why don't carrier stores stock stainless steel model?

Retail carriers don’t stock the stainless model simply because they don’t sell well. They’re too expensive for what the average consumer likely wants the cheapest version, which is the aluminum model. Best Buy/Target sometimes carries the stainless model, but it’s a very low quantity compared to how much they actually carry in a greater quantity with the aluminum watch.

 

I pay cash. The Apple Watch is not a heirloom item that will be passed down generation to generation like grandpa’s old watch. It’s eventually a disposable item.

The aluminum Apple Watch is a much better value than the SS model, thus more people will buy it than the SS model. At least that’s my reasons for having the aluminum.

We currently live in the Information Age. I highly doubt there are many people buying the aluminum model not knowing the SS model exists.

 

Store do not carry the best Apple Watches or iPhones with the most memory.

It is all about inventory costs and public demand.

 

Store counter space is at a premium. There isn’t enough demand for SS models to justify carriers using space for Apple to get upgraded sales. Just doesn’t make fiscal sense for the former.

 

So they can listen to fools yammer about how dare they have it on display, but have to order it in order to get it? Yeah, right. Carrier stores that depend on turns have FAR better things to waste their time on.

 

They do. At least from the stores I have visited, they do have a stainless model on display, (I.e Best Buy/Target/Verizon/). Maybe depends on your particular store, but they do have the stainless model on display, but it’s usually just the ‘regular stainless’ and far more of the aluminum with other colors.

 

The massive price difference is why people don’t buy the SS version. Putting one on display will do very little to change that.

Don’t get me wrong, I think my SBSS AW4 is awesome. It’s just that the vast majority of the population isn’t willing to spend $200-300 for the exact same functionality.

 

Let’s play a hypothetical scenario:

Let’s say Apple markets the stainless Apple Watch and provides more demo models in stores where consumers can see the gold/regular/black stainless model, do you really think that they’re willing to spend an extra $300 W/tax for a stainless Apple Watch that has the same core features as the aluminum? What it comes down to, is does the consumer care about the aesthetics, I’d say the majority don’t, not for a smart watch, now if were talking a traditional mechanical watch, then I’d say obviously the materials matter more here.

Look at it like this, it’s kind of like Apple adding stainless bands around the iPhone XS, but yet they charge a significant amount of money for that particular phone, did that really help sales or sell that many more models over the other iPhones because they added stainless bands? Not really, because the price point is too high. The same applies to the stainless Apple Watch model, it’s mainly liked by a few that really care about aesthetics.

 

I have to side with the OP on this. Most of you make it sound like Apple sells very small amounts of Stainless Watches. If that was the case, it wouldn‘t be worth Apple‘s while and the Stainless version wouldn‘t even exist anymore, let alone in more versions (3) than ever before. Maybe carrier stores attract a different kind of audience vs Apple’s own stores, one that only cares about price and nothing else; I don‘t have a way to judge that. But in general, there are more than enough Apple customers that care about the look and feel of „better“ materials like stainless steel.

 

I disagree with this. If you are buying from a carrier, you are likely buying the watch on a contract. The price difference is roughly $10 more a month. I don’t think anyone is hurting over that small increase per month.

Personally, I have the stainless steel model but I paid full price. The carrier pricing here in Canada is only like 5$ more per month but they never have them either even though they have them on their website. 2 carrier order them on demand, one won’t order them yet display them as if they are for sale.

 

You sound like one of the representatives at a carrier trying to sell an Apple Watch to a customer. Actually, with tax, it comes out to be $13 a month for LTE with the Apple Watch, and if you’re already adding in $13 more a month to likely an already expensive carrier bill, can the consumer really justify the means of having the LTE Apple Watch for service they may or may not use?

You can’t look at necessarily the addition of of the LTE service added on per month, I would look at do you really _need_ The LTE service and would you actually benefit from. If $13 isn’t justifiable for someone, then clearly they don’t need to add that type of additional funds on there existing carrier bill.

 

We already all know the distinguishable factors between the aluminum and stainless. What I’m trying to convey, even if carrier/retail stores display the stainless model more, that doesn’t change the perspective that $300 _more_ for a smart watch is going to make it any more attractive. It’s too expensive for the average consumer, case in point. There are some that want the stainless model, but having the exact same specifications in both the aluminum and stainless, consumers don’t care necessarily about aesthetics for smart watches. If the stainless model was relatively cheaper, then it might be more sought after, but it’s not, which is exactly why Apple producer/sells way more aluminum models over the stainless, regardless if the stainless model is displayed in stores or not.

 

B/c the base model (lowest storage tier) phones outsell all others by a significant margin, carrier stores wasting precious space on an Apple product which will net them very little (if any) margin makes no fiscal cents (pun intended).

 

You gotta point. I would think if consumers come in seeing a Stainless Steel model, they will surely lust for it.

Whereas you’re speaking as a uninformed consumer, I would think the price will be the major turn off. And given I’ve got a Stainless Steel model, I waited until I found a refurbished one before buying one.

What’s the point in having the Stainless Steel models on display if consumers will be turned off by the price... and knowing the Aluminum model can do just about same thing they will go for that model.

 

There’s no correlation here for those who purchased the Max or iPad Pro that want the stainless Apple watch. Those products offer different capabilities/features with other models (i.e XR, 9.7 iPad lack certain features compared to the more expensive iPhone/iPad) where as the aluminum and stainless steel Apple Watch perform the _exact_ same features. It comes down to one thing and one thing only, $300 just to purchase something with the ‘stainless casing’ is a lot of money, and I don’t think the average consumer is willing to spend that even if there is a display in store or not.

And FTR, I don’t know about your location, but I have found the stainless on display in carrier stores and retail stores alike in my geographic location.

 

It‘s not „just“ stainless casing, though. The stronger sapphire glass is a very valid and easily communicated advantage of the Stainless watches.

Also, if you‘re talking about „exact same features“, the difference between the LTE models alu vs. stainless is 200$, not 300$, right? Which is, to me, a relatively small difference for the much, much classier Watch you get. If you don‘t care for LTE, sure, 300$ is a big gap.

P.S. Do carrier stores offer non-LTE Watches at all? I would imagine not.

 

Regardless of the Sapphire Crystal Display.. .for the average consumer, it doesn't mean much. All that matters.. does the Stainless Steel model have the same (software) "functions" as the Aluminum model? And the answer is yes.

At the end of the day, if it's $200 or $300... it's saving money. I've been a fan of the SS model since the original, I've had the Aluminum model before.. but I like the look of the SS model. Granted, most people do... but not majority are willing to pay the price.

 

I have the SBSS 4 with the SB Link Bracelet. My decision was based on entirely for the looks and feel and I’m not even using the LTE.

I guess I represent the minority.

 

you're totally missing the point. It's not about upselling someone a more expensive watch. The people buying the stainless steel version tend to actually want it and have done their research but not everyone can fork over almost $1000 just like that. Being in canada, with tax this watch is i think $1068. the $13 a month is nothing to someone who genuinely wants it.

I have chosen the stainless steel model because it is the only one that comes in black. I had it in series 3 and again now in series 4. Unless they start making aluminum in black, i cant imagine ever buying the aluminum model.