PSA: Avoid Apple Watch 1st Gen

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Mar 16, 2005
13,856
109
106
As I said in the other thread, $150 feels like the right price for the basic band.

$17,000 for the gold watch is certainly obscene. Can get a nice Patek Phillipe for that. Apple jumping the gun a little bit there.

dJhocjr.jpg
 
Feb 10, 2000
30,029
67
91
F-off it only comes with a leather strap. What's it made out of? Unicorn hide?

Of course Chinese knockoffs are already on sale.
http://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/11/apple-watch-knock-offs-china/

The major reason it costs so much is the gold buckle. The Apple Watch Edition models are certainly a fairly obscene luxury that I would never buy even if I were a billionaire. (I certainly would buy a $10-20K watch if cost were no object, just not one that will be obsolete in two years.) To me they are almost entirely for sultans and Kardashians.
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
The major reason it costs so much is the gold buckle. The Apple Watch Edition models are certainly a fairly obscene luxury that I would never buy even if I were a billionaire. (I certainly would buy a $10-20K watch if cost were no object, just not one that will be obsolete in two years.) To me they are almost entirely for sultans and Kardashians.

One reviewer pointed out that for a lot of these new money millionares (tech and otherwise) it's all about conspicious consumption. What could be more conspicious than saying "not only did I spend $17k on a watch, but I spent it on a watch that will be useless in a couple of years"?
 

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,664
201
106
So, if you see something you like, don't buy it for a year or two until it gets better. Ok, got it. Thanks for the advice.

-KeithP
 

phreaqe

Golden Member
Mar 22, 2004
1,204
3
81
I see nothing in your examples that would make me not buy the Apple iwatch first generartion.....

How is the first ipad only having 256mb not a 1st gen problem? i owned on and it was slow and they stopped supporting it very quickly. They added more for gen 2 which made a world of difference. that is a perfect example of a gen 1 problem....

I would argue the price cuts on the 1st iphone are one as well since Apple even had to offer gift cards to users because they complained so much.

The 1st gen air was not that great either...

Apple makes good products but don't act like they are perfect. They have a reputation about 1st gen products for a reason.

The watch in particular i think will be much improved in gen 2. Battery life especially since the this one is pretty bad.
 

ControlD

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2005
5,440
44
91
One reviewer pointed out that for a lot of these new money millionares (tech and otherwise) it's all about conspicious consumption. What could be more conspicious than saying "not only did I spend $17k on a watch, but I spent it on a watch that will be useless in a couple of years"?

What is scary (and maybe a little depressing) is that there are enough of those people out there to make a $17,000 watch a viable business offering. More power to them I suppose.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
What is scary (and maybe a little depressing) is that there are enough of those people out there to make a $17,000 watch a viable business offering. More power to them I suppose.

Must be nice to be a trust fund kid. I know genuinely wealthy people who wouldn't drop the coin on that.
 

Commodus

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2004
9,215
6,820
136
As it stands, I'd say the real lookers in the Apple Watch line are the steel models with nicer straps (particularly the Milanese loop). Edition is for celebs and flashy business tycoons who not only have the cash, but want to be seen wearing something new.
 

TuxDave

Lifer
Oct 8, 2002
10,571
3
71
As I said in the other thread, $150 feels like the right price for the basic band.

$17,000 for the gold watch is certainly obscene. Can get a nice Patek Phillipe for that. Apple jumping the gun a little bit there.

Based on no data, I have a feeling that with enough internet seething, the $17K watch will become popular again for rich people who want to feed that hate. :)
 

weevilone

Member
Jun 24, 2012
135
0
76
As it stands, I'd say the real lookers in the Apple Watch line are the steel models with nicer straps (particularly the Milanese loop). Edition is for celebs and flashy business tycoons who not only have the cash, but want to be seen wearing something new.

I'd be tempted by the steel model with the loop band. I prefer links, but that pushes it to $1000 or so. That's a lot of coin for a gen1 product.

I'll probably grab a black sport model just for grins. It's still not impulse buy territory but a lot better.