“There has been a lot of speculation about the prices of the soon-to-be-announced Apple Watch. We know that the Apple Watch Sport will start at $349, but have no idea about the prices of the other models. Some people are speculating that the Apple Watch edition will cost $10,000, or even $20,000,” Kirk McElhearn writes for Kirkville. “I don’t think so.”
Here are my predictions for prices for the Apple Watch.
• Apple Watch Sport: $349/$399 (“It would be, in essence, a sex penalty: if you’re a man, with a larger wrist, you’re likely to buy the larger model.”)
• Apple Watch: $499/$549 (“Come with a plastic watchband; others will be add-ons. Expect watchbands to start at $100, and maybe cost several hundred for the fanciest ones.”
• Apple Watch Edition: $1,999/$2,199 (“This is not a luxury watch; this is a smartwatch with a gold case.”)
Read McElhearn’s justifications for hise price predictions in the full article here.
I will make my Apple Watch price predictions on March 9, around 11am or so, PST.
And they will be deadly accurate!
predict
[pri-dikt]
Spell Syllables
Synonyms Examples Word Origin
verb (used with object)
1.
to declare or tell in advance; prophesy; foretell:
to predict the weather; to predict the fall of a civilization.
verb (used without object)
2.
to foretell the future; make a prediction.
@iDontDoWindows
“in advance,” as in before the Watch goes on sale in April.
“in advance,” as in before Apple announces the official prices. Mac Plus will have accurate prices, but he will not be making a prediction unless he does it before March 9, around 11am or so, PST.
Tough crowd! I didn’t think this was necessary, but here ya go:
/s
I knew you had an implied “/s”. But those often get lost in this ether.
I think, perhaps, you missed IDDW’s implied /s. Oh, the irony!
I did! (this is not /s, just to be clear)
Oh Yeah!! Sex Penalty! Hot!
So bigger is better. (Or at least more expensive.)
We don’t “know” that the low-end price will be $349. Apple may surprise us with $300; that’s the target price all along.
I don’t think Apple adjusts the pricing based on the two size, except for the gold Edition Apple Watch. With aluminum and stainless steel, what would be the point? In fact, greater need for miniaturization makes the smaller one more valuable. Keep it simple…
Also, I don’t think Apple uses the “whatever-99” pricing scheme with Apple Watch. Except for the low-end model, this is a product where customers want to “show-off” their “$10,000 Apple Watch” as a status symbol. They want a $10,000 Apple Watch, not a $9999 Apple Watch.
So, just because it’s fun:
Sport (aluminum) – $300 (or “$299”)
Stainless Steel – $500 – up to $1000 with some bands.
Gold (larger) – $5000 – up to $10,000 with gold band.
Gold (smaller) – $4000 – up to $8000 with gold band.
So, the most expensive Apple Watch will be “$10,000.”
Using the Rolex President as a reference point, the band will contain more gold than the watch, ergo $6K – $8K for the band alone.
Another bloke gazing at his balls.
I dont think there will be a ‘sexist’ price difference except the gold editions -where the case size in gold will be a justifyable factor.
You may be right. After all, it is harder to fit the guts into the smaller version. And I would suspect that The materials cost difference is fairly small, assuming roughly equivalent volumes/economies of scale. But Apple marches to its own pricing tune, so it would not surprise me to see the 42mm version cost more in all watch formats.
I am not the only one who thinks the Edition should be $2K.
I think the Sport should start at $349 for both sizes. Why? Because you aren’t buying a better watch. You are not buying a size, although women will prefer the smaller, and men the larger, much the same way you buy a color. I recall Apple has already said both sizes are gender neutral. So I am not locked in on this.
I think prediction is really the wrong word to use here. I think hope is a better word. I hope the price will be the same or I hope the Edition will be $2K.
Anyway, I will not be the first in line. I wasn’t for any of the iOS devices. I need to take my time and see if it’s the right thing for me, even though I have not made a personal device purchase, yet.
I have had every single model iPhone. I have only had the iPad 2, but we got an iPad mini 2 for my wife. I think she will be the first in the family to get the Apple Watch.
Here’s the problem with a $2000 solid 18k gold watch.
Using today’s gold price of $1206 per troy ounce. There are 31.1 grams in a troy ounce. That’s $38.78 per gram.
If we use a standard Rolex as a go by for the amount of gold it takes to make a solid gold watch, you’ll find about 75 grams of gold are contained. That gives a raw gold content only price of $2908.36 worth of gold.
$2908.36. That is before any machining or forming. Before custom mixing of alloys to make it harder as Apple has said. Before any LCDs, chips, sapphire, ect… Thats just raw cost on the market that even Apple has to pay. There is no way the Edition is going to cost $2000.
The watch isn’t made of pure (24Ct) gold.
There will most likely be about an ounce of gold in the Edition. At $1200/ounce there is no way the Edition sells for less than $4000.
That’s why, if the guts are the same but the price difference is large, i’d buy the cheapo and use it first before re-selling it and buying a pricey model.
I’m getting one, probably the sport as that’s what I’ll be using it for, lots and lots of cycling with it.
Don’t care about the price really, I think it’ll be worth every penny.
Bands at $100 or more is a steep curve for some admittedly phenomal designs that are so simply elegant that makes one wonder why it took so long for someone to’figure it out.’ But the manufacturing costs can in no way justify those prices.
I was thinking of maybe buying a low end watch and five of the bands that I think are the most cool. But no way Jose at that price. It’s money can afford, but too old to waste it on that kind of jewelry.
Remember that these bands snap in mechanisms, some of multiple magnets, new latching mechanisms, etc. They will all carry the Apple premium. They won’t be cheap. I think people will have a “real” need for band variety before they start buying a lot of extras. Hope I’m wrong and am surprised by pricing. Great gift idea though.
Cmon, this is Apple we are talking about. They will be expensive because that is the apple mantra. “Pay up if you want to play, if you don’t, F off, because there are more suckers, um customers, down the road”