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Is the watch overpriced?

Crazy Matt

Crazy Matt

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 20, 2015
346
73
USA
I'm a diehard Apple fan and I'm looking for honest answers.

I own a iPad Mini 2, iPhone 5s, MacBook Air 11" 2014 and now an Apple Watch SS BCB 38mm.

My iPad and iPhone I feel were well worth the money, the MacBook a little questionable but I do love it.

Now the watch. First off I love the watch. Is it necessary?, no. Is it handy and do what I anticipated and want?, absolutely. Am I glad I bought one?, yes.

The build quilty and functionality of the watch is great in my opinion. And I think it's very stylish.

My watch was $705 total including tax. This is what I feel is not a fair price, but for what I wanted in appearance this is what I had to spend.

I guess what gets me the most is the $149 for the BCB band, is that not crazy?!

I do feel however the $349 for the 38mm Sport is fair, the $399 for the 42 is ok too but pushing it. And the stainless steel starts really pushing the envelope.

Another thing. The packaging for the stainless is off the hook nice, beautiful! It was really something when I got the box and felt the weight of it, I thought for sure there must have been 3 or 4 watches in that box!! Lol so the "unboxing" experience was very pleasant to say the least, and usually is with any Apple product, agreed?

Having said that though, my box now sits in a closet with all the other lonely Apple boxes, lol. Maybe I should start a display of Apple packaging! The packaging for the watch must have been expensive, does anyone one wish they had lowered the price of the watch and put it less attractive packaging?

I hope everyone is enjoying their watches. I know I am. Just that price?! Please don't tell my wife how much I spent!!! Lol

Good day all #
 
Actually I feel the opposite. The Sport looks plastic and cheap, like a $199-$299 device at best. The SS actually looks quite nice and could warrant the $600 price tag. The issue I have is that I like link bands and the only one offered is $950-$1,100 depending on color and size.

And so I feel that on the SS the bands are overpriced. I hate the idea that tech that by nature has planned obsolescence, unlike a Tag or Movado or other 'timepiece' has such a price to it. One could say "I'll get the Link and when I replace the watch every 2? years I can still keep my band." Except we don't know how well the band will hold up and whether Apple will pull a design switch and make future watches incompatible with current bands.

I will also say as Lefty and someone who really loves Apple aesthetics, I do not understand why the crown isn't centered with the button on the other side. This would make it much more symmetrical, visually pleasing, and make it look identical regardless of orientation.

See concept here: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/21174829/
 
Last edited:
I do agree, it does feel overpriced. I'm sure part of that is because we've become accustomed to subsidized phones ending up costing is $0-$200.

While I do feel the watch is probably overpriced, I didn't care. Hubby and I have our budget set up where we have our own "allowance" money... I had more than enough saved in mine to pay for the watch. I started thinking of getting the sport model, then wanted the milanese loop... so thought about ordering that as a replacement band, but by the time I did that it wasn't all that much more to just go ahead and get the SS milanese version.

So, yep, it was extravagant - but I wanted the watch... I don't like any other smart watches that are out there - the Apple Watch is the only one I really like and wanted.
 
Based on the supply they have and the demand the watches are clearly underpriced.
 
I don't think it's overpriced.

It's a new product line in a very tiny package and they do have to recoup R&D costs, which were quite substantial, one has to assume.

I think that people really are used to subsidizes from carriers for iPhones.

I guess it doesn't faze me because I pay cash for my iPhones.
 
I have never bought an Apple product that wasn't overpriced based strictly on what it did and what it contained. You pay for the brand and the quality and the ecosystem. The watch doesn't feel out of proportion to me, although a couple of the bands do (the link!).
 
Not overpriced as long as....

I think the SS is priced right, as long as they don't product refresh in less than 2 years, I think for the money people are spending to have them upgrade in anything less would be wrong.

I also feel like Apple is way off in their band pricing, 3rd Party bands are going to be the norm...
 
I think Apple will drop the price within this gen or with the next.

Once they drop -$100, all the remaining smartwatches will die off, we will see increased saturation in other retail fashion outlets and more adoption.

At least that seems to be the plan.
 
The Watch is priced exactly right.

The Sport watch is a Fitbit Surge ($250), iPod nano ($129), Bluetooth speaker ($50) and has other features and it costs less than all of them combined.

the Stainless version is for those who want to spend a bit more for the look/feel.
 
Armen said:
The Watch is priced exactly right.

The Sport watch is a Fitbit Surge ($250), iPod nano ($129), Bluetooth speaker ($50) and has other features and it costs less than all of them combined.

the Stainless version is for those who want to spend a bit more for the look/feel.
Click to expand...

it is not an iPod nano and it is certainly not a bluetooth speaker. If it is an iPod nano, it should have at least 24 hours playback time. And you have to pay extra to pair with bluetooth headphone, another device to charge.

Fitbit Surge itself may not even sell well at all.

I think it is obviously overpriced for what you get. I am sure most people will find the watch to be mostly dispensable, while their phones are necessary for their day to day life. Also, if a $400 watch doesn't come with sapphire, oh yea, it is overpriced.
 
roland.g said:
Actually I feel the opposite. The Sport looks plastic and cheap, like a $199-$299 device at best. The SS actually looks quite nice and could warrant the $600 price tag. The issue I have is that I like link bands and the only one offered is $950-$1,100 depending on color and size.

And so I feel that on the SS the bands are overpriced. I hate the idea that tech that by nature has planned obsolescence, unlike a Tag or Movado or other 'timepiece' has such a price to it. One could say "I'll get the Link and when I replace the watch every 2? years I can still keep my band." Except we don't know how well the band will hold up and whether Apple will pull a design switch and make future watches incompatible with current bands.

I will also say as Lefty and someone who really loves Apple aesthetics, I do not understand why the crown isn't centered with the button on the other side. This would make it much more symmetrical, visually pleasing, and make it look identical regardless of orientation.

See concept here: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/21174829/
Click to expand...

I agree with you on the price for the sport, but I wouldn't necessarily say they look cheap. Especially to the people who spent their hard earned cash on one, that's just cold. I know it's your opinion but have a little class!
 
I was looking at a Garmin 610. It would give me my times and heart rate right on my wrist for $400. Now it's not a smart watch. But the apple watch will do that starting at 350. Plus it'll give me notifications.

I'm currently torn between the sport and s/s. Being a mailman it could get scratched. I would've liked to seen the s/s model start at 450 but I'm willing to spend the full amount so I don't think the price is too bad.
 
shox2k2 said:
I was looking at a Garmin 610.
Click to expand...

Garmin 610 is not a mass market product. Niche product, specialty products can be priced higher. If Apple want mass market success with Apple watch, it cannot be compared to these other specialty products. Plus, the Apple watch really do not offer too much that are unique to justify this price.
 
Apple-of-my-eye said:
I do agree, it does feel overpriced. I'm sure part of that is because we've become accustomed to subsidized phones ending up costing is $0-$200.

While I do feel the watch is probably overpriced, I didn't care. Hubby and I have our budget set up where we have our own "allowance" money... I had more than enough saved in mine to pay for the watch. I started thinking of getting the sport model, then wanted the milanese loop... so thought about ordering that as a replacement band, but by the time I did that it wasn't all that much more to just go ahead and get the SS milanese version.

So, yep, it was extravagant - but I wanted the watch... I don't like any other smart watches that are out there - the Apple Watch is the only one I really like and wanted.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think the price of the bands is what I have the biggest problem with. However, I've never shopped for bands before and don't know where these prices fall in. But, I have bought a lot of leather goods before and the $149 for the classic leather band seems high given its build quality, ie: not much in the way of stitching etc.
 
Price

I experienced sticker shock when I first saw the prices of the watches. After reading the reviews and seeing the watches I'm okay with the prices now, but the bands are still highly priced IMHO.
 
$399 for an iPad 2 level APU, heart rate monitor, force touch, etc.

I don't see a problem with this given there are so many new technologies built into the watch.
 
McDaddio said:
Based on the supply they have and the demand the watches are clearly underpriced.
Click to expand...


Do you think so? I think it more like the other poster said, "I wanted it and didn't care about the price". $705 is a big chunk of change, too me. But, I WANTED IT!! Lol
 
The question of whether it is overpriced or not isn't a single truth - it depends on each user. For someone who gets tons of notifications every day and finds a quick glance at their watch to triage what does and doesn't need immediate attention and who uses it to then prioritize tasks, who is active and wants to keep on top of fitness targets, activity patterns, exercise and challenges, who has their iPhone in a location that is out of immediate reach or where picking up their phone to look at it would be an issue for any number of reasons, who likes a timepiece which is versatile in information delivery and is very customizable, who wants wrist-based glances at important information such as weather, local restaurants, walking directions etc, or who is simply a tech-junkie looking for a new and rather clever toy, then no, it's far from overpriced.

For a user who just wants to know the time, it's a very poor choice and a waste of money.

In-between, the various shades of 'need' determine whether for each individual, it's a good price or not.
 
I really feel like they got the prices right for both the sport and the watch. I am surprised the watch does not actually cost more.
 
phytonix said:
it is not an iPod nano and it is certainly not a bluetooth speaker. If it is an iPod nano, it should have at least 24 hours playback time. And you have to pay extra to pair with bluetooth headphone, another device to charge.

Fitbit Surge itself may not even sell well at all.

I think it is obviously overpriced for what you get. I am sure most people will find the watch to be mostly dispensable, while their phones are necessary for their day to day life. Also, if a $400 watch doesn't come with sapphire, oh yea, it is overpriced.
Click to expand...

If you say so. Maybe the 2-3 million people who bought one will return it because its "overpriced".
 
bunnicula said:
I don't think it's overpriced.

It's a new product line in a very tiny package and they do have to recoup R&D costs, which were quite substantial, one has to assume.

I think that people really are used to subsidizes from carriers for iPhones.

I guess it doesn't faze me because I pay cash for my iPhones.
Click to expand...

True. I've thought about the R&D and other cost too.
 
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