Tim Cook: Apple Watch Launch in April Won't Be Exclusive to United States

[technosix]

I have been ready to buy until recently. I still want one but if the price list I saw is correct it will be about $450 for a space gray with black band. I'm not sure I'm prepared to pay that much for a watch or for a first generation watch. I have told myself yes but now, I'm not sure.

Just a thought to share based on my many years of buying the latest Apple products. Without fail Apple's second generation product is superior to the original. Especially an all new product like the watch.

Those who are not impulse buyers and wait for next year's Apple Watch will be thrilled they waited. That I'm 100% confident about.

It's my plan as well.

 

[Poochi]

Just a thought to share based on my many years of buying the latest Apple products. Without fail Apple's second generation product is superior to the original. Especially an all new product like the watch.

Those who are not impulse buyers and wait for next year's Apple Watch will be thrilled they waited. That I'm 100% confident about.

It's my plan as well.

New's usually better than old.

Imagine you paid $10k+ on an Apple Watch Edition (if it costs that much) and next year it's obsolete. LOL!

 

[doelcm82]

Just a thought to share based on my many years of buying the latest Apple products. Without fail Apple's second generation product is superior to the original. Especially an all new product like the watch.

Those who are not impulse buyers and wait for next year's Apple Watch will be thrilled they waited. That I'm 100% confident about.

It's my plan as well.

After a year of waiting, and looking longingly at the first-generation Apple Watch, they will be thrilled they waited. But a year after that, they'll be insanely jealous of the third-gen buyers.

I'm so glad I didn't get the iPhone 5S, because then I wouldn't be able to justify getting the 6 plus. Now I have the 6 plus, and at least until September I have the latest and greatest iPhone Apple has to offer. After September I will be grudgingly satisfied, knowing that the iPhone 7 is less than a year away.

You don't really "win" by waiting ("fools rush in--and get the best seats"). You just decide whether you're going to buy and when, and you live with the consequences.

 

[apolloa]

This is just the start.

In 5 years, we will be looking back at this Apple Watch release as the start of the end of phones.

This first step is necessary. Things just don't start out perfect. When phones first came out, people wore pagers, cameras AND phones. The phone replaced them all.

Once the watch can work on it's own, most people will only own 2 devices, a phone and a tablet. The world we are in now, where I need to lug around a hunk of metal/plastic in my pocket, take it out to do something, put it back, will seem so ancient and outdated very soon.

Actually more and more people text, as well as replace their home ohone with mobiles for calls, the public is not about to change using their mobile phones for that anytime soon. You look like a prat talking into a watch for a start plus it's not private. And people aren't going to dictate a message into their watches. Also unless you have a revolution in batterys then a watch won't last as long on a charge and offer all the same functions as a phone.

People will still be happily using their phones in 5 years time, and will look oddly at tech geeks talking into their watches.

 

[technosix]

Apple's being very wise to launch internationally. The fashion industry would be offended or at the least, be slow to embrace it if launched in the USA only.

This product is a relatively huge departure for Apple. The launch is of utmost importance, more so than any product to date.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Actually more and more people text, as well as replace their home ohone with mobiles for calls, the public is not about to change using their mobile phones for that anytime soon. You look like a prat talking into a watch for a start plus it's not private. And people aren't going to dictate a message into their watches. Also unless you have a revolution in batterys then a watch won't last as long on a charge and offer all the same functions as a watch.

People will still be happily using their phones in 5 years time, and will look oddly at tech geeks talking into their watches.

I wouldn’t see it as a phone replacement but as a companion to the phone. The iPod over its years became thinner and lighter with more capacity. The iPhone has actually larger but thinner. It’s still a cumbersome device. I just see a watch as a better device for the more simple uses like reading texts, notifications, glancing etc. It’s also a lot more polite to look at your watch than pull a phone out in a meeting etc.

I’m seeing the watch enhancing the iPhone experience not replacing it.

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I already do this with my Pebble watch. The information shown is customizable with different pages and I love it. I can also use my watch to start, pause, and mark a lap. Plus, I can easily see any notifications, texts, and calls while running without having to pull my phone out. I absolutely love my Pebble, but it is limited by some iOS restrictions. It can do more on the Android platform. That's why I'm going to buy an Apple Watch as soon as it comes out. It will have better integration simply because Apple will allow it. That and I won't have to wear a heart rate monitor anymore since it will be integrated into the watch.

Agree with everything you write. The one area where a smart phone falls down is when you’re moving, whether running, walking or whatever. Mutli-touch is not a good interface when sweating and moving or when the phone is not being held in a stationary position – in other words the phone is fairly terrible and providing simple updates and information. A watch is way better for that purpose. I can see why they created “Glances” for this purpose alone, the watch is an information device. Not a two-way communications device to replace phone call making etc. It’s for information receiving and short messages/

 

[apolloa]

I wouldn’t see it as a phone replacement but as a companion to the phone. The iPod over its years became thinner and lighter with more capacity. The iPhone has actually larger but thinner. It’s still a cumbersome device. I just see a watch as a better device for the more simple uses like reading texts, notifications, glancing etc. It’s also a lot more polite to look at your watch than pull a phone out in a meeting etc.

I’m seeing the watch enhancing the iPhone experience not replacing it.

Yes I agree it will be a companion, I think roll up screens will be the next big thing possibly. I'm not sure if it will replace car key fobs though? But then again you can unlock cars with an app or buy an expensive watch to unlock your Aston Martin so who knows?

 

[bbeagle]

Actually more and more people text, as well as replace their home ohone with mobiles for calls, the public is not about to change using their mobile phones for that anytime soon. You look like a prat talking into a watch for a start plus it's not private. And people aren't going to dictate a message into their watches. Also unless you have a revolution in batterys then a watch won't last as long on a charge and offer all the same functions as a phone.

People will still be happily using their phones in 5 years time, and will look oddly at tech geeks talking into their watches.

Do you remember the mid-to-late-90s? I swore I would NEVER get a phone. The idiotic, self-obsessed losers who want everyone to think they're so important get these cell phones to take calls on the go. I can wait until I get home! I'm out and about, I'm busy doing things I need to get done - I don't want anyone to reach me, or waste a few minutes of my time. Wait until I get home! I don't want to be a nerd talking on my phone and get run over by a car or walk into a pole, or miss a conversation with real people.

Well, that attitude changed over the next few years. Same thing with these watches, the attitude WILL change.

 

[sulpfiction]

Wait, you don't even want to try the watch on before you order it?

Unless they have some sort of fitting prior to when preorders begin (assuming there will be preorders), I will be ordering the 42mm Apple Watch with the link bracelet in Space Black as soon as preorders go live. And if I don't like the size, or the band, or both I can return/exchange it. I'd rather do that then risk not being able to get one for a few months. And I'm not even sure I really like it, or am totally sold on it yet. But typically I am an early adopter of apple ios devices for some reason. I'm hoping that i'll love it. But either way I will have it on launch day.

 

[StyxMaker]

I did once, now I'm happy to be either on time, late or a little early depending what I wear!

There is an old saying, "A man with one watch always knows what time it is, a man with two watches is never sure."

 

[st0k3d]

I will be ordering the 42mm Apple Watch with the link bracelet in Space Black as soon as preorders go live.

Gah same here. I am just so torn between Space Black and regular Stainless.

Also I am also going to get a black sport, black classic buckle, and bright blue leather loop band as well.

 

[apolloa]

Do you remember the mid-to-late-90s? I swore I would NEVER get a phone. The idiotic, self-obsessed losers who want everyone to think they're so important get these cell phones to take calls on the go. I can wait until I get home! I'm out and about, I'm busy doing things I need to get done - I don't want anyone to reach me, or waste a few minutes of my time. Wait until I get home! I don't want to be a nerd talking on my phone and get run over by a car or walk into a pole, or miss a conversation with real people.

Well, that attitude changed over the next few years. Same thing with these watches, the attitude WILL change.

I'm pretty sure car phones were popular in the 90s in America, and mobiles were popular were popular outside America, we had regular Nokia To adverts. So you were kinda in the minority back then. I think I had three mobiles by the noughtys. People are not going to start using a smart watch instead of a phone for texting and email and phone calls, they will use it as a companion, but fell free to visit this topic in 5 years time and we'll see what happened.

 

[agsystems]

Unless they have some sort of fitting prior to when preorders begin (assuming there will be preorders), I will be ordering the 42mm Apple Watch with the link bracelet in Space Black as soon as preorders go live. And if I don't like the size, or the band, or both I can return/exchange it. I'd rather do that then risk not being able to get one for a few months. And I'm not even sure I really like it, or am totally sold on it yet. But typically I am an early adopter of apple ios devices for some reason. I'm hoping that i'll love it. But either way I will have it on launch day.

Me too...however, I will wait for the inevitable refurbs to arrive at $ 279.00

 

[bbeagle]

I'm pretty sure car phones were popular in the 90s in America, and mobiles were popular were popular outside America, we had regular Nokia To adverts. So you were kinda in the minority back then. I think I had three mobiles by the noughtys.

Cell Phones were NOT popular back then. Today, there are 350+ million cell phone subscribers in the United States. In the 1995 there were only 33 million (1/10th of what it is today). I was in the MAJORITY back then. Around 1998 or so it started to soar.

Year Subscribers
1985 340,213
1986 681,825
1987 1,230,855
1988 2,069,441
1989 3,508,944
1990 5,283,055
1991 7,557,148
1992 11,032,753
1993 16,009,461
1994 24,134,421
1995 33,758,661
1996 44,042,992
1997 55,312,293
1998 69,209,321
1999 86,047,003
2000 109,478,031
2001 128,374,512
2002 140,766,842
2003 158,721,981
2004 182,140,362
2005 207,896,198
2006 233,000,000
2008 262,700,000
2009 276,610,580
2010 300,520,098


Read more: Cell Phone Subscribers in the U.S., 1985–2010 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0933563.html#ixzz3TGNiZfnZ

People are not going to start using a smart watch instead of a phone for texting and email and phone calls, they will use it as a companion, but fell free to visit this topic in 5 years time and we'll see what happened.

Texting is going to change. Texting did not start to become popular in the US until about 5 years ago. Texting will change to a voice-Siri type thing. Then no need for a keyboard. It'll happen over the next 5 years. Phone calls will be through a phone, but emails will probably exist in a different form, and be on tablets.

Look what happened to the phone as well, pretty quickly after smart phones came out, people rarely use the number keys on phones anymore. They just select a person from a list. I used to know everyone's phone number, now I know hardly anyone's.

Things will change dramatically over the next 5 years, just like 5 years ago when nobody texted and it was laughable that anyone would. Now everyone does. Twitter wasn't popular, and that's a major way people communicate now. In 2010, there were 62 million smart phone users, now there are about 182 million.

You think technology won't improve at all over the next 5 years? That we'll still be doing things the SAME way?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I'm pretty sure car phones were popular in the 90s in America, and mobiles were popular were popular outside America, we had regular Nokia To adverts. So you were kinda in the minority back then. I think I had three mobiles by the noughtys. People are not going to start using a smart watch instead of a phone for texting and email and phone calls, they will use it as a companion, but fell free to visit this topic in 5 years time and we'll see what happened.

Car phones were very expensive and quite rare in the U.S. It was a true toy of the ultra-rich. Mobile phones were not "democratized" in the U.S. until the mid-90s and they were not ubiquitous until around '98.

Who's to say the phone won't morph into the watch. Tech is moving faster than ever. If the battery riddle can be cracked Katie bar the door at what's possible. I think you are looking at the watch with 2015 blinders on.

 

[apolloa]

Cell Phones were NOT popular back then. Today, there are 350+ million cell phone subscribers in the United States. In the 1995 there were only 33 million (1/10th of what it is today). I was in the MAJORITY back then. Around 1998 or so it started to soar...............

One thing to say to you, get your head out of America, when it comes to mobile phone tech and the way it's used you are years behind, until Apple came about you had the Motorola and that was about it, the rest of the world had colour touch screen smart phones and email and video calling for a fair few years before Apple.

I think of the global mobile market, because I am not American. And in that sense you are wrong, sorry.

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Car phones were very expensive and quite rare in the U.S. It was a true toy of the ultra-rich. Mobile phones were not "democratized" in the U.S. until the mid-90s and they were not ubiquitous until around '98.

Who's to say the phone won't morph into the watch. Tech is moving faster than ever. If the battery riddle can be cracked Katie bar the door at what's possible. I think you are looking at the watch with 2015 blinders on.

That's not how they were portrayed to the rest of the world. And people are not going to talk into their watches, you are talking about billions of people not feeling self conscious about talking into a watch and everyone around them hearing both sides of the conversation, or hearing what a person wants to email or text. it is pointless to replace a device with a keyboard with another device with a keyboard you wear on your arm.

 

[fermat-au]

If it gets released in China for the first wave (highly unlikely), then maybe those of us the the US will actually get a spot in a line at a store and get a Watch

I have a crazy theory. Only the Edition will be released in China in April, will the two less expensive models coming later. The reason is Apple launches products at different times across the the world is supply. China has become a very large market for iPhones etc, so Apple usually delays the Chinese launch weeks or months so there is adequate supply for US and other countries. Note, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, all have smaller populations than the US. The Edition due to its very high price will more fashion than tech compared to the two less expensive models. Very high price means smaller market and less demand. Apple has marketed the fashion aspects of the Watch in China. The Edition seem like a product largely aimed at wealthy Chinese, but Apple may not have the supplies to release the other models in China at first.

 

[bbeagle]

One thing to say to you, get your head out of America, when it comes to mobile phone tech and the way it's used you are years behind, until Apple came about you had the Motorola and that was about it, the rest of the world had colour touch screen smart phones and email and video calling for a fair few years before Apple.

I think of the global mobile market, because I am not American. And in that sense you are wrong, sorry.

I'm not at all wrong. I told you a story of how I remembered the 1990s when I was growing up in the UNITED STATES. My story was the attitude of people around me in the UNITED STATES. So what if other countries were more or less advanced? It's irrelevant to me.

I guess my childhood stories about dressing up as Superman, Batman and Spiderman, which ALL the kids did is wrong too, because other cultures didn't do that? Get over yourself. This was MY story from MY point of view, which is 100% correct.

 

[LordVic]

I'm not at all wrong. I told you a story of how I remembered the 1990s when I was growing up in the UNITED STATES. My story was the attitude of people around me in the UNITED STATES. So what if other countries were more or less advanced? It's irrelevant to me.

I guess my childhood stories about dressing up as Superman, Batman and Spiderman, which ALL the kids did is wrong too, because other cultures didn't do that? Get over yourself. This was MY story from MY point of view, which is 100% correct.

not to split hairs but you can't claim a relativistic viewpoint is something that can be attributed outside of your own circumstances.

YOU could have definitely had this experience, and in the grand scheme of things, what you are describing is whats called a case study

Case studies are important to understanding those individualistic relativistic viewpoints, but they in no way, ever, can be used to indicate trend.

your case study doesn't accurately represent the state of mobile devices in the world from the 90's onwards.

that is all the user you are quoting is saying.

 

[bobob]

And people are not going to talk into their watches, you are talking about billions of people not feeling self conscious about talking into a watch and everyone around them hearing both sides of the conversation, or hearing what a person wants to email or text.

2 words: bone conduction.

Place your hand against the side of your head to hear and speak into the watch which will be near your mouth. It will be no less private than talking on a current smartphone.

 

[apolloa]

I'm not at all wrong. I told you a story of how I remembered the 1990s when I was growing up in the UNITED STATES. My story was the attitude of people around me in the UNITED STATES. So what if other countries were more or less advanced? It's irrelevant to me.

I guess my childhood stories about dressing up as Superman, Batman and Spiderman, which ALL the kids did is wrong too, because other cultures didn't do that? Get over yourself. This was MY story from MY point of view, which is 100% correct.

Then their is no point discussing this with you, outside America mobile phone adoption and usage and features is has been way way more advanced than in America. And so where I can see outside America.

What you are implying, as the person advised is a case study, only applies to the American market. You are claiming American culture only is going to change in the next 5 years, maybe it will.

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2 words: bone conduction.

Place your hand against the side of your head to hear and speak into the watch which will be near your mouth. It will be no less private than talking on a current smartphone.

So is that going to be by holding a watch to your head, or wearing a bluetooth device, which we already have and have done for years and isn't commonplace anymore?

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not to split hairs but you can't claim a relativistic viewpoint is something that can be attributed outside of your own circumstances.

YOU could have definitely had this experience, and in the grand scheme of things, what you are describing is whats called a case study

Case studies are important to understanding those individualistic relativistic viewpoints, but they in no way, ever, can be used to indicate trend.

your case study doesn't accurately represent the state of mobile devices in the world from the 90's onwards.

that is all the user you are quoting is saying.

Thank you, that is what I was saying.

 

[jsmith189]

I'd be highly surprised (and extremely disappointed) if they didn't launch in the usual wave of countries they first launch in (US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, UK etc). And here's hoping they do pre-orders, because I really don't want to line up at the stores. Jesus.

Basically, carbon copy the iPhone 6 experience, sans the technology/crashing of the website and store.

 

[Pilgrim1099]

2 words: bone conduction.

Place your hand against the side of your head to hear and speak into the watch which will be near your mouth. It will be no less private than talking on a current smartphone.

Your idea of bone conduction is massively flawed and ripe for a lawsuit if Apple were to do this. One demographic that will not appreciate being left out of this conversation using watches: deaf people.

Get your head out of Apple's rear.

Texting will not die out because it's one of the oldest forms of communicating and will still be around.

Again, bone conduction will NOT make the conversation private because what you say OUT of your mouth will be heard by others. Plus, it makes one look suspicious, goofy, and dorky. You USE your phone for that, not the watch.

Using voice control makes Apple anti-accessible to people with hearing loss, especially those who aren't capable of speech.

 

[sulpfiction]

Gah same here. I am just so torn between Space Black and regular Stainless.

Also I am also going to get a black sport, black classic buckle, and bright blue leather loop band as well.

I think both are really nice, but I think the black looks a bit sleeker.

I was thinking about the black classic buckle & the tan leather loop. All depends on price. I'm thinking the 42mm watch with the link bracelet is gonna be somewhere around $700. if i'm close, then I will just live with the link bracelet for a few months.

 

[AdonisSMU]

There won't be enough at launch. People will need to wait and see what apple releases. The watch will replace the iPad as the device that you need to replace each year since folks are holding onto iPads much longer than Apple had anticipated.