“One of the more common themes one tends to see in Apple Watch reviews is whether or not one truly ‘needs’ the device,” Yoni Heisler writes for BGR. “This has always struck me as odd because it seemingly holds the Apple Watch to a higher standard than almost every other luxury item on the planet.”
“The thing is, luxury items, by definition, aren’t needed at all,” Heisler writes. “They are coveted. They are desired. Their purpose is to entice. Luxury items lure people in and convince them to spend a lot of money even when cheaper alternatives abound. Need isn’t part of the equation.”
“Do auto buyers truly need a luxury BMW with a base price of $80,000? Do people really need to part with over $2,000 to pick up a Sony LED 4K Ultra HD TV? …Apple has never positioned or advertised the Apple Watch as something that one truly needs,” Heisler writes. “Yet, for whatever reason, this is the prism through which most reviewers and naysayers tend to judge the device.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s almost like certain reviewers couldn’t come up with much of anything negative about Apple Watch, so they resorted to inventing one. “Well, you don’t really need it,” they sniff.
As we’ve written many times when encountering this misplaced “need” criteria in Apple Watch reviews:
As for necessity, nothing beyond food, water, and shelter qualifies, so don’t make that a deciding factor. If you’d like something that saves you time throughout the day and makes managing many everyday activities significantly easier, then the Apple Watch is for you.
SEE ALSO:
Newt Gingrich reviews Apple Watch: ‘Very helpful and surprisingly natural’ – June 19, 2015
One month with my Apple Watch: Why I’m loving it – June 17, 2015
Dalrymple reviews Apple Watch: ‘My most personal review ever’ – June 16, 2015
Apple Watch: 45 days later – June 8, 2015
Computerworld’s deep-dive Apple Watch review: ‘After a month of use: Very positive’ – June 8, 2015
Living with Apple Watch: One month in – June 3, 2015
Apple Watch: The early adopter’s take – June 1, 2015
Jean-Louis Gassée: Five weeks with Apple Watch – May 31, 2015
Ben Thompson: Apple Watch is being serially underestimated – May 20, 2015
BGR reviews Apple Watch: ‘A major technological achievement; you won’t want to take it off’ – May 7, 2015
The Telegraph reviews Apple Watch: Object of desire – May 7, 2015
Cult of Mac reviews Apple Watch: ‘Futuristic, fun and fan-flipping-tastic’ – April 28, 2015
PC Magazine reviews Apple Watch: ‘The best smartwatch available’ – April 28, 2015
Apple Watch owners shame so-called professional reviewers – April 27, 2015