Obsolete in one year.

[fitshaced]

I would guess that they will be upgradeable but only in store or by a certified retailer and also only for the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition. Actually, the Apple Watch edition might come with a complimentary future upgrade. It might even be a brand new watch if they trade their original.

 

[Tycho24]

Generally you seem to lose the least money thru ownership by buying the lowest model.

I believe people found with iPad's it was far easier to recoup much more their initial purchase price with a 16GB wifi model, than the 64GB 3G Model.

There will be more people who just want a watch for the lowest possible price, so if you buy for say $349 you could probably sell for $299 even for some time. (I'm guessing there)

If you buy a model that costs say $1499, it would probably be harder to sell it for $1449

Bravo!
I may get an SS at some point, but this is precisely why I would not even consider the gold model. I like that keeping my Apple gear up to date is cheap... as you said: $50 per year can keep you in the latest with that kind of resale value!

 

[rjlawrencejr]

Personally I think it's too much of a gamble. I'm going to wait comfortably for the second generation. Being a new category of device for Apple, no matter how well they researched the market and features to include, I feel their may be a very big improvement in the second one after seeing how people are using the original as well as learning from all the bugs that are bound to plague the first gen model.

You think $350 is much of a gamble? I'm not saying it's an insignificant amount of money, but I never thought of it as breaking the bank either. Not to mention you would recoup a portion of your purchase should you decide to sell it.

 

[thekev]

Bravo!
I may get an SS at some point, but this is precisely why I would not even consider the gold model. I like that keeping my Apple gear up to date is cheap... as you said: $50 per year can keep you in the latest with that kind of resale value!

I think it'll be a much sharper dropoff than that. It's only exacerbated with a watch. If you wear it everyday, it will get dinged or scratched.

 

[The Doctor11]

Well there has been some talk about the S1 chip being upgrade able. I think this makes a lot of sense and I think that's what Apple will go with.

 

[smiddlehurst]

Oddly I think the Edition would be the *least* likely to get an upgrade option. Why? Simple, it's primarily going to be bought by people who won't care about dropping thousands on a watch. They're not going to buy as a heirloom but because they want a gold Apple Watch and can afford to get one. When the new one comes out they'll want it for the simple fact it's *new*. Basically these are the customers that support companies like Vertu and have generated a market for consumer electronics costing thousands of pounds where specs are far less important than the materials and exclusivity.

I'm also not convinced it'll be the internals that get upgraded. Instead I'd expect to see the connection system for the bands become a standard in the same way the 30 pin plug did for the iPod / iPhone. Those bands are likely to be more expensive than I think a lot of people are expecting, to the point they may cost more than the base Apple Watch!

It's an odd one, on the one hand if ever there was a product to try a different approach on this would seem to be it. On the other offering a module upgrade requiring potentially millions of users to visit an Apple store seems like a logistical nightmare. It seems (and again this is just guesswork) to be more likely that gen 2 will see standalone watch bodies launched specifically to address the upgrade market, maybe with a trade-in scheme of some sort for the Edition...

 

[Night Spring]

I will admit, I'm not convinced of this.
Trade in yes, reparable yes. Upgradable.....

Agreed. Trade-in, I can see happening. In fact, there's already a trade-in program for iPhones and iPads, and I think for MacBooks. But upgrade... As Piggie said earlier, that will tie their hands too much when developing future watches.

 

[Piggie]

Exactly, and I said this ages and ages ago.
Not that anyone listened

Can you just imagine the logistical nightmare.
Lets say 20 million watches are sold the 1st year.

Apple say just come to out store from tomorrow and you can have your watch upgraded.

Can you even begin to imagine what that would be like?
Perhaps a years worth of owners, just half of them all wanting their watches upgraded.

 

[Donoban]

Exactly, and I said this ages and ages ago.
Not that anyone listened

Can you just imagine the logistical nightmare.
Lets say 20 million watches are sold the 1st year.

Apple say just come to out store from tomorrow and you can have your watch upgraded.

Can you even begin to imagine what that would be like?
Perhaps a years worth of owners, just half of them all wanting their watches upgraded.

20 million 20k 18k gold Watches? Now that's some nice profit.

I've reconsidered my estimate for the edition. It also comes with a special case that doubles as a charging station so I'm going to say $1500 plus whatever you spend on bands.

 

[Piggie]

20 million 20k 18k gold Watches? Now that's some nice profit.

I've reconsidered my estimate for the edition. It also comes with a special case that doubles as a charging station so I'm going to say $1500 plus whatever you spend on bands.

Actually I was imagining all watches not just the gold ones, but who knows.
I can just imagine watch upgrade queues down the street.

 

[Donoban]

Actually I was imagining all watches not just the gold ones, but who knows.
I can just imagine watch upgrade queues down the street.

Lol. You're right. The logistics of an upgrade option make it not feasible. If there is one thing Apple likes to do its make money.

How pumped for the watch are you piggie? It's going to be awesome.

 

[Piggie]

Lol. You're right. The logistics of an upgrade option make it not feasible. If there is one thing Apple likes to do its make money.

How pumped for the watch are you piggie? It's going to be awesome.

I am very interested and counting the days till we get the reveal at Apple's event and find out details.
Having watched all the chat on here, and had my own guesses, and still do have my own views, I'm going to be interested to see how far off I was, and what bits I am right about

I'm sure some things are going to surprise me, as well as some "I told you so" not so great things. We will see.

Likewise, also very interested to see proper reviews and talk from real people after they go on sale.

Above all else, the main issue of debate right now seems to be the price of the gold model.

 

[ksuyen]

I can't see a big market for a used $1,000+ gold iWatch.

I don't see it either, but that's exactly the point of gold watch. It's not meant for big market. There are sport watch and normal metallic one. Those are more towards big market.

 

[technosix]

You think $350 is much of a gamble? I'm not saying it's an insignificant amount of money, but I never thought of it as breaking the bank either. Not to mention you would recoup a portion of your purchase should you decide to sell it.

Why people assume amuses me.

At no time did I mention price as a consideration.

The thousands upon thousands I spend annually on: Laptops, tablets, smartphones, four active lines with 30 GB per line data allotment not to mention my Windows, Android and Linux ecosystems is all part of supporting the interests I enjoy. I realize I'm very fortunate to live in a price is no object environment. Yet I created it myself via an advanced education and successful career.

What's not unlimited is my time. I'd much rather be working with any one of many other computers systems smartphones or some other tech oriented device I plan on buying. My marginal interest in a smartwatch is not a high priority at this juncture.

 

[rjlawrencejr]

Why people assume amuses me.

At no time did I mention price as a consideration.

The thousands upon thousands I spend annually on: Laptops, tablets, smartphones, four active lines with 30 GB per line data allotment not to mention my Windows, Android and Linux ecosystems is all part of supporting the interests I enjoy. I realize I'm very fortunate to live in a price is no object environment. Yet I created it myself via an advanced education and successful career.

What's not unlimited is my time. I'd much rather be working with any one of many other computers systems smartphones or some other tech oriented device I plan on buying. My marginal interest in a smartwatch is not a high priority at this juncture.

Touché, you didn't specifically mention money. However perhaps that was a poor choice of words on your part. I would hope you can understand why I and others would infer you were implying a financial gamble plus gamble denotes risk. While I understand your time can be spent better elsewhere, if you were to change course and jump on the Apple Watch Time Machine, I don't see what you'd be risking.

 

[8CoreWhore]

They'll never do trade-ins. What will they do with the old, used versions? Millions of them? Their refurb market is tiny. Apple doesn't take trade-ins on any other product, they just expect people to keep or sell the old stuff. But watches have a different cultural consideration, the good ones are meant to keep forever.

"But won't Apple lose money that way?" If they are upgradable, they'll sell more to begin with, and they'll sell the upgrades, and it keeps customers "sticky" with the ecosystem, it gets people using Apple Pay. Either way they make money.

The Watch is a whole new category. Gold, Stainless Steel versions will be expensive. It has to be able to have longevity.

There are Apple products that have upgradability - iMacs, MacBooks, Mac Mini's. Not full upgradable, but adding RAM or a SSD improves it a lot.

It's a highly personal, wearable. It's not meant to be replaced every two years.

The brains in the Watch is a sealed unit that can easily be made to pop out and pop a new one in.

Under the band attachment area, there's probably screws. Take those out, the thing comes apart. Pop new system-on-a-chip in and you are now using an up to date device.

There's no way they do this with the Gold one, no way. If you think that is plausible, then you have to consider that the ability to do it has been engineered. Then what, make two versions of the underlying tech? No way. If the Gold does it, they all do it.

And Gold Edition will most certainly do it.

 

[Night Spring]

They'll never do trade-ins.

They do.
http://www.apple.com/recycling/

It's part of their "Eco-friendly" initiative.

 

[Mascots]

They do.
http://www.apple.com/recycling/

It's part of their "Eco-friendly" initiative.

I don't consider that a trade in. It's a recycling program with kickbacks for encouragement.

 

[Night Spring]

I don't consider that a trade in. It's a recycling program with kickbacks for encouragement.

Well, what would it take for you to consider it a trade-in, then?

 

[Mascots]

Well, what would it take for you to consider it a trade-in, then?

Well, you know what, I take that back! It's changed a lot since I've looked last.

However, I think it serves the purpose of environmental goals for Apple, rather than a way to influence people to upgrade by device exchange. A little rebranding would change its perspective though.

 

[cnev3]

Considering you can't even swap the battery in an iphone, and you can't even upgrade RAM on current macbooks, the watch having upgradeable hardware is a fantasy at best. The tendency most Apple customers have to upgrade their device every 2 years is a big part of the companies success with sales figures. Upgradeable hardware would only cannibalize future sales of the watch.

 

[nebo1ss]

It's 18 carat gold!

My guess would be $4500

I am 100 percent in agreement. When the watch was announced I said between $4,000 and $5,000 based on it being 18 carat gold. Those who think $1,000 are just hopeful while the $10,000 camp are just crazy.

 

[cmChimera]

Exactly, and I said this ages and ages ago.
Not that anyone listened

Can you just imagine the logistical nightmare.
Lets say 20 million watches are sold the 1st year.

Apple say just come to out store from tomorrow and you can have your watch upgraded.

Can you even begin to imagine what that would be like?
Perhaps a years worth of owners, just half of them all wanting their watches upgraded.

I don't find this very difficult. Drop off your watch, and they'll call you when it's ready. Or mail it to Apple.

 

[Foss]

They'll be upgradable.

This bit of speculation is highly unlikely IMO. Considering you can't even swap RAM in the last few years of MacBooks, the likelihood of an upgradeable watch is slim to none.

 

[dannyyankou]

They need a good trade in program