“The biggest issue around the Apple Watch is less about the software and more around the hardware,” Ewan Spence writes for Forbes. “Specifically, what happens when new hardware is released?”
“The expectation of the geekerati is that Tim Cook is going to announce ‘Apple Watch 2’ in March 2016,” Spence writes. “How can Apple sell this watch outside of the geekerati who would buy anything, and give the consumer market the confidence to make the purchase?”
“If Apple could work out a ‘carrier like’ model for the Apple Watch, it would be in a much better place to profit from the smartwatch revolution, as well as taking the lion’s share of the profits from the market – just as it does with smartphones,” Spence writes. “Translate [Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program] model to the Apple Watch. Instead of purchasing the new Apple Watch outright, you could sign up to the Apple Watch Upgrade Program. Every year, when the new model is released, the option is there to trade in the old Apple Watch for the new Apple Watch. The cost stays hidden, users have the confidence to buy into Apple Watch confident they will never be left behind, and Apple has command of the luxury smartwatch space.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: An Apple Watch Upgrade Program would likely be a very successful service for Apple and Apple Watch. While we’ll be keeping our original Apple Watches (just like we have our original Macs, iPods and iPhones), it’d be mighty tempting for many to sign up for smooth and easy annual Apple Watch upgrades.