Hey, I wouldn’t have bought it except it was less than $400 and I’ve never seen a new-in-box titanium that cheap! Otherwise I’d just be rocking my Ultra 2.
…this isn’t helping my non-show off status, is it?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Ceramic Case Could Return With Apple Watch Series 12
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
…this isn’t helping my non-show off status, is it?
TheKerremenke
macrumors regular
Same here. I would immediately exchange my ultra 2 for a white Ceramic Apple Watch 12
Been thinking about changing it for a series 5 ceramic, but it’s to expensive for its age. Also no more new software support was also bothersome.
lilkwarrior
macrumors 6502a
For athletes it’s a huge downgrade and worse it’s remarkably easy shattering doing stuff like hiking, swimming, and other demanding sports the Ultras are primarily for
awshucks
macrumors 6502a
I adore the look of Ceramic but part of me wishes it wouldn't come out just so I wouldn't feel the need to upgrade from my gold titanium Series 11.
Vincent Hanna
Suspended
I think there's a bigger picture here that the rumored return of the Apple Watch Edition fits into very neatly.
I think we are seeing the rapid escalation of Apple's luxury strategy: a strategy uniquely positioned to counter the RAMpocalypse in a way that ends up benefitting ALL Apple customers, even (especially?) low end buyers. A strategy that no other hardware manufacturer can copy.
It has already been true for two decades that there is a class of buyer that is price-insensitive: they are going to buy "the best" iPhone or 'the best" Apple Watch or even "the best" AirPods, and it doesn't matter how much they cost. These buyers have been artificially capped at the traditional high end of Apples product matrix. The iPhone Pro Max is $1,300, the Apple Watch Ultra is $800, and AirPods Pro are only $250. Apple is leaving money on the table with every one of these buyers. And there are a LOT more of them, world wide, than tech enthusiasts would imagine. These people live in a different world.
Now I'm not talking about the lunacy of the original gold Apple Watch for $25K, I'm talking about the new iPhone Ultra that is going to start at $2,000 and top out at $3,500. Maybe the Apple Watch Ultra goes up to $1000. And the Ceramic Edition returns at $2000, $4000 with an Hermes band. And AirPods Pro with infrared cameras, AI, and advanced health tracking are $500.
Apple leans into the K-shaped economy and starts pulling maximum revenues and profit margin from this class of buyer, that actually up until now has been under-monetized. Apple herds more of their profit margin into these low volume, very high price products, and uses the extra revenue to keep prices on the lower models at what will then be best-in-class: the Neo stays at $700, the base Apple Watch stays at $250, base iPad stays at $450, base AirPods at $130.
Microsoft and Google and Dell and Samsung have no ability to copy this strategy, and their products will keep having price increases every 90 days, until they are more expensive than Apple's entry-level stuff.
TL;DR: Apple is creating and emphasizing ultra-premium tiers of their consumer product lines to capture unrealized profit margin, that in turn will subsidize the low cost of their entry-level products that competitors will have no answer to as the component crisis extends and deepens.
I think we are seeing the rapid escalation of Apple's luxury strategy: a strategy uniquely positioned to counter the RAMpocalypse in a way that ends up benefitting ALL Apple customers, even (especially?) low end buyers. A strategy that no other hardware manufacturer can copy.
It has already been true for two decades that there is a class of buyer that is price-insensitive: they are going to buy "the best" iPhone or 'the best" Apple Watch or even "the best" AirPods, and it doesn't matter how much they cost. These buyers have been artificially capped at the traditional high end of Apples product matrix. The iPhone Pro Max is $1,300, the Apple Watch Ultra is $800, and AirPods Pro are only $250. Apple is leaving money on the table with every one of these buyers. And there are a LOT more of them, world wide, than tech enthusiasts would imagine. These people live in a different world.
Now I'm not talking about the lunacy of the original gold Apple Watch for $25K, I'm talking about the new iPhone Ultra that is going to start at $2,000 and top out at $3,500. Maybe the Apple Watch Ultra goes up to $1000. And the Ceramic Edition returns at $2000, $4000 with an Hermes band. And AirPods Pro with infrared cameras, AI, and advanced health tracking are $500.
Apple leans into the K-shaped economy and starts pulling maximum revenues and profit margin from this class of buyer, that actually up until now has been under-monetized. Apple herds more of their profit margin into these low volume, very high price products, and uses the extra revenue to keep prices on the lower models at what will then be best-in-class: the Neo stays at $700, the base Apple Watch stays at $250, base iPad stays at $450, base AirPods at $130.
Microsoft and Google and Dell and Samsung have no ability to copy this strategy, and their products will keep having price increases every 90 days, until they are more expensive than Apple's entry-level stuff.
TL;DR: Apple is creating and emphasizing ultra-premium tiers of their consumer product lines to capture unrealized profit margin, that in turn will subsidize the low cost of their entry-level products that competitors will have no answer to as the component crisis extends and deepens.
Last edited:
TigerNike23
macrumors 65816
Perhaps to spark excitement about a 2 year old case design?
Traverse
macrumors 604
I alway regretting not being able to afford the ceramic watch before. I would absolutely repurchase it if offered again.
UltimateSyn
macrumors 603
A modern white ceramic Apple Watch would be amazing, hope it's this year and not next.
Hallelujah!! I’ll still keep my S5 but will be ordering the new one as soon as it’s offered!!
thebarrkbyte
macrumors member
The Apple Watch has reached the end of its innovation line and is now in the minor updates, aesthetic changes of the iPhone.
Leobreaker
macrumors member
Dang the ceramic was awesome...hope we see some more wild things coming from the watch line, especially with that screenless tracker rumor.
Abazigal
Contributor
I loved the smooth, white finish of the Series 5 watch. Ultimately, I just couldn't justify going with anything other than the entry level sports model, given that this is ultimately a wrist computer that you will end up replacing every 4-5 years. They all still have the same internals under the hood, and will lose support at the same time.
Given the recent fallout where owners of the Apple Watch Ultra were complaining of support for their watch being cut short (The Series 2 won't get watchOS 27), I don't see this being too popular.
macduke
Suspended
All this tells me is ceramic must be cheaper than titanium now, so it will replace that in the Apple Watch lineup.
I hope they don’t get rid of titanium on the Ultra!
I hope they don’t get rid of titanium on the Ultra!
And when Apple doesn’t do it, “Apple had last minute production issues which meant they couldn’t do what they thought they could.” Not, “Whelp, that’s what happens when I make stuff up!”
I agree. Useful for the basics, but I think that all-glass wouldn't be a good option for the great outdoors.
muasachi
macrumors regular
I have a 10; titanium w/gold finish. This year I’m going to U4.
I can justify $800 or so for a watch every other year. $1300, no.
I can justify $800 or so for a watch every other year. $1300, no.
Black Belt
macrumors 65816
Another failure by Macrumors editors the Titanium continued in the series 7 watch which I have right now. Check your facts
The Tiranium was the best version.
The Tiranium was the best version.
