Id be shocked if the bands for gen 1 don't work with gen 2. That's the only way people will shell out significant money on bands going forward and Apple is probably making as much or more on bands as they are on the watches themselves. I'm sure they will change it eventually but this quick would be a problem I think.
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Price Drop a sign??
- Thread starter C7 POWER
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The "touch screen" you so casually dismiss put the dominant smartphone maker Blackberry out of business. Apple was an unknown player in the mobile phone business. And the iPhone software and touch screen was revolutionary. I had a Sprint Palm smartphone when the iPhone came out, and it was state of the art, and one of the only phones that would easily sync with my Mac. The iPhone blew that out of the water.
The smartwatch market is nothing compared to where Apple was when they entered the phone market. Apple had already entered the smartwatch market inadvertently with the iPod nano. There is absolutely nothing revolutionary about the Watch. It's just another smartwatch in a fancier case that what was already being offered by the competition.
So, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.
The price drop is strategic:
- There are plenty of smart watches out there around the $250.00 (Fitbit Surge, etc). Why wouldn't you pay $50 more to get an Apple watch that is designed to work with your iPhone.
- Apple can move more units on at this price and still make money from accessories.
Not really. They did not drop the price of the Stainless Steel and came out with lots of new bands for it. Plus, Apple has made price drops in its past. $50 is relatively small and it is still one of the priciest devices out there.
My point is that, touch screen or not, Apple had much more precedent on phone pricing prior to the iPhone than they did with the Apple Watch. I certainly agree that the touch screen was more revolutionary, but Apple still overpriced the first iPhone by quite a bit. The Apple Watch may not be as revolutionary in function (although I'd say it may be revolutionary in terms of style and material quality,) but smartwatches are a new category, and dropping the price $50 on the entry level model isn't that big of a deal.
it's a sign that I got 100 bucks back into my bank account
Hahaha touché
I'd say that they can afford to drop the price and decided they needed to make it more attractive to more people. All kinds of new smart watches coming out. The new Android watch is being advertised very heavily. You have to respond or be left behind.
yeah thank god. Two days before my price adjustment period would have expired.
I'll have to correct myself: Apple finally made watchOS work well. 2.2 feels much snappier, more responsive than it ever was.
So, now was really the right time to make the entry model more accessible as the OS finally works as expected. At $299 it's more likely for it to appeal to impulsive buyers and people who were in doubt. It's pretty close to other smart watches and fitness trackers in the market. Good move by Apple.
So, now was really the right time to make the entry model more accessible as the OS finally works as expected. At $299 it's more likely for it to appeal to impulsive buyers and people who were in doubt. It's pretty close to other smart watches and fitness trackers in the market. Good move by Apple.
What I wonder is if the cost of repairing the Apple Watch screen might also get cheaper now that the overall price is lower? I've got a nice big scratch across the corner of my Sport I'd like to see magicked away......
Given the fact that they'll likely release AW 2 in September, perhaps we'll get some sort of new Watch component (smart bands?) between now and then. I would think that Apple wants to milk this new price point for all it is worth before introducing an all-new Watch, and new Watch accessories could be the way to do so. Just my two cents!
I'm not seeing an Apple Watch 2 any time soon. The price drop is to stimulate sales. Quite a lot of the news outlets I follow have led with that (the price drop) as the story (which is fair enough, given that the keynote yesterday was a snoozefest).
Whenever the Watch 2 is released, I'm pretty certain it will use the same straps. Apple would be insane not to. I paid the best part of £1,000 for my SS with Link and there's no way I'm buying a Watch 2 unless my Link strap works with it. (And, frankly, the Watch 2 would have to be mind-blowingly better to trade up. After nearly a year of use, I basically use the Apple Watch as a, er, watch and that's pretty much it.)
It's a bit like the iPhone 6S -- that was the first upgrade that I didn't lust after or actually trade up to. Despite their claims it's exactly the same as the 6, except with Force Touch, which I can really live without.
I've been wondering for a while if Apple might be in trouble -- their current product lines are so good, there's very little they can improve and very little reason to upgrade any more.
Oh, except their software, e.g. iTunes, which is breathtakingly awful.
Whenever the Watch 2 is released, I'm pretty certain it will use the same straps. Apple would be insane not to. I paid the best part of £1,000 for my SS with Link and there's no way I'm buying a Watch 2 unless my Link strap works with it. (And, frankly, the Watch 2 would have to be mind-blowingly better to trade up. After nearly a year of use, I basically use the Apple Watch as a, er, watch and that's pretty much it.)
It's a bit like the iPhone 6S -- that was the first upgrade that I didn't lust after or actually trade up to. Despite their claims it's exactly the same as the 6, except with Force Touch, which I can really live without.
I've been wondering for a while if Apple might be in trouble -- their current product lines are so good, there's very little they can improve and very little reason to upgrade any more.
Oh, except their software, e.g. iTunes, which is breathtakingly awful.
I think it is to stimulate sales, too. At the same time they will draw in more people at the lower price.
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What do new bands have to do with the possibility of slow sales?
Same here, The 6S was the first new phone that I had no desire to upgrade to that they introduced, my 6 Plus is such a great phone as it is, I am just worried from what we have seen from leaks on the 7, it will be another lack luster product.
To each it's own.
The 6S Plus is a worthy upgrade to the 6 Plus primary for the 2GB of ram. I was rather annoyed with the refreshing of Safari tabs. Granted I'm speaking on the 6S Plus & not the 6S, but I do feel the same applies to both.
What do new bands have to do with the possibility of slow sales?
Wanting to stimulate sales doesn't necessarily indicate slow sales to begin with. Apple touted the AW has the most personalized/customizable Apple device to date so it makes sense that they'd introduce as many bands as possible.
It also does not rule out poor sales. but what ever. I knew you could not resist! LOL!
It also does not rule out poor sales. but what ever. I knew you could not resist! LOL!
The lack of price drops across the board appears to rule out poor sales. Manufacturers of some of the tablets that sold poorly implemented a permanent price cut for all storage capacities.
This. But its understandable as the AW is in a fairly new category, not unlike the original iPhone. It's hard to gauge the right price sometimes. BUT what I find odd is that in the same event where Apple basically waived the white flag and admitted AW was initially priced to high (previously it let retailer discount by $50 or $100) it RAISED the price of the well-known-to-be-struggling 9.7 iPad. It's like they don't really see the big picture.