Will you buy an Apple Watch?

[tigerfan33]

You'll need to make an appointment at any Apple Store if you want to try on or order a Watch in store. Apple is doing their best to discourage walk ins between the 10th-24th.
If you know what you want you can download the Apple Store app on your iPhone and order from there.
Will not see the traffic April 10th 12:01 am pst. that you had with iPhone 6 launch or any other iPhone for that matter on its launch.

 

[mike123abc]

Right now I am eyeing one of the least expensive ones to try out. Although I would really like the $1000 stainless version with stainless band, it is a lot to spend on a V1 product... If they had some sort of upgrade plan where you could switch out the innards some way and keep the band/case, I would go with the higher end model.

 

[tigerfan33]

Yeah. The black steal looks really good though the stainless is only $200 more than the sport.
I'm set on the size (42mm) as it is only 2mm bigger than my current sport watch.

 

[TheForce]

I currently wear the Sony Smartwatch 2 and it is 42 x 42 square so the 42 Apple will actually be smaller for me. Besides for sports activity and water, I have that T-Touch which is 47mm x 15 thick so again, Apple will be smaller. So, decision made! If you want to save on the low price but wanted to have stainless, why not buy the low price Stainless watch then when ready, buy just one of the two SS bands which can be purchased separately. The Milanese band is just $149 and for a men's dress watch it does look classy. My concern is how sturdy a platform it is for active wrist movement.

I think the big upgrade may be a solar recharging technology one day, probably 2 years out. New battery chemistry is way too long according to Elon Musk and he should know. So the only other way to extend battery life on this watch is to reduce the drain from the display. I have no idea where that is headed but I would guess Apple could go cheaper and use one of those very low drain screens like is used in the Pebble or the Sony. But that technology would show a lower quality which Apple is not likely to do. In my opinion, squeezing 1 or 2 more days of battery life is unimportant. If they can tell me they have gone to solar or have a new technology that does not compromise quality but gives me a month recharge cycle, then It would be time to upgrade. So on that logic, I can see me owning the first version for 5-6 years minimum. I will buy the SS model out of the gate and then have it for a half dozen years or more. You know, I am actually quite satisfied with what my Sony does now and used to recharging every other day, but I'm set to splurge for the Apple as I've been waiting for this for well over 2 years.

tigerfan, I did some reading on the ordering process and did find the rules you said. I will still try to just stop in the store sometime between the 12th and the 15th to have a look, sans appointment. But by then I will most likely will have already ordered through the app.


found this:
http://www.macrumors.com/how-to/preorder-the-apple-watch/

 

[TheForce]

Tim Cook wants all his employees to be wearing the Apple watch and will offer them a 50% discount on any model for the next 90 days.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

First reviews seem to indicate that it's half baked.

 

[Ilya]

First reviews seem to indicate that it's half baked.

Nothing that can't be improved with a software update.

I think this will be the King of smart watches ... if you do need a smart watch. I am not fully convinced that I need one yet.

 

[tigerfan33]

Yahoo tech review I watched said he could get notifications through wifi......with his iPhone turned off

Here's the full review.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/the-apple-watch-half-computer-half-jewelry-115815015484.html

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Here is another review with a surprise appearance of Rupert Murdoch.

 

[Foxbat]

Here is another review with a surprise appearance of Rupert Murdoch.

How about that HelmetCam? Perfect thing for CES coverage next year!

 

[tigerfan33]

How about that HelmetCam? Perfect thing for CES coverage next year!

Watch the end of the video.
Don't think Scott will be wearing one

 

[TheForce]

I've seen a few of these reviews and they pretty much seem like the same ones I remember from the week before the iPad was released. In other words, who needs this when the lap top does more. This is a waste of money. No keypad. Oversized iPhone with no phone. So I bought one and am still using it today.

Face it, nobody needs one. But many will want one. Maybe in 2-3 years we will see the next real hardware 2nd generation that is solar rechargeable and has a built in cellular data connection. In the meantime I think there will be loads of accessories, different bands, maybe a Titanium lightweight band, and 3rd party accessories for charging. Apple will have continuous watch os updates to add software features.

 

[tigerfan33]

Also of note on the reviews I watched most reviewers said the more they used it the more they liked and got use to the watch.
These reviewers have only had the watch for a week. I figure it will take me several weeks to get use to it myself.
My only use will be the preloaded Apple apps and only 3-4 of those. No interest in 3rd party apps as of now.
You will hear a lot the first month or so about how crapy the battery life will be. People will be using the watch way too much in the beginning to get use to it.

 

[bookworm370]

Coming in late in the discussion but I'm not going to buy one right away for a few reasons.

• I have an iOS group that tells me the APIs are just not there yet for the aviation apps we already have designed and breadboarded.
  
• Reports already say (forget about the battery life, people still have to sleep) that it's slow in it's transfer speed from Phone to Watch
• Version 1 of anything will have bugs. Maybe not wait for actual hardware version 2, but at least 3 releases of the firmware and xCode SDK.
  
• I personally am still on an iPhone 4S. The 5 didn't blow any wind up my skirt. The 6 supports the watch but I'm out of contract and it's only about 1/2 year before the 6s is out. And as every has seen, all the stuff they did not put in or enable in the single digit iPhones are all included in the 's' models.
  
• By the time the s comes out, there is good indication that the API's will be there and they will improve the LE Bluetooth transfer speeds between the watch and the phone.
  
• Lastly, purely personal, as above with aviation apps, I'm a Pilot as well as so are a lot of my iOS developers. But, IMHO a watch should be a watch first. I have the Seiko BlueAngles ECO watch that charges with solar cells in the face. Gives me all the E6B calculations, timers and all. Of course all that can be duplicated on the Apple watch but much much for pilots in flight acting sort of like a checkride pilot behind your back. But I sort of like my Seiko it is also makes a statement. I may keep my Seiko for myself and put on the aWatch during flight.

 

[Foxbat]

Interesting idea, bookworm370, I wonder if the WatchKit API allows for a "rotary motion" of two fingers around the periphery of the crystal to replicate the action of a chronograph dial? But Apple would probably suggest using the crown for that function.

 

[TheForce]

Apple Sport model will be delivered on April 24.
Apple Watch SS with SS link band in 4-6 weeks.

 

[TheForce]

Do a search on Amazon. They already have a bunch of accessories for the Apple Watch. Of particular interest is a melanese wire band for half the price as offered, from Apple.

Of course, screen protectors are always a favorite accessory.

 

[tigerfan33]

Had a late night at work so decided to stay up a few extra hours to order. Glad I did. Got 42mm space gray with delivery date 4/24-5/8. If you missed early order you may not get it until June.

Don. Did you order from Vegas?
Still planning to go to Apple Store there?

 

[Foxbat]

I was going to say, you snooze, you lose. I just looked at the Space Gray Sports Apple Watch and it said June delivery. Just for sh!ts and giggles I tried pre-ordering an Apple Watch Edition in 18K yellow gold & black band w/AppleCare+ and it's also saying June. It also said $13,500, so the rumors of AppleCare+ being $1,000 for the Edition were off by a Link Bracelet and a Sports Band...

 

[TheForce]

Had a late night at work so decided to stay up a few extra hours to order. Glad I did. Got 42mm space gray with delivery date 4/24-5/8. If you missed early order you may not get it until June.

Don. Did you order from Vegas?
Still planning to go to Apple Store there?

I'm in Roswell, NM. I will swing by next week in Vegas but do not plan on making an appointment. No priority.

Looks like my wife gets hers first on the 24th. Mine was email confirmed May 13 - 27.

Did anyone notice the App Store access crashed at one minute into the go live time? I tried a couple minutes later and it went through. I ordered my wife's about 20 minutes later. I'm hearing on the tv new this morning the wait is now August for the Gold Edition and June for the Sport.

So, either Apple only had a couple thousand ready, per analyst estimates of being a bust. It looks like it will be more like the iPad, sold out 3 days later.