Watches

If you are an iOS user, make sure you set your alarm clock. Preorders open for the device tonight at 12:01 AM PDT. In addition to purchasing the watch, at 12:01 Apple will also allow you to make reservations to try on the watch in an Apple Store. No one has any clue what demand (or supply) is going to be like for Apple’s first wearable device. Reviews for the Watch were mixed, but that typically does not have a huge influence on demand at Apple launches. What we do know is that you will not be able to walk into the store and purchase one at launch without having one reserved. In a change of procedure, Apple has told people not to queue up for the launch because the Watch can only be purchased online. If you want to have one in your hand when the device launches April 24th, the safest bet is to place an order as soon as they open up tonight.

Apple held a press event at The Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco to make public the final details of the launch of Apple Watch. The device will launch on April 24th (challenging the meaning of “early 2015”) and will be available in 3 different collections. Functionally the 3 collections are identical, differing only in the material they are constructed from. The lowest end at $349 to $399 is the Sport version. It is made from aluminum and features Ion-X glass covering the display. Ranging from $549 to $1099, the Apple Watch (with no modifiers) is crafted from hardened stainless steel and features sapphire crystal protecting the display. The Apple Watch Edition, $10,000 to $17,000, improves on the Apple Watch by being crafted from solid 18k gold. Many of the bands will also be available for purchase separately. Beginning April 10th, you will be able make an appointment to try on different watches and bands in an Apple Store. Preorders also open up on April 10th.

Apple is entering new territory by pricing its wearable device so highly. The stainless steel and gold versions of the Apple Watch cost as much as a very nice watch, except Apple’s device will only be functional for a few years. Even at $349, the Sport is one of the most expensive smartwatches to be released. There is a lot of debate on how the marketplace will respond to these prices. At the end of the day, from a functionality standpoint, the Watch is nothing more than an accessory for your phone. It requires your phone to be present to be useful and, for the most part, mirrors the phone’s functionality. There are situations where having something on your wrist to alert you to phone calls and messages is very convenient, but not for all people all the time. As the pricing seems to indicate, maybe the best way to think about Apple Watch is as a fashion piece; something that can be personalized, made to look our own, and is always on display.