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Apple Watch Ultra Repairs Cost $499 Without AppleCare+
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It is.. I said earlier that I actually think Ultra is a much better deal compared to previous Editions which cost almost the same as Ultra, yet brought nothing but nicer exterior.
Maybe if I’m a professional diver or explorer, I’d get one. But for my purpose I’ll just get the regular 8 and get whatever newest AW available if it breaks post warranty.
I’ve scratched every AW I’ve owned. I’d rather have peace of mind while owning this watch for the next 3 years or longer potentially.
Given that this is dubbed as the "more rugged" Apple Watch, I'm challenged to think what you'd need to do to this thing in order to need repairs. My Stainless AW feels nearly indestructible and this thing looks even tougher.
I also have concerns about protruded Titanium body surrounding the wheel. That may look tough, but potentially could accumulate gunks and dirts over time that may get in the way of operating the Watch.
With the standard AW you could just get a piece of paper and clean it all the way. Not so much with that protrude.
The repair costs and also the AppleCare prices are even more ridiculous, if you keep in mind that the competition like Xiaomi has watched under $100 that do most of the things that an Apple Watch does: Fitness tracking, heart monitoring, sleep tracking, notifications from your phone and over TWO WEEKS of battery life with a single charge. Of course it is not as shiny as a Apple Watch, but it is so cheap that if it breaks, you just order a new one.
It costs less than a single year of AppleCare for the Apple Watch Ultra. So instead of repairing or replacing an overpriced Apple product after it has already broken once, you could just switch to your Mi Watch for most of the task you used your Apple Watch for.
36 or 60 hours of battery life seem a lot for an Apple Watch, but if you really want to do an exploration far away from civilization, 60 hours will not get your very far. So a mountain climber, who needs several days to climb a major mountain, either needs a ways to recharge the battery on the mountain (maybe little solar panels) or buy a watch from the competition that really offers a long battery life.
A watch usually is something that you use for more than just a few years, but after a few hundred charging cycles the non-removable battery already degrades noticably. So if a charching cycle is two weeks, that degrading also happens much later.
It costs less than a single year of AppleCare for the Apple Watch Ultra. So instead of repairing or replacing an overpriced Apple product after it has already broken once, you could just switch to your Mi Watch for most of the task you used your Apple Watch for.
36 or 60 hours of battery life seem a lot for an Apple Watch, but if you really want to do an exploration far away from civilization, 60 hours will not get your very far. So a mountain climber, who needs several days to climb a major mountain, either needs a ways to recharge the battery on the mountain (maybe little solar panels) or buy a watch from the competition that really offers a long battery life.
A watch usually is something that you use for more than just a few years, but after a few hundred charging cycles the non-removable battery already degrades noticably. So if a charching cycle is two weeks, that degrading also happens much later.
Granite walls can slice like little razors. Rock climbing - with the routine need to stick one's wrist into a crack in a granite wall - would certainly seem to be overly abusive for any watch. I subjected a Seiko dive watch to every other activity, but always took it off before high-angle climbing.
Too bad I did not get your sage wisdom sooner. I already ordered an Ultra...
Apple Watches (which I love) are a consumable. They do not last much more than 5 years, same as smart phones, and Airpods. I’m surprised there is no Apple+ max subscription or lease plan that provides you with the whole shebang for $100-200 per month. Because that’s what it amounts to if you calculate the total cost of ownership…
A mechanical watch is a piece of jewelry that needs maintenance and repair. Take care of it and you can leave it in your will for your grand children…
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Yeah, as if that thing didn't already have a $650 margin. The mere existence of Apple Care instead of the company offering a 10 year warranty on any product out of pride for their longevity goes a long way. I wouldn't mind if they actually still innovated. Unfortunately, since the original iPhone they've only copied themselves and others. iPad is a large iPhone and AW a small one.
The fact this is your standard for an atrocity (atrocious) is baffling to me. This is a bit salty of a reaction when I would bet most of your experiences were with people who had no intention to do so.
Be more self assured and confident. Don’t worry so much about the choices of others. You may live longer. ☺️
That`s rough, i saw there are screws on the bottom of the sensor lid, you would expect to make it easy to repair stuff.....
Haha, that reminds me of the times when cellphones became a thing. Corrected for inflation cellphone were more expensive than the most expensive iPhones today, and some people wanted to show off. The problem was that nobody was calling them, as calling a cellphone was VERY expensive - like more than $1 per minute. Gladly for those pricks there were services that offered to call them at the right time. So if they wanted to impress a friend or coworker (or a woman) they ordered a call just at the perfect time. Then the cellphone rang and they could feel important.
As I mentioned in the other thread about cases, showing off with a product that "only" costs a few hundred or thousand Euros, does not show that your are rich, but that you want to appear rich and are likely poor. Why would a REALLY rich person need to impress others with an iPhone?
There was a meme saying "The poor man owns an iPhone, the rich man owns Apple shares".
That’s a good one! But really, if one owns Apple shares, he/she could’ve easily afford any Apple products at any cost. No harm in helping your share afloat by contributing to sales.
“Rich people watches” are at least $25K+. Apple Watch Ultra is a premium consumer product, not a luxury item.
Scratching it does not prevent functionality. I like my rugged gear to be filled with scratches! It means I put it to good use. Every single little scratch will have a story to tell. New untouched shiny polished watches are so boring!
repairing this watch cost nowhere close to $500. they're just trying to force you into buying their insurance
Yeah, people claiming this is a watch for rich people to show off literally have no clue what proper sports watches cost... I genuinely was expecting the ultra to start at $999 considering what it does plus the Apple premium. As in the range of "expensive watches"... nah, that's what the Hermes models and many many other non-Apple watches worth a few grants are for...
Here's a bit of insight: people out in the field don't care how they look. It needs to be practical, not fashionable. Ever actually seen the size of a dive computer? Any other existing outdoor watch?
This watch isn't supposed to be for you merely going to the office or sitting around sipping lattes.
Kinda in line with my comment right above, this watch isn't targeted at collectors...
People in the outdoors are meticulous about their gear and will clean it thourougly upon returning. Every single time. With more than just a mere cloth quickly wiping it down. It's pretty much standard procedure.
For example, I work on and near the ocean. We thouroughly clean equipment every single day with rubbing alcohol and q tips. This design will not accumulate gunks and dirts over time any more than any other equpiment that isn't perfectly flat without even a single ridge or gap...
zero.
With that said, my wife nearly shattered her screen on the edge of a pool - misjudged it.
but... did not.