We’ve finally gotten word on how much the vaunted Apple Watch will cost in Australia, and when it’ll be released here. Anybody planning on getting one?
There are three different models: the Apple Watch Sport, which costs between $499 and $579, the Apple Watch at $799-878 and the super premium Apple Watch Edition which rolls in at a ludicrious $14,000.
We were talking about watches yesterday in the office. Lifehacker Editor Angus Kidman claimed he literally felt weird when not wearing a watch. Gizmodo Editor Luke Hopewell felt weird when wearing a watch. Me? I’ve switched back and forth. I used to wear a watch when I was younger, but haven’t worn one in over a decade.
The way I see it: people can get used to anything. I used to feel weird about wearing my wedding ring. Then it felt natural. Then when I began removing it to go climbing it felt weird to not wear it. Again, I got used to it.
That being said, I don’t know if there’s really a big market for this kind of thing. I think it’s sort of… silly? Like anachronistic and weird. I think I’ll be skipping it.
Comments
93 responses to “Off Topic: Will You Get An Apple Watch?”
…no? Is this really a question?
But apple doesn’t get viruses….
They get worms.
I’ll just go tell that to the virus on my sisters airbook…
Yeah XD. I should have put quotes since people may assume i was serious.
It is if it keeps the iWatch on their main page all day.
No…. I like collecting and wearing traditional Victorinox watches.
+1 this man knows his stuff I just recently bought the victorinox divers watch omg love it to pieces
I may get one for my partner, but not for me….
ahh i see good plan, give garbage present so you can be happy single life again, i like it.
My partner is the apple fan and even she doesn’t want any of these.
lol, mine does tho, alot….
I’d expect my dumbass wants fulfilled too, if i was in the other position.
No. If I were to buy a smart watch it would be an android one as I sit in that camp. Although, currently, I can’t justify the price for what it offers. I think in a couple of years when the platform matures I may seriously think about getting one.
Isn’t it just like the Android watches that have been around for a couple of years?
yeah but Apple is doing it so be quiet and call it “innovation”
Note the rounded corners…
Not wearing a watch feels weird for me also.
However I already have one (with a much, *much* better battery life), and no Apple products, so presumably I don’t need one of these.
…holy crap I just realised it’s been running for ten years now :/
Nope…
Nope not for me.
So, is it just a thing strapped to your wrist that shows the time, or is there more to it? Aside from the strapping part, my phone does that.
I guess what I’m asking is; will it replace all the things that my phone has replaced?
No, because smartwatches need to be tethered to your phone for all of their functionality to work in the first place.
A smartwatch is not a phone replacement. It’s a companion, in the same way a Fitbit or Jawbone serves as a fitness tracker/step counter, it should show when notification from SMS/email/socials come through, should give you music playback controls without taking your phone out of a big or pocket, or using an inline remote.
I haven’t used an Apple product since the Apple II, why would I start now.
I already have a watch, it tells me the time and that’s all I need it to do. Now, if we were talking smart Fob Watches then I would be seriously considering it. Well, an Android one anyway.
Agreed. Every time I hear about smart watches, I wait for someone to announce a smart fob watch. However, I then remember I have a phone in my pocket, which makes me wonder at the worth of having a smaller device in my pocket that does the same thing as the larger device in my pocket, just with slightly easier access.
I have a smart pocket watch: it’s a Galaxy S3. Lets me make and receive phone calls and everything.
EDIT: Beaten by @os42 🙂
To change it up a bit: maybe. Definitely not a first-gen – this sort of stuff always takes a little while to perfect, and at the moment I don’t wear a watch. But next year, or a couple years away, when the inevitable Apple Watch 2 comes out and is slimmer and more feature-packed? Yeah, I’ll certainly have a look.
Who wears watches anymore? The majority of people who get one will buy it, wear it for a week, talk non-stop about it, take it off and not put it back on again, promptly forget about it. A watch you have to recharge every day. Great idea. A watch that isn’t waterproof. Great idea. A watch that you can’t use if your phone isn’t next to you. Great idea.
Because the majority of Apple users are unfamiliar with it, that was all sarcasmUs school teachers, for one.
Nurses for two
Librarian’s for three.
I always wear a watch everywhere I go but really not interested in a smart watch.
My phone is already smarter than me, I don’t need it having a co-conspirator.
A friend of mine recently got a Pebble so I may opt for that instead.
Yup, I got a kickstarter pebble, and now a pebble steel. Would not go back for the world.
And to clarify, the role of the pebble is to augment your experience with your phone, not replace it. It does that very well.
As somebody who can’t hear his phone in his pocket I’ve considered a Pebble.
Yes, for me too. When I saw how the notifications worked on my friend’s Pebble, I immediately thought of how useful it would be for someone like me who has his phone on his bag and wears headphones while traveling, this will be a huge boon to not miss any incoming calls because I was listening to a record.
I’ve also read that you can use apps with the Pebble without a phone, something the Apple Watch won’t be able to do.
Yep. There are many pebble apps which simply run on the watch only.
I hold myself from sounding too fanboi-ish, but from a user and developer perspective, the pebble framework has matured leaps and bounds in the last 2 years. There is a LOT of flexibility and ways to make apps with/without phone interaction.
And the new actionable notifications [dismissing notifications, replying to text messages/emails direct from the watch] make it a complete package.
Would be kind of amusing to have races using my iphone and apple watch to see which one can run out of battery the quickest…
I’m going to wait and see how the functionality is, I have a pebble steel, and am considering the Apple watch, not convinced that I shouldn’t wait for the Watch 2
Nope.
I wear a standard analogue watch. It’s pretty accurate and the battery lasts forever.
Why are you using a computer when I bet your typewriter probably still works fine?
The thing on my arm I only need for telling the time.
The thing connected to my keyboard I need for a lot more things than typing.
Well, in the same manner someone who uses a typewriter can say that they only need something to type documents, you would say to them that the computer still allows them to type documents fine, but with more features which will be expanded upon as the technology develops.
The old technology will always do it’s job adequately, but the new tech allows it to be improved!
Ok then you can buy me a smart watch.
I have no clue if you’re actually being serious with that comment but that’s a shocking analogy.
Yeah, I was being a little facetious :p
But still, there’s always an argument of ‘my old/current tech works fine’ when any new technology comes along. Sure, sometimes it is valid, but if it were true all the time we’d never have any new technology.
New technology should actually do something new, though. This is just some expensive… thing, you can plug into your phone to use as a phone.
And knowing Apple, they’ve saved any useful features they cooked up; and will sell one off every few years as the ‘new’ model.
Nope. I honestly don’t see the point. I wear a normal analogue watch more out of habit than anything else. Even so, I usually check the time on my phone, which is in my pocket. There honestly isn’t much difference in effort between pushing up my sleeve and twisting my arm around to look at my watch, or grabbing my phone from my pocket. The only way I can see the Apple watch catching on is (a) for people with very tight pants; (b) people who carry phone in handbag; (c) people who love Apple products beyond reason; (d) thanks to ‘journalists’ who hype up the phone after being flown to the US at Apple’s expense for a press party, looking at you Rod Chester http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/reasons-to-buy-the-new-apple-watch/story-fnpjxpz3-1227256384350
Rod Chester – “The Apple Watch will be released on April 24. Many analysts have expressed the view that it is going to be the must have gadget of the year.
My view is that it deserves to be.
Rod Chester travelled to San Francisco as a guest of Apple.”
http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/rod-chester-gets-to-test-drive-the-apple-watch/story-fnpjxpz3-1227256250437
Lol. All that tells me is biased journalist is biased.
It’s a problem that is sadly widespread. Journalist on a shitty wage gets ‘no strings attached’ offer of cushy junket from manufacturer to attend a announcement, preview or review ‘event’. Journalist feels obliged to write glowing praise of whatever product manufacturer is touting, because journalist doesn’t journalist is scared that next time the manufacturer’s offer will be made to someone else. There is usually nothing explicit about positive coverage (although there have been some incidents of it) but why would a manufacturer spend cash on a journalist that isn’t going to benefit the manufacturer? Bottom line, don’t trust anything that is produced by a writer as a result of a sponsored event or trip.
My thoughts exactly. if advertising on the idiot box doesn’t get you, the advertising on all your news sites will
Welcome to News Corp.
‘Off Topic’ it said lol. It’s been ‘THE Topic’ here for ages.
No. I won’t be getting one.
No. Nothing beats a good quality classic watch on your wrist.
Depends if u can watch porn on it
Its just priced out ridiculously and does nothing to justify it. Add to that it doesn’t have the top 2 selling points of every other watch out there. Water proof and long battery.
but it’s ‘innovative‘
Nope. I enjoy mechanical watches, but I’m not a luddite. I like the look of some of these smart watches, but the Apple one is just.. kinda ugly. Also, the pricing is ridiculous and I’m not even talking about the $14,000 model. I think sapphire crystal is a MUST for watch dials these days, considering how often they’re exposed to bumps. The fact that Apple puts regular glass in the entry-level $350 model and only uses sapphire on the $500+ one is gross.
People REALLY get their backs up because some like Apple don’t they? I won’t be getting one, the whole smart watch category seems underbaked or possibly eternally useless. Nether the less this does legitimately seem the best on the market in terms of interface, it’s just about $200 overpriced. But for every Apple fanboy is a hater screaming how they would never use an Apple product no matter what. That is just as absurd as people lining up for unannounced products.. Both camps need to take it down about eight notches.
I’d feel like I was cheating on my Casio.
Plus I’d have an Apple watch, which is even worse than that.
No.
I can’t imagine spending $14,000 on a smart watch.
While there are expensive standard watches, you can be fairly certain that they will last decades if cared for properly. With a smart watch, how many years will it be before the “smart” portions of the watch become obsolete to the point you don’t want to use it?
Add to that the fact that it will likely have a 12-month warranty. What happens when the electronics stop working? Your $14,000 watch would need to be repaired by Apple at what I’m sure is a very reasonable price…
LMAO no. The price for just the standard watch is ridiculous but totally inline with their insane pricing for all their products. My wife is one of those silly apple fangirls and even she laughed at these.
Nope. Would mean switching away from Android.
I haven’t worn a watch since I’ve had a mobile phone… They’re nice if you like them I guess but really not an essential item in this day and age
Im waiting for the windows watch
who needs a watch, my phone tells me the time.
My experience with pebble gives me some experience to draw on, and I have to say I have zero confidence in it. The technology seems to of been picked to sell, not to operate, and the developer system is about as friendly as a dota player. It looks nice, but that’s it. If you’re interested in a smart watch, pick up an original pebble in the few months. The new line is out end of April, so they should be cheap. Give it some time, and if you’re feeling it, start looking around. Android users with tasker will get the most out of it, but iPhone should get enough of a look as well.
I honestly can’t see what Apple’s driving at. It’s like they’ve invented an overpriced product that nobody asked for and expect everybody to lap it up, because… well, just because it’s Apple. I have no interest in buying one.
(But then again, I said that entire paragraph when the iPad was announced, so what would I know?)
Nup. I have a Windows Phone so I’m guessing it won’t work with that at all, but more to the point I have an analogue watch with a battery that’s so far lasted 3 years and I’m on a waiting list for a nice new mechanical watch, which whilst being more expensive than some of the Apple watches, will at least last a long time without dying/becoming obsolete.
I have no idea when it’s gonna get made though 🙁 “Some time” this year.
I was definitely interested but at these prices I’ll give it a miss. It’s going to need to be something really extraordinary to be worth the dollars and, unlike a phone which can be purchased on a plan at a (relatively) reasonable rate. Or a tablet that can stretch it’s lifespan over 3 years or so and still be worth something to someone who might want to buy it – this first edition is almost guaranteed to see significant upgrades in its first couple of years and will therefor be worth much, much less very quickly.
Also, as @Ledbetter14 said, can we try to pull back on the anti-Apple, anti-Android crap? Seriously, it just makes you all look like a$$holes. Enjoy what you want to enjoy and if it has no relevance to you just STFU!
Not really. Given how the Android Wear watches have been grossly unimpressive I just can’t see the point in forking out that much for something that is going to be obsolete in a few generations time..
Plus my current mechanical watch is going on 20+ years, just had the glass replaced in it which put new life into it. I see no reason to ditch it for something like a smart watch, I don’t need more tech on me at all times, my phone & iPod is enough :/
Android as a whole is pretty pathetic though. So comparing the Apple Watch to Android Wear is like comparing a diamond and a pebble.
Good point. I guess i’m just bitter about the watch concept since I haven’t heard nearly enough positive stuff about the Android variants.
I guess i’m not really the person that Apple is aiming for, as much as I like their products.
I would like to try it, I remember in previous notes about the watch it had health and fitness leanings so as a manager of some health and wellbeing programs I NEED IT because reasons.
If you’re really after it for fitness, you’d be better off getting something like the Basis Peak. https://www.mybasis.com/
Uh, no!
No.
I’ve never bought an Apple product and I’m not about to start for something this dumb.
Yeah seems good, price is fine for what it is, looking forward to leaving my phone in my pocket more. Will be outdated in 2 years but who cares, thats tech. God that sounds brutally blasé and positive in this little thread doesn’t it 😀
1st gen product with a huge price tag, uncertain market and questionable usefulness (if at all) and subjectively dated design before it’s even available. Gosh, I can’t see why I wouldn’t want one!
My brother got the samsung galaxy gear and almost never used it. I foresee myself never using this Apple Watch either.
Nope. Don’t wear a watch. If I did, I’d choose something better looking that just tells the time for a more reasonable price tag.
And now that they’ve taken up space on my (work) iPhone with the watch app courtesy of the latest update, I won’t be buying an Apple Watch. Ever.
Was going to. After the prices were revealed, not anymore. It’s laughable
I think it’s one of those ideas that sounds futuristic but doesn’t have the practical applications to make it a serious alternative to the solutions we already have. It’s like a voice controlled computer or a touch screen on a desktop computer. It sounds more advanced than what we have now but it’s not actually an improvement.
There might be a market for smartwatches but honestly I just don’t see it holding up once the novelty wears off. The small and pretty ones are still huge and ugly by wristwear standards, and the big ones are still tiny by smart device standards. The tasks they can perform are almost universally out performed by a smartphone that’s almost certainly going to remain in your pocket. Not to mention that the world got used to not wearing watches, and even back when wearing watches was a thing the $500 mark wasn’t somewhere a watch like this would flourish. It’s too expensive to be ugly and generic, but too cheap to be enough of a status symbol to offset that.
Right now it seems to be mostly fueled by the ‘I’ll buy anything Apple’ crowd, a general new device hype and the smartphone OS wars. I feel like a big part of the smartphone buzz is saying ‘[my side] has the smartwatch that’s going to bring this to the masses, it makes [your side] look like a toy, which means [my side’s phone] is also superior’.
what kind of silly question is that? Of course i am.