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Steve Jobs famously said that people don’t know what they want until they see it. To which I’d add that sometimes we don’t know what we want until we’ve used it for a while.
I’m old enough to have been around when the first Macintosh was launched. In that case, I knew I wanted one the moment I saw it. This was how computers were supposed to work. The total cost of the Macintosh plus second floppy drive plus ImageWriter printer was a frightening amount at the time, but I didn’t care – I had to have one.
The iPad was a different story. I originally bought one intending it to be nothing more than the movie equivalent of the Kindle, yet within a very short time it became my primary mobile computing device.
The Apple Watch was different again. As someone who started out as a total smartwatch skeptic and has now been fully assimilated, I thought it might be interesting to briefly look back on that journey and also think a little about what the future might hold for the device …
Prior to owning one, smartwatches had always struck me as a solution in search of a problem. They didn’t do anything the iPhone couldn’t do (ok, bar automatic heart-rate measurement), and I couldn’t see any good reason why I’d want to spend additional money on an extra device merely to repeat some of its functionality.
But I wasn’t totally dismissive of the Apple Watch. It was clear that Apple had made a better job of it than existing models, and while I couldn’t see a compelling reason to want one, I could see potential applications for it. I also knew that sometimes I have to use a device to find out how useful it will be. Plus, of course, it was a gadget – and since when did I need a good reason to try a gadget?
On day one, I was starting to see the benefits of notifications on my wrist, but wasn’t really sold on the look, and didn’t think I was going to keep it.
By day four, the look had grown on me quite a lot – and more so when I later swapped the white band for the black one I wanted in the first place. The user-interface had become familiar. Notifications were definitely convenient, though less so in winter, with multiple layers of long sleeves. The Activity rings sucked me in. Some of the apps were proving their value.
By day seven, I was still of the view that nobody needs an Apple Watch, but it was undeniably useful – and it was, I had to confess, a cool gadget. A month in, it no longer felt like a cool new gadget, it had simply become part of my life. Something that added just a tiny amount of convenience a dozen or more times a day.
The arrival of Apple Pay in the UK then sealed the deal. On its own, not quite a killer app, but a very, very appealing one. Added to the conveniences of wrist notifications and it was enough to make me realize that this was a device that was slowly transforming itself into a ‘first world essential.’
So what more does the Watch need to do to complete that transformation? I chatted with my colleagues, and we came up with a few thoughts.
The first very obvious thing is performance. There are definitely times when you open an app – or even a Glance – and you find yourself staring at the progress wheel. If you’re opening an app you haven’t used for a while, the delay can even amount to four or five seconds. This would be unacceptable at any time, but even more so in a device which is all about quick glances.
Whether through hardware or software improvements or both, Apple needs to make the performance snappy enough that everything feels instant.
Another obvious one is some combination of battery-life and fast-charging capability. For my personal use, the Watch makes it comfortably though a typical day. The only times it’s failed to do so are when travelling, when switching time-zones has meant a very long day. But others are not so fortunate – either because their days start rather earlier than mine, or because their usage patterns are more demanding.
And even when the Watch makes it through a day just fine, there’s still a good reason to demand more from the battery: sleep-tracking. It’s not that the device can’t do it – there are a whole bunch of apps out there for it, and they don’t actually use too much power. But most people need to charge the Watch overnight to make it through the next day, so this is rather a theoretical capability.
Even if you don’t want to track your sleep, you may still want to wear your Watch at night: some apps allow you to set an alarm not for an exact time, but for an approximate time. The Watch then waits until you’re in a light phase of sleep before waking you, which has you wake feeling less groggy.
Apple could address the battery issue in a couple of ways. The hard way is to significantly boost the battery-life. But that’s really tough. If we’re wearing the Watch both during the day and in bed at night, when do we charge it? This is not an e-ink display that will ever make it through a whole week.
So the more practical approach is fast-charging capability. Seth notes that his Moto 360 can be charged from around 35% to 95% in about 40 minutes. That makes it practical to use the watch all day, use it for sleep-tracking at night and then just charge it while showering and breakfasting in the morning.
The main reason I started out as an Apple Watch skeptic is that it’s just a companion device. It can’t do very much without the phone. Adding a few more chips to the device would be handy.
The Watch is never going to become a fully-fledged iPhone substitute. That’s not realistic, and even if it were, Apple is never going to do anything which reduces sales of the product that generates the vast majority of its revenue. But it could make the device more useful when used on its own for a time.
For example, you can’t really use the Watch for activity tracking without the phone because it doesn’t have its own GPS – it gets location data from the phone. Admittedly the Watch does its best in that situation using its own motion trackers, but you need the GPS for the most accurate data, so you can’t leave the phone at home when you go for a run. Giving the Watch its own GPS chip would make a big difference to some.
Even with a GPS chip, though, people may still be reluctant to leave their phone behind when jogging because they’d be cut off from communication. Including GSM and LTE capabilities into the Watch would mean that it could be used for emergency communication, at least, and you’d also continue to receive notifications without the phone in your pocket or strapped to your arm.
There are a couple more hardware improvements we’d like to see. First, while the Apple Watch is impressively water-resistant, many people would feel more comfortable if it were properly waterproof. Sure, some people have showed the Watch surviving when used underwater, but that’s not a use Apple recommends, and not one many would want to risk on a regular basis. Being able to wear the watch while swimming or snorkeling without having to worry about it would be welcome.
Apple also needs to make the sapphire screen more readable in sunlight. Ironically, the cheapest model – the Sport – effectively has the best display when used outdoors. Sapphire may protect the steel and Edition models from scratches, but it makes the display harder to read in sunlight.
When the Apple Watch was but a rumor (the ‘iWatch’ label feels so long ago now!), there were suggestions that it would be packed with health-oriented sensors. That turned out not to be the case, and we now know why: Apple didn’t want to get tied-up in FDA approvals. Instead, it intends to release separate sensor devices that can communicate with the Watch. That’s less convenient, but better than having to wait much longer for new models.
But things like pulse ox would be welcomed by many fitness folks, and blood sugar monitoring would be a real boon for diabetics. If those devices could sit under the Watch without obscuring the heart-rate monitor, they would be far more convenient than existing products.
Finally, while the Watch UI is generally extremely well thought-through, there’s one aspect of it that is a total mess: the main apps screen! The icons are just too small to be distinctive, and having to scroll around randomly enlarging sections of them in an effort to figure out which is which is not what we expect from Apple. The more Watch apps that become available, the messier it gets.
Personally, I use Siri to open apps, but there are those who get on less well with Siri than I do, so this is an area Apple urgently needs to address.
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Vivo Z1 Pro Review: The Best Looking Mid
About this review: I wrote the vivo Z1 Pro review after spending over a week with it as my primary phone. The review unit was supplied by vivo India and was running Android Pie with Funtouch OS onboard. The software version at the time of testing was PD1911F_EX_A_1.5.3
vivo Z1 Pro: The big pictureThe vivo Z1 Pro comes in at a price point that has no dearth of alternatives. While features like an innovative design should help it stand out, the online-first strategy caters to a more informed buyer. As such, the heavy-handed approach towards software on the vivo Z1 Pro could end up being a speed bump on the road to success.
vivo Z1 Pro
18-watt fast charger
USB cable
SIM ejector tool
TPU Case
Earphones
Quick start manual
Warranty Card
The vivo Z1 Pro delivers a well-rounded retail package. Inside, you will find everything you need to get started off with the phone. The TPU case is a nice addition to keep the phone free of grubby fingerprints. While the quick start manual and warranty papers are standard fare, it is nice to see a pair of earphones thrown in the box.
Design
Punch-hole display
Polycarbonate build
162.4 x 77.3 x 8.9mm
201g
Display
6.53-inch IPS LCD
Full HD+ (~395 ppi)
Punch-hole
19.5:9 aspect ratio
Performance
Snapdragon 712
2 x 2.3GHz Kryo 360 Gold
6 x 1.7GHz Kryo 360 Silver
Adreno 616
4/6GB RAM
64/128GB ROM
microSD expansion
The vivo Z1 Pro is the first phone in India to sport the Snapdragon 712 chipset. A small upgrade over the Snapdragon 710, it claims a slight boost in performance through a higher peak clock speed. Packing the same GPU as the Snapdragon 710, you shouldn’t expect much of an upgrade in performance here. Of course, this is still a reasonably power-packed chipset that can run almost anything you throw at it.
Battery
5,000mAh
18W Fast charging
Packing a gigantic 5,000mAh battery and a fairly frugal mid-range processor, battery life is plenty good. I was a bit surprised to observe that activities like web browsing took a bigger toll than I’d have thought. In our battery testing, the phone didn’t fare much better than the Redmi Note 7S, a phone with a significantly smaller battery.
Regardless, the phone will handily last a full day of use and then some. With mixed use, I observed between six to seven hours of screen-on-time. When it is time to charge up the phone, the vivo Z1 Pro supports fast charging. Charging the battery from scratch took just about 138 minutes, a fairly respectable time.
Android Pie
Funtouch OS
Significant bloatware
Software on the vivo Z1 Pro is where things start getting complicated. Yes, the phone runs Android 9 Pie, but has the extremely heavy-handed Funtouch OS skin on top. Simply put, the entire user experience is completely different from how stock Android approaches it. If you are coming from a different smartphone launcher, you might face a significant learning curve here.
Starting off from the home screen, there is no app drawer to speak of. All icons are tossed on the homescreen itself, along with a limited few options to customise the experience. The option to switch the icon layout to a denser grid is hidden deep under settings. Over on the left-most pane, you will notice a widgets pane for quick shortcuts and vivo’s Jovi smart assistant.
Amongst all the bloat, you can find some smart hidden additions.
On the other hand, there are a few smart additions too. Case in point being the “Motorbike Mode” that can reject all incoming calls or automatically reply with a message. Similarly, you will find a one-handed mode hidden away in the settings. As the name suggests, it lets you scale down the viewable size to one that makes it easy to use with one hand.
Camera
Rear camera:
16MP f/1.8 aperture
8MP, f/2.2 16mm ultrawide
2MP depth sensor
32MP, f/2.0 front camera
4K 60FPS Video
No EIS
The 8MP wide-angle camera adds a lot of versatility to the set up and definitely comes in handy when trying to capture large buildings, landscapes, or just a big group of people.
Even with the beauty mode turned all the way down, it appears there is some smoothening going on when shooting with the front facing camera. Images have a mild saturation boost and look ready to go up on social media, which might be of interest to you if you’re big on shooting selfies. Similarly for 4K videos, the footage was fairly unremarkable with noticeable over-sharpening. The lack of electronic stabilisation means you will have to work extra-hard to reduce camera shake.
AudioEquipped with a headphone jack, the vivo Z1 Pro is a rather good option if you listen to a lot of music. We tested the output over wired headphones and found the music reproduction to have a neutral sound signature.
The downward-firing speaker gets quite loud but can crackle just a bit at high volumes. Don’t expect much in terms of sound quality but if you take a lot of phone calls on the loudspeaker, the vivo Z1 Pro will serve in a pinch.
vivo Z1 Pro: 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM — 14,990 rupees (~$215)
vivo Z1 Pro: 6GB RAM, 64GB ROM — 16,990 rupees (~$245)
vivo Z1 Pro: 6GB RAM, 128GB ROM — 17,990 rupees (~$257)
There’s no doubting the value here. The hardware is for the most part, as good as it gets. The vivo Z1 Pro packs enough oomph to satisfy all gamers on a budget. The camera leaves a bit to be desired and that is one area where the Redmi Note 7 Pro pulls ahead by leaps and bounds. However, if you want something a bit more versatile, the wide-angle camera on the Z1 Pro proves to be the better option.
vivo Z1 Pro review: VerdictThe vivo Z1 Pro is a very good effort by the brand to appeal to the online-only audience. Between the good-looking design, versatile camera, and a larger battery, there is enough here to recommend the phone as a competent mid-ranger.
I wasn’t too convinced by the software skin, Micro-USB charging port, and the quality of the display, but once you look past it, this is a smartphone that can handily hold its own against the Redmi Note 7 Pro and the realme 3 Pro. The vivo Z1 Pro is definitely worth a second look if you are in the market for a new mid-range smartphone.
Skreenstv Makes Back To The Future Ii Multi
SkreensTV makes Back to the Future II multi-screen a reality
So you’re in the mood to watch more than one TV program at once – you just use your television’s “picture in picture” mode, right? Sure, unless you want more shows than two. Or perhaps you’re in the mood to play a video game while you watch Netflix with a connected iPad through your Apple TV? What if you want to watch three things at once and browse the internet at the same time? There’s SkreensTV for that – a device that will split your TV screen up into pieces.
It’s not a hoverboard. It’s not a flying Delorean. It IS a multi-screen television device. We’re edging in on everything Back to the Future II predicted being right for the world here in 2014 – we’re only one year away from the Future in that second movie in the series, after all. We’ve even almost got the real Nike MAG shoes with power laces!
“Art off! Okay, I want channels 18, 24, 63, 109, 87, and The Weather Channel!”
—Marty McFly, Jr.
Below you’ll see SkreensTV in action. A father with interest in sports, a mother who loves QVC, a little girl who wants to watch iCarly, and a boy who wants to play Xbox One. How on earth will they ever manage?
My goodness, how could your family have ever sat on the couch before now? Finally, your family can experience togetherness. At last!
And what’s this – you can access more than just your gaming system and set-top box. You can have six different things open at once if you want. Security systems, Roku TV, Chromecast, a web browser, Twitter, DirecTV, Facebook, Cable tv. Whatever you can plug in with an HDMI cable, basically.
You control the whole setup with an app. Once you have more than one screen running, your tablet will allow you to move and adjust the screens on your TV with a tap.
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on the same display? Blasphemy! But you can make it happen with SkreensTV. And of course in that case you can listen to your individual system with headphones just so long as you’ve got them connected to your controller.
This system is part of an IndeGogo, but doesn’t at the moment seem to be part of the same sort of crowdfunding venture. It has Flexible Funding, which means it doesn’t necessarily have to meet its $200k goal to keep the cash its made during its run.
You can pre-order this device now and it would appear that it doesn’t matter how much of the IndeGogo cost is reached. One SkreensTV unit will cost you $399 USD. That’s with 4GB of internal storage and a “Founders Club Membership” which will allow you to communicate with the rest of the Founders Club community to “shaper SkreensTV and personalize [your] entertainment setup.” Sound like a winner to you?
Looking For The Best Bitcoin Miner App In Windows 10? Here’S Our Review
Windows 8, 10 App Bitcoin Miner is Your Bitcoin Mining Help
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To be able to get high yields when mining bitcoins, it is said that you need to have a powerful system. On Windows 8, Windows 10 you can mine bitcoins even from your tablet with the help of this clever app.
The app has also been recently updated to get full support for Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 as well. Here are some other notable improvements: enhanced connection management, support for Stratum client.reconnect and client.get_version, and support for Getwork X-Host-List and X-Switch-To extensions.
Latest version 1.51.0 has fixed the issue where audio settings wouldn’t sync to all audio sessions, while in a previous version the number of mining errors has been reduced through improved Stratum difficulty handling.
Read also: 6 best cryptocurrency VPNs to protect your coins in 2023
Getting started with Bitcoin Miner App in Windows 8, 10In order to start mining bitcoins on your Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 computer or touch device, you will need to have a worker’s account at one of the following mining pools that are supported within the app: BTC Guild, 50BTC, Slush’s Pool, Eligius, Ozcoin, EclipseMC, chúng tôi or BitMinter. Here’s how GroupFabric Inc, the developer of the Bitcoin Miner app for Windows 8 describes their tool:
Let your computer make you money with Bitcoin Miner, the FREE easy-to-use Bitcoin miner! Earn bitcoins which can be exchanged for real-world currency. Works great at home, work, or on the go. Download Bitcoin Miner and start earning bitcoins today! Bitcoin miners perform complex calculations known as hashes. Each hash has a chance of yielding bitcoins. The more hashes performed, the more chances of earning bitcoins. Most people join a mining pool to increase their chances of earning bitcoins. Mining pools pay for high value hashes known as shares.
Among the most notable features of this awesome Windows 10, 8.1 Bitcoin app we find the following:
Background GPU & CPU mining
Lock screen and live tile mining status
Real-time stats
Resource-smart scheduler
Fast share submission
DirectCompute 11 GPU kernel
SSE2 x86 & x64 and NEON ARMCPU kernel
Easy to use interface
Profitability Reports
Night mode
Power saving mode
Mining pool support
DirectX 10 & 11 GPU mining
SHA-256d & Scrypt support
Run BitCoin Miner on HoloLens BitCoin Miner user reviewsBitCoin Miner has a 4-star rating on the Microsoft Store, which means that most users are satisfied with the app.
In version 1.48.0, you can temporarily revoke the webcam permission to workaround a Microsoft Advertising camera issue. Unfortunately, this also disables Payout Address QR code scanning.
Naturally, the better the CPU, the easier and faster it gets to mine your bitcoins. If your computer is powered by a low-end CPU, perhaps it’s better to simply avoid installing the app or run it when you’re not actively using your computer.
Expert tip:
Nevertheless, we recommend using a cooling pad, as well as a laptop cooling software when running BitCoint Miner. It will heat up your computer while it is running, so the best solution is to prevent such issues.
Patience is key when using this app. It may take a quite a while before you see any significant payout.
BitCoin Minter is easy to set up, but it only runs in an open window. If you minimize the window or you lock your screen, it will pause.
This is great for all ages and works well to invest in bitcoin early to make good money that is available in the future for education or every day life use.
Can I get rich with Bitcoin Miner?The earnest answer is no. However, you can earn a small amount of money every day provided that you have enough patience. Of course, the longer you run the app, the more money you earn.
Overall, installing and running BitCoin Miner is an interesting investment. You can make money just by running a simple app.
Taking into account the current trend, Bitcoin’s value is only going to increase. As a quick reminder, one Bitcoin had a $1.00 value in 2011, and six years later, it already costs around $6,000 to buy one.
Install BitCoin Miner now and start collecting your bitcoins today.
Follow the link from below to download the Bitcoin Miner app on your Windows 8.1, Windows 10 device and start mining those bitcoins to make real money out of it!
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Apple Us Manufacturing Is Back In The Spotlight
Apple US manufacturing is back in the spotlight
Apple’s Q1 2023 financial results are almost upon us, but first there’s another chapter in the ongoing “why don’t they make iPhones in the US?” saga. The Cupertino company published an in-depth piece into component manufacturing in the US today, trumpeting Apple’s $60bn spend on American component suppliers and companies in 2023.
The numbers certainly aren’t small. That spend was up more than 10-percent over 2023, Apple points out, and spread across 9,000 different American companies. More than 450,000 jobs were impacted.
The TrueDepth Camera array introduced on the iPhone X, and which powers Face ID on the iPhone XS and latest iPad Pro, is dependent on Finisar, Apple says in example. The Texas company is adding 500 new jobs as it builds out production, paid for in part by a $390 grant from the Apple Advanced Manufacturing Fund. In a new facility, it will build the vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) that TrueDepth requires.
It’s not the only example. Corning is well known for its toughened glass business, panes of which protect the touchscreens of most high-end smartphones today. It also works closely with Apple on the cutting-edge of protective glass, though, often resulting in Apple’s products being the first to feature the latest materials breakthroughs.
“Since 2011,” Apple says, “the total number of jobs created and supported by Apple in the United States has more than tripled – from almost 600,000 to 2 million across all 50 states.”
There’s a gulf between components and final assembly, mind, and it’s there that attention has been focused in recent years, not least by the Trump administration as it pressures Apple to build high-value electronics like iPhones in the US. A New York Times piece published today looks at some of the reasons that’s simply not practical, particularly exploring the lessons Apple learned when making the Mac Pro.
That professional desktop is, Apple frequently mentioned, made in the US. In the process, however, it exposed some of the challenges big and small that American manufacturing faces. A US supplier of screws, for instance, left Apple struggling to get enough components for the most expensive Mac. The company had replaced its old stamping presses with more specialized machinery after mass production shifted from America to China.
It’s not just skillsets and machinery, however: it’s also workforce flexibility. “American workers won’t work around the clock,” the Times points out. “Chinese factories have shifts working at all hours, if necessary, and workers are sometimes even roused from their sleep to meet production goals.”
Apple’s press release also comes, of course, just a day before the company’s financial results are announced. That, as Apple warned investors recently, will see it miss its previous earnings predictions. Blaming Chinese market instability, a lower-than-expected demand for new iPhones, and the US economic situation, CEO Tim Cook conceded that the most recent quarter had been tougher than anticipated.
Adding to that extra challenges of a more expensive US workforce, versus outsourcing to companies overseas where costs are cheaper, seems unlikely to feature in Apple’s production roadmap. Instead, the Cupertino firm looks most likely to continue tapping specialist firms in the US for particular components, but look to squeeze the most from margins by then shipping them abroad to actually be assembled.
What Will The Apple Watch Edition Cost? Jewelry And Watch People Weigh In
When we first started talking about the Apple Watch, some predicted that the highest-end model—the 18k gold Edition—could retail for more than $1,000. Now that seems almost quaint. Apple-focused blogs such as Daring Fireball now regularly bandy about numbers like $10,000—and sometimes far more.
The jewelry and watch sources I spoke with all think a price tag of $6,000 or more is reasonable, maybe even probable. “If it’s under $5,000, it will shock me,” says Michael Pucci, founder of the Los Angeles–based Abbiamo Group, marketing and sales consultants for jewelry and watches. He thinks the price tag will fall between $6,000 and $10,000, but not likely much more than that.
The 18k gold is, of course, the watch’s most valuable component. While it’s difficult to judge gold content from photos—given questions about thickness, etc.—industry experts believe the watch and accompanying case will use about 1 ounce of gold (currently trading for around $1,200).
The Apple Watch Edition.
Yet, you can’t just value the gold by weight, argues Torry Hoover, president of Hoover & Strong, the metals refiner.
“These can’t be mass-produced,” he says. “You can machine parts of it, but it will take a fair amount to make a case. There is still a lot of handwork that has to be done with it.”
That’s because gold’s properties sometimes make the metal ill-suited for assembly lines, says Jason Wilbur, a Los Angeles–based watch designer.
“We all know how soft gold is. It’s tricky. It moves around a little more than other metals. You have a lot of sharp edges and soft materials and little connection points, so you can’t just use manufacturing tools. The lugs may end up snapping off. One little pockmark on this thing will show up. You can’t just use the same tools as the other models and throw some gold in there, and there is your watch.”
Apple claims it’s using a company-developed metal that’s “up to twice as hard as standard gold.” Of course, saying “up to” gives it a lot of leeway, and no one I spoke to thinks it will introduce anything truly radical.
“There are always different alloys, but I think that’s more marketing than anything else,” says Morris Chabbott, managing director of New York City–based Morét Time. “I’ve been in the gold business, and there are many different things you can do with it. Apple is about making the best technology, so if they are making gold they may want a little edge to it.”
Given all the extras involved—including promotion costs and Apple’s traditional 40 percent margin—most guessed the watch will likely wholesale for around $3,000–$4,000. Then comes the thornier question of how much it will retail for.
Apple’s hiring of Patrick Pruniaux, former sales director at TAG Heuer, signals it wants to sell the high-end watch sold at the standard places that sell high-end watches—perhaps department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman.
But the company is known for offering retailers (including its own) meager margins. Stores make a scant 3 percent on each iPad, according to ZDNet. High-end retailers may like the Apple Watch as a traffic builder. But they may draw the line at 3 percent.
“This could bring a new consumer to department stores,” says Pucci. “But I think they will also tell them: ‘Look we love you guys, but we have to make at least 35 to 40 percent.’ ”
So what category does this fall into? Apple being Apple, retailers may give it some leeway—to a point.
“Apple’s brand is formidable,” says Block. “But so is Rolex’s, so is Patek Philippe’s. Some of the other brands are just as formidable in this category. It hasn’t established its value yet in gold.” (He believes the Apple Watch will be bigger in overseas markets such China and South America than it will be in the United States.)
Apple could sell the watch at its own high-end boutiques—it is reportedly opening a store on Madison Avenue in New York City, on a retail strip surrounded by jewelry stores. In addition, according to The New Yorker, Apple design head Jonathan Ive and store chief Angela Ahrendts—who formerly ran Burberry—are remodeling the standard stores so they “become a more natural setting for vitrines filled with gold.” (Among the rumored changes: Salespeople will wear shirts with collars.) Ive talks about overhearing one conversation: “I’m not going to buy a watch if I can’t stand on carpet.”
So it’s safe to say Apple stores will now feature nice carpets. That costs money. So does the extra security needed for high-end items. Carrying a gold watch is “totally antithetical to their current retail model,” says John Kennedy, president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance. “You can’t have people touching it. You can’t have it out on counters. You have the same problems that retail jewelers have, in terms of distraction thefts, in terms of switching, in terms of grab and runs.”
Then there are the X factors. Wilbur believes that Apple will leverage the “psychology of luxury brands.”
“No one wants an Hublot for $3,000. They want it for $20,000 or $30,000. A lot of people will only want this if it’s $10,000 or more.”
It is difficult to find a gold watch for less than $10,000—many retail for double that. Of course, Swiss manufacturers will argue this is an Apple-to-Rolex comparison, as their products’ intricate craftsmanship justifies that high price tag. “What makes a high-end watch?” asks Hoover. “It’s the Swiss movements, the inner workings. That’s why collectors buy them. This has none of that. It’s inserting a high-end case on a piece of electronics.” (That said, not all consumers will realize that—or care.)
Then there’s the question of value. As the watch industry likes to remind people, its products are built to last generations. The Apple Watch might turn obsolete by next week. The high-end model might allow users to upgrade by making the “guts” removable, which would partly solve the problem, but not totally. “The Watch will become thinner,” says tech site Venture Beat. “It may incorporate a better battery. It might get a camera.… After a couple of years of ownership the first-generation 18-karat gold Apple Watch will be outdated beyond anything a firmware update can fix.”
This is also still pretty new ground for the company, and tech in general. “As far as I’m aware, this is the first technology product that is made out of precious metal besides the Vertu phone,” says Chabbot. “I think it will fit into a price point where it’s accessible luxury.”
I agree, and predict a low price point—possibly $5,999. High margins and low turnover are the luxury store business model. Not Apple’s. If the company makes a thousand dollars or more on each high-end watch, that’s far better than what it takes home on a $700 iPhone.
Plus, it can always go higher. If Apple establishes itself as a luxury brand, it could produce watches sprinkled with diamonds, or introduce limited-edition designs, or do co-ventures with established names.
The company is still dipping its toe in the water here. Whatever number the first Edition retails for, it may not be the ceiling, but the floor.
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