Jony Ive Reveals Exclusive Apple Watch Sport Bands at Milan Design Week

[RogerWilco]

You're not a target for ANY of Apple's current offering, so the comment is superfluous. If anything, you'd be even less a target for Apple'S offering in the 1980-1990s, which were in general even MORE expensive proportionally.

That's about the same comment as saying; what about the poor children in Africa, why don't they all get an Iphone (or even any phone)? what makes your depressed town more worthy than them? So, this kind of argument is basically pointless.

Are you claiming that Apple is now a company concerned only with vagaries and tastes of customers in the upper echelons of society? If true this is a radical change from the past. I think you might be an elitist, and so full of "yourself" that you float in a bathtub. Not atypical from the attitudes of many I encounter in dealings on the east and west coasts.

 

[dgdosen]

Why are they changing the bands offered now - even before people are getting the watches?

The only reason to have not had these in the first place is if Apple thinks they can sell more. That means they're not selling as many as they want.

I also see a bit of manufactured 'scarcity' in that they're not going to have items in retail until June. No matter - I'm sure everyone and anyone who wants a watch will get one by the end of June - Apple's Fiscal Quarter End.

 

[Keirasplace]

Are you claiming that Apple is now a company concerned only with vagaries and tastes of customers in the upper echelons of society? If true this is a radical change from the past. I think you might be an elitist, and so full of "yourself" that you float in a bathtub. Not atypical from the attitudes of many I encounter in dealings on the east and west coasts.

This not a "radical change" at all. Steve Jobs was some rich bohemian hippie. His company reflected his ethos. That's well documented.

Who the hell do you think bought 6K mac (2015) money in the 1980s? Was Apple making computers for the masses? Not one second. They were making computers for the richest of society (probably the top 15-20%); that's a fact. Middle class people bought C64' (like my family) not Macs.

BTW, I never bought Apple products in the 1980s and 1990s because they were too expensive for me. Doesn't mean I didn't appreciate what they brought or hated people who could afford them.

The same sentiment you express now (with just the same words), have been expressed 10, 20, years ago about Apple. Nothing new. Build a better straw man next time.

 

[houstonche]

You missed the point. I said they've gone too far with it. Having celebrities advertise isn't a bad thing until you take it too far. Seeing pictures of anorexic models on magazine covers and fashion shows wearing the watch leaves me with negative feelings towards the product and Apple, not positive. If the marketing works on you though, cool. I suspect for many it does not.

So maybe I'm sheltered, but the only place I'm seeing apple watches in the wild is from news articles posted on these sites...

 

[ginkobiloba]

Please see Macrumors Thread 500.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

I've only read 3 pages of that thread but it's amazing... Nothing has changed in 14 years !

 

[Michael Scrip]

Because it's been cited as bad for business several times over. From Costco to Aldi's to Apple less is more.

http://www.businessinsider.com/too-many-choices-are-bad-for-business-2012-12

Very interesting TED Talk... thanks for the link!

Ok I get it. The current iPhone has 90 SKUs. But even still... it shouldn't be too overwhelming to pick one. (remember... people buy over 800,000 iPhones every day... it can't be that hard!)

Do you want an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus? That should be the easiest decision of all.

Now choose a color... silver, gold or space gray. Again... that shouldn't rack your brain.

Now choose the carrier. You're probably already on some carrier already... so you'll probably stay with them. If not... it will require some research into the different carrier options (and those are outside of Apple's responsibility)

And finally choose a capacity. That might require some more thought to predict how much space you might need over the next couple years... but it's still pretty straightforward. Bigger capacity means you can store more stuff.

In short... all of those choices are logical and easy to comprehend.

Yes... there are 90 total iPhone 6 and 6 Plus SKUs... but you don't approach it like that. You start with 2 choices for the model... then 3 choices for the color... then 5 choices for the carrier... then 3 choices for capacity.

You do not see all 90 iPhones at once.

But she's right... I'd die if I saw 90 different kinds of mayonnaise on a shelf

You can't possibly tell the difference between all that mayonnaise by simply looking at them in the jar.

But choosing colors or capacities is much simpler and straightforward.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Very interesting TED Talk... thanks for the link!

Ok I get it. The current iPhone has 90 SKUs. But even still... it shouldn't be too overwhelming to pick one. (remember... people buy over 800,000 iPhones every day... it can't be that hard!)

Do you want an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus? That should be the easiest decision of all.

Now choose a color... silver, gold or space gray. Again... that shouldn't rack your brain.

Now choose the carrier. You're probably already on some carrier already... so you'll probably stay with them. If not... it will require some research into the different carrier options (and those are outside of Apple's responsibility)

And finally choose a capacity. That might require some more thought to predict how much space you might need over the next couple years... but it's still pretty straightforward. Bigger capacity means you can store more stuff.

In short... all of those choices are logical and easy to comprehend.

Yes... there are 90 total iPhone 6 and 6 Plus SKUs... but you don't approach it like that. You start with 2 choices for the model... then 3 choices for the color... then 5 choices for the carrier... then 3 choices for capacity.

You do not see all 90 iPhones at once.

But she's right... I'd die if I saw 90 different kinds of mayonnaise on a shelf

You can't possibly tell the difference between all that mayonnaise by simply looking at them in the jar.

But choosing colors or capacities is much simpler and straightforward.

Off topic, but the 90 different kinds of mayo brought back a memory of a Russian restaurant in suburban Boston many years back. They had over 70 different kinds of vodka.

Ok, back to topic. With the Apple watch, you do get to see a lot of the combinations on display.

 

[BlueMoon63]

MacRumors keep doing what you're doing!

Won't do any good... he won't go anywhere. He needs the attention.

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ITs called the planet were he is selling 350M devices a year and makes a mint for his company : planet earth.

And the stock holders It's what publicly traded companies have to do... no matter what anyone says, the bottom line is the shareholders. Without them, you are nothing or you go private and hide your earnings. The part that people seem to miss is that Apple keeps selling their products for more than competing companies and they keep selling and making millions. Why? Their products are just better and superior craftsmanship.

 

[midwestfisherma]

It cracks me up how Ive and Apple try to make this out as some trendsetting fashion design breakthrough! Ridiculous!

 

[BlueMoon63]

So maybe I'm sheltered, but the only place I'm seeing apple watches in the wild is from news articles posted on these sites...

It hasn't been released into the wild yet so you and I won't see it yet "out in the wild". We aren't the rich and famous or in Milan.

 

[now i see it]

New Flash -
7-Eleven is now offering it's Big Gulp cups with either red, blue, or green dots on it. The fashion world is abuzz......zzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[flat five]

I've only read 3 pages of that thread but it's amazing... Nothing has changed in 14 years !

some things changed.. it went from 'Steve is insane'.. 'Steve is on drugs'.. 'Steve must have horrible advisors'

-to-

'Steve would never have let this happen'

otherwise, yeah.. everything is the same

 

[Michael Scrip]

Ok, back to topic. With the Apple watch, you do get to see a lot of the combinations on display.

Haha true.

But again... those combinations aren't too difficult to comprehend.

3 Apple watches (well really only 2 unless you're rich...) and a handful of bands.

I've seen shirts that come in more combinations:

Long-sleeve or short-sleeve... V-neck or crew-neck or collared... pocket or no pocket...

Oh and 10 different colors...

I'd love to see these people at a restaurant... their heads must explode!

 

[houstonche]

It hasn't been released into the wild yet so you and I won't see it yet "out in the wild". We aren't the rich and famous or in Milan.

You missed my point. People are so offended and bothered about seeing others wearing it. I'm trying to understand why. If it wasn't for this site I'd have no idea Pharrell and JJ were wearing them. It doesn't really bother me.

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It cracks me up how Ive and Apple try to make this out as some trendsetting fashion design breakthrough! Ridiculous!

People always talk about how "apple just gets it". But this is the first time I've actually been able to recognize it. This is the best campaign to break a smart watch into mainstream, and makes much more sense to me.

Doesn't confirm whether it will work or not, I just find it to be the best strategy to date.

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Wow look at all those beautiful band colors in which Cook has deemed to nice for the general public right now. The affluent get to have watch bands to match there skin tone while the rest of us get bright green. If Jobs would have done a watch you better believe he would have had all those band colors available to everyone on launch day.

Jobs is dead, and we don't know what he would or would not have done.

 

[BornAgainApple]

In the fashion world, she sure dresses pretty conservative...and that's alright by me.

 

[houstonche]

It is a little of both. I'm actually not impressed or happy with Apple selling a fashion item instead of utility products. It is partly manipulative and the Edition is catering to the economic elite. I'm just saying that Apple has been accused of selling a fashionable set of computers and phones, but I always thought they were just well designed and very functional. The watch is all those things, but Apple is showing how it sells products as a fashion item. This is what Apple was accused of doing for the last half dozen or so years. And this is completely different than how it marketed the iPhone or iPad.

So is apple not allowed to sell a gold watch?

I just don't get it. Apple has made something that competes with expensive real estate, where people's tastes has a huge impact on a person's purchasing decision. It's a significantly different market that they've ventured into.

My only complaint, if any, would be that they should have probably been more up front about the cost early on so that fewer people would have been letdown by the pricing.

Perhaps I've just misunderstood your stance on the issue.

 

[jcmeyer5]

Umberta Gnutti poses with a tray of multi-colored phallic symbols. Who says Apple's industrial design is sterile?

Yeah... And they are modeled after Jony Ive's junk.

 

[houstonche]

Have I been in a coma? I've never associated Apple with "affordability" Apple has always been a sort of elitists brand. But one that everyone agrees with because their hardware and software integration is bar none as well as their motto of not cramming crap 3rd party software onto your gear like all the other manufacturers did (moreso back in the 90's and early 2000s)

But Apple products have always had a slight premium over every competitive product.

I personally don't like the direction they have taken though with the Apple Watch. It seems now more about the status symbol of the device rather than the technology. As shown by hiring the former CEO of Burberry and now doing these fashion shows. It seems Apple is taking on a bit of the Beats approach of making flashy gear that works "ok" rather than purely making the "best" gear. Don't misconstrue my words though. I'm not saying that the Apple Watch is bad like previous gen Beat headphones but I'm saying the emphasis is more on the flashiness (Gold watches, $7k watchbands, fashion shows) and the celebrity endorsements than letting the technology speak for itself.

In my opinion, letting the technology speak for itself would likely result in a flop. They need to win on the "fashion front" for this to stick long term. but for me the biggest disadvantage is not having the screen always illuminated.

 

[MrXiro]

In my opinion, letting the technology speak for itself would likely result in a flop. They need to win on the "fashion front" for this to stick long term. but for me the biggest disadvantage is not having the screen always illuminated.

I just mean that they're marketing it too much in the fashion market and they're alienating a huge chunk of their core users; which in my opinion are the younger people. The average college student to early 30 year old crowd that is still not quite successful yet. Hence why there is so much Smart Watch hate out there. It's slightly too expensive and feels like it's more "part of the system" than the rebel "I'm a Mac" type campaign they had years ago. Maybe that will come later, but I just feel like this should be a device that they want on the wrist of every college student rather than on rich execs.

I don't know about you but I don't view rich executives as hip and trendy, but more out of touch and douchey... and I'm hitting 35 this year... I especially mean this with the colorful sports bands they are showing off in Milan. They don't even look like a fashion item, but like what your average teen wears these days.

 

[Keirasplace]

I just mean that they're marketing it too much in the fashion market and they're alienating a huge chunk of their core users; which in my opinion are the younger people. The average college student to early 30 year old crowd that is still not quite successful yet. Hence why there is so much Smart Watch hate out there. It's slightly too expensive and feels like it's more "part of the system" than the rebel "I'm a Mac" type campaign they had years ago. Maybe that will come later, but I just feel like this should be a device that they want on the wrist of every college student rather than on rich execs.

I don't know about you but I don't view rich executives as hip and trendy, but more out of touch and douchey... and I'm hitting 35 this year... I especially mean this with the colorful sports bands they are showing off in Milan. They don't even look like a fashion item, but like what your average teen wears these days.

Really, alienating.... So, those students will buy worse phones just because they heard through the grape vine Apple gave a few watches to a few high profile people? You think most students are that connected to, care enough about, this kind of information?

The only people who would be thus alienated would be people who couch their identity in being: anti-conformists, anarchists or very leftists and techno geeks. The usual suspects of Apple haters btw; many of these already don't own anything Apple and never will.

Everyone else won't give a flying hoot. The fact Apple products have always been seen as elitists and overpriced by some group (this is an ancient complaint, I remember it from the 1980s to even the early 2000s), and more and more students buy them proves just that.

You do know that young folks of means actually buy a lot of very expensive branded wares of all kind don't you. How do you think brands like Lulu-lemon and Gap made their billions?

The option for those "alienated" people would be cheaply built, poorly thought out, Android or windows devices, built by multi-national corporations with often worse environmental or labor records; not exactly something they'd want to endorse either.

I think you yourself are out of touch with those students if you think they give a crap about all of this, which is based on a few sightings (which 99% won't have seen or heard about) and a few more fashion magazine expose (which is not directed at them at all).

The focus of the two announcements were all mostly on the watches function and Apple's current TV commercials and the internet, is what most would have seen. All of these show a classy useful product of very high quality. That's the message of teens, college students that are the actual targets for this will have got from it.

 

[laurim]

Why are they changing the bands offered now - even before people are getting the watches?

The only reason to have not had these in the first place is if Apple thinks they can sell more. That means they're not selling as many as they want.

I also see a bit of manufactured 'scarcity' in that they're not going to have items in retail until June. No matter - I'm sure everyone and anyone who wants a watch will get one by the end of June - Apple's Fiscal Quarter End.

Design shows like this show things that are coming in the future, not things that are already here.

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I just mean that they're marketing it too much in the fashion market and they're alienating a huge chunk of their core users; which in my opinion are the younger people. The average college student to early 30 year old crowd that is still not quite successful yet. Hence why there is so much Smart Watch hate out there. It's slightly too expensive and feels like it's more "part of the system" than the rebel "I'm a Mac" type campaign they had years ago. Maybe that will come later, but I just feel like this should be a device that they want on the wrist of every college student rather than on rich execs.

I don't know about you but I don't view rich executives as hip and trendy, but more out of touch and douchey... and I'm hitting 35 this year... I especially mean this with the colorful sports bands they are showing off in Milan. They don't even look like a fashion item, but like what your average teen wears these days.

What hate? My nephew says he'll probably get one. He works in IT for a medical services company. I would be very disappointed if Apple became yet another company who only cares about what kids want.

 

[pmbooks]

Wow, super important stuff.

[whispered] Exclusive....

Feels so much like Apple's selling itself out to fashion, and at the higher end, a collusion with the so-called 1%, the uberwealthy.

 

[kettle]

Ouch. Maybe you should just stop visiting the site. Especially if this is your attitude towards the products of the company that MacRumors reports on.

oh get real - this is an example of where Apple stops being a computer company because everything has one.

What we need now is the leading edge of why - for technology

 

[flat five]

Your reading comprehension skills certainly do not match your lofty ambitions to be a troll or you're simply confusing interest with hate.

I'm complaining about this non-story, the micro coverage of every ponderous color gradient and minutia of a flippin' wristband that's no different in it's function or usefulness than the last and, more so, the general direction that front page rumors here are going. The watchband is the catalyst of my disappointment not an object of interest.

probably a bit of both.. (amateurish trolling and not completely comprehending your pov) srry.

---
i do think someone buying/using the brand could get apple news once a quarter or once a month at most and be totally fine and up to date.. and that all the other stuff in between is for entertainment purposes only (ie- coming here every day).. i also think it's quite ridiculous when people get so bent out of shape over this stuff.. but that's just my opinions and i suppose i should quit questioning other people's motives because it's really none of my business.. but it's entertaining at least.. in a realityTV sort of way.
(ie- not something i'd consider good entertainment )

 

[doelcm82]

In my opinion, letting the technology speak for itself would likely result in a flop. They need to win on the "fashion front" for this to stick long term. but for me the biggest disadvantage is not having the screen always illuminated.

It's too late to know if it would have been a flop if Apple had decided to sell it the same way they sell computers and iPods.