep commenting on mark up when they don't know the facts.

Apple spent years developing this product from the ground up. Millions spent in R&D, millions spent in going from nothing to a watch ready to sell. Just the link bracelet has 100 parts and takes nine hours to construct.

And how many programmers did it take to design the entire user interface from the ground up along with the apps that come on the watch as standard?

Then they had to design each of the 54 combinations of product, train all their staff, given them all special tee-shirts, design and build those special display cases and models you can play with in the store. Spend millions on advertising. Figure out to take a couple of million orders in six hours. Sort out logistically how to deliver a couple of million watches in the space of a few weeks.

Anyone who is talking about excessive mark up has no understanding of the sheer cost Apple must have sunk into bringing this product to market.

Even if ultimately an Apple Watch Sport costs $50 to make, that doesn't mean that Apple is making $300 on each watch. All the costs up to this point have to be considered also, along with the ongoing costs associated with producing, selling and distributing the product.

 

[rdlink]

Twenty years ago I owned a thin, chic watch with a sapphire crystal. I too thought it was scratchproof until one day the watch face met a door handle as I was entering a building. It left a large ugly scratch across the face, so apparently the finish coating on the door hardware was tougher than sapphire. These "ion-X glass" (what?) faces will get beat up in no time -- great for the cottage industries that will spring up to replace them.

Wow. Saddest part about that story is that you paid someone for a sapphire crystal and didn't get one...

 

[pee jay bee]

fake!

I wonder why the still before the video is started is a fake Apple Watch?

 

[2457282]

The band on the cover picture of the video makes the watch so much less attractive. I am happy that I splurged and got a band that adds to the phone instead of taking away from it

 

[Tech198]

i can't beleive we cry over spilt mlk with this, but yet when we buy a good car..... we don't care that manufactures protect us by offering "you car will not scratch" crap..


Everything scratches with enough pressure, and honestly, why would the average joe go to such extreme cases....

I'd be thankful that it doesn't scratch under "normal" use cases don't you? rather than thinking about paying for the most rough cases if your not one of them extreme type users..

Same goes with phones too ... "ok i'm just about to chuck my iPhone 6 off the roof top because i saw some guy do in on a youtube video*

ya ok..... I ain't gonna bother with how scratch resisent or not.... Protection is always good, but if users are that miffed over scratches Apple said it would otherwise, then don't wear it...... It will never scratch then

 

[gsmornot]

Maybe I'm missing the point but with the glass and the real display being two separate parts the glass should be pretty easy to replace as it gets scratches from use. Unlike the iPhone where the two parts are joined they have made this a seemingly easy repair. Besides, the sport is an affordable watch so you should expect that it will have different materials.

Just looking around the web the average watch would cost 30-150 for a new crystal so if this is a concern then I suggest buying AppleCare and in the event you break the glass or scratch it past useability from a fall or crash during sports then you have a backup plan.

 

[pee jay bee]

The band on the cover picture of the video makes the watch so much less attractive. I am happy that I splurged and got a band that adds to the phone instead of taking away from it

It's not a real Apple Watch, see comment above yours.

 

[bean dip]

I'm not a homeless person so I'm getting the sapphire glass.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

I'm not a homeless person so I'm getting the sapphire glass.

My home must not be real then, since I ordered the Sport model.

No biggie, the glass is knife and key proof, which is all I need. Also, my walls aren't made out of sandpaper.

 

[macduke]

I want to see how well the "stronger" aluminum holds up to scratches. Does anyone know if the increase in strength would correlate at all to an increase in hardness? I'm also curious if the anodized black model scratches as easily as my old iPhone 5 did. I'm likely going to order the 42mm Stainless Steel with Milanese Loop soon, but I might change my mind at my try-on appointment which is still a ways off.

 

[uid15]

,..,

 

[kemal]

Aluminum oxide sandpaper can't scratch sapphire?

 

[cjbryce]

Maybe I'm missing the point but with the glass and the real display being two separate parts the glass should be pretty easy to replace as it gets scratches from use.

Unless it's really beyond the ministrations of an expert jeweller, then replacement will rarely be necessary.

1. Take care of any watch you wear as best you can
2. When they scratch enough for you to be bothered by it
3. Take them to a jeweller who has heard of jeweller's rouge* and pay them a few quid/bucks to polish out the scratches
4. Problem solved

*This is unlikely to be a mall store where Saturday staff are selling gold chains at £30/$50 a pop. A real jeweller/watch specialist, y'know one with training and experience.

 

[uid15]

This guy is incredibly irritating to watch.

Clever use of words, I like...

----------

MacRumors' community is always an angry bunch.

Why can't we all just be friends? Don't call someone else's $400 watch cheap! They are spending they're hard earned money on a company that you too are supporting. If we go to war with each other and bash our own company's products, you know who wins ... ANDROID.

Plus, Sport buyers can always buy a bunch of ****** screen protectors with the $200 they saved. Heh heh

So you're the guy who fell for the whole "The forum is a community" briefing? Lol... if you say so.

 

[Soccertess]

Well, if you go to a Rolex dealer, an actual (we don't like discussing price) one. You know, the places where you have to bend over before they hand you the bill.

They charge $200 for a sapphire glass replacement (including labor).

My BMW windshield costs 900 dollars to replace... My Toyota (which windshiled is far superior in quality, 450 at dealership....

Took my BMW to a european repair shop, they order the windshield from BMW, and did it for 600 (same product). Rolex dealers I would assume charge a premium. So the value of the shappire display shouldn't be measured on dealership replacement.

All i was getting at was that the cost difference might not be that extreme. I remember people posting cost estimates fro shappire displays vs gorilla glass 4 (i think) and was surprised at how little difference..

 

[uid15]

Well, ya never know when your going to forget that square of sandpaper in your pocket, briefcase or backpack and then you go digging for something and viola! Your shinny new watch is all scratched. I can't tell you how many watches I've destroyed this way.

Et viola!

 

[Soccertess]

I don't really understand why some people keep commenting on mark up when they don't know the facts.

Apple spent years developing this product from the ground up. Millions spent in R&D, millions spent in going from nothing to a watch ready to sell. Just the link bracelet has 100 parts and takes nine hours to construct.

.

Sounds like a die hard apple fan defending about without any real intelligent thought. Could it actually be that Apple has a huge contribution margin and will have a huge successful product, and the difference between sapphire or ion glass might not be that big. I don't know, but either do you. Logic would dictate that it is just as much speculation that the change in contribution margin would break the profitability on this product (which you are insinuating).

Yes, Apple has R&D, but really, the richest company in the world can't handle the impacts... Once the estimated contribution margin per product comes out by third parties we will see... but I suspect the cost difference is not that drastic.

I hardly believe your rant about R&D and the world would fall. I also don't believe that the ion glass is that bad and will probably not be an issue for most people, but may be a small nuisance. Again, the world won't fall but I bet third parties will love it and sell screen protectors...

Try and keep an open mind and not blindly defend, it's ok to be critical and it's ok to think different...

 

[RogerWilco]

Wow. Saddest part about that story is that you paid someone for a sapphire crystal and didn't get one...

Sure, Movado is well known for cutting corners and misrepresenting their products.

Bottom line is my expensive sapphire watch got scratched. Yes, sapphire is much harder than glass, but it will scratch.

 

[pee jay bee]

Sure, Movado is well known for cutting corners and misrepresenting their products.

Bottom line is my expensive sapphire watch got scratched. Yes, sapphire is much harder than glass, but it will scratch.

Dunno, I've got a 1970's Rado - it's pretty beaten up but the faceted / pronounced sapphire part is spotless!