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Report: Apple Watch Preorders Almost 1 Million On First Day In the US
An anonymous reader writes The launch of the Apple Watch has got off to a good start, with an estimated 1 million pre-orders in the U.S. on Friday. "According to Slice's Sunday report, which is based on e-receipt data obtained directly from consumers, 957,000 people preordered the Watch on Friday, with 62% purchasing the cheapest variant, the Apple Watch Sport. On average, each buyer ordered 1.3 watches and spent $503.83 per watch."
Obligatory xkcd
I haven't worn a (wrist) watch for decades When you have to do frequent hand washing (in the last 35 years I have been employed in the meat industry, food industry, childcare and elder care) its not worth the hassle. Of course I gave up Apple in 1988
You likely represent the minority in your age bracket.
The younger generation that never knew life without a smartphone, never understood the value of wearing a wristwatch.
What will really blow your mind is that is now the same individual lining up to pay someone else $500 for the luxury of wearing one.
Talk about brand power.
Neither had I. Until last July, when my wife gave me an Android smartwatch for my birthday (suck it Apple ... you are not an innovator of smart watches).
Since then, I've worn it every day. I know, what's the big deal about taking your phone out of your pocket.
Well ...
When your hands are covered with mortar dust, and your phone rings. it's pretty convenient.
When you are expecting a call but want to go swimming, it's pretty nice to have a watch that's waterproof for swimming.
When you are driving down the highway and want to get a picture of something, it's pretty convenient. (Oh wait .. the iWatch doesn't have a camera). And it's not distracted driving when all you have to do point your hand in the general direction, and say 'shoot'.
When you want to shut off that damn alarm about turning off the pool equipment, and your phone is in the house.(Pool timer broke, so I direct wired it until I order another one.)
When you don't have to carry your phone around the house all day in your pocket because if someone calls you, you can answer using your watch.
When you need to set a timer to remind you to check the water boiling for tea, it's pretty convenient to not take the phone out of your pocket.
When you can't find your phone and your watch can set off the ring tone.
Oh .. and it tells the time too.
Notice I didn't say anything about the fitness apps. I used them for awhile, then noticed that they really sucked down the battery. Then I realized that I don't need a watch to tell me how far I've walked today BECAUSE IT JUST ISN'T THAT FREAKIN IMPORTANT! My scale tells me every morning if I'm not exercising enough or eating too much.
Is it worth $300? Depends on how much $300 is worth to you. I didn't think it was worth that much, but my wife felt it would make a great birthday present since I was always looking at it but refused to spend the money. Now that I've used it for 9 months, I'd say it was worth every dime. I've learned to discount anyone that says something isn't worth the money, because they only know whether or not it's worth it to them. And since they have never had one, they have no idea what they are talking about.
If I had an Apple phone, I might buy the iWatch. It's definitely not enough to get me to switch from Android. (Has Apple innovated two windows on their iPads yet??? How about multiple users.) Mine has definitely been worth the $300. Isn't. that's cheaper than the iWatch? And it has a camera. And can use standard watch bands.
But I won't be buying the latest Samsung phone either. Why would I buy a phone that I can't swap out the battery or use an SSD card.
If I wanted that, I'd spend more money and buy an iPhone.
I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
I wear a cheap, waterproof, digital, rubberised, lasts-forever watch that costs an absolute pittance. It shows time and date on the front screen, which is my biggest buying point of them.
Which is NOT why anyone would buy a smartwatch. If all you want is a simple chronometer then buy a simple chronometer. Odds are you have one already. The various new smartwatches are something different. Think of them as a small sensor package combined with a data logger and some basic smartphone features. The use cases are different and the target audience is different. It's like comparing a smartphone to an old basic cell phone. The smartphone is a computer that happens to make phone calls. The old phone is phone and little else. Different devices with overlapping but different use cases.
I have no use at all for Apple's watch but I can see some people who might find it fits their life. I also have no use for a simple watch since there are almost always at least 2-3 clocks within eye shot or easily accessible in my daily life. I honestly cannot fathom why most people would ever need or want to wear a simple wristwatch unless they are doing something like running.
The comments in this thread, I mean.
Seriously - we are talking about new technology - a new gadget to play with. We could be talking about the interface, comparing it to other smart watches, discussing possible future apps that would make sense in this context. But no - it's from Apple, so let's all talk about how we don't want a watch.
Personally I think the success of the watch highly depends on the interface. Other smart watches have been hard to navigate, and I am not entirely sure I believe Apple has cracked the code on the. If they have, this could be a really cool device. If not, I don't think we will see too many generations of it.
-- A good compromise leaves everyone mad. --Calvin and Hobbes
People keep missing the point of these things. These are not practical devices like an iPhone that just happens to also be sleek and fashionable. These are fashion items first and foremost (a universally acceptable jewelry item for both men and women) that also happen to have some clever tech-related features. No one buys an Apple watch so they can tell the time. They're buying it so they can show off something interesting and fashionable on their wrist.
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
Question is, who is smuggiest.. the people buying Apple watches, or people saying they are too smart for that.
The younger generation that never knew life without a smartphone, never understood the value of wearing a wristwatch.
Older chronometer watches did nothing but tell time. A useful feature but kind of pointless if you have clocks all around you. Plenty of young people see the value in them, they just don't see the point in wearing one 24/7.
What will really blow your mind is that is now the same individual lining up to pay someone else $500 for the luxury of wearing one. Talk about brand power.
The various smartwatches are NOT the same thing as your old Timex wristwatch. They do a lot more than just tell time. Your argument is akin to comparing a basic flip-phone that just makes phone calls to a modern smartphone. The use cases overlap but they are NOT the same thing and will not be used for the same purposes. These new watches have a sensor package, data logging, pager/smartphone features and more plus of course they can tell time. You may or may not have a use for Apple's watch (I do not) but plenty of people clearly do. Apple's reputation for delivering useful products helps get folks to think about it but if the device isn't actually genuinely useful/interesting and doesn't work well then sales will drop like an anvil.
I think the Apple Watch will sell fairly well if the functionality is there. I don't think it will be as big a blockbuster as the iPad or iPhone but I think enough people will find it interesting/useful enough to be a nice business line for Apple.
Much like a nice pair of off-the-rack-yet-properly-fitted slacks, a shirt correctly sized, and a decent pair of clean shoes, a modest watch says a lot about you as a grown man both professionally and personally. It's telling to me that several women have tried to steer you towards this, and yet you've disregarded them because for you it's part of some "status symbol" thing. No dude, it just means you're a grown man who knows how to take care of himself and takes a degree of pride in himself and appearance.
Question is, who is smuggiest.
Probably the people who post links to wikipedia or XKCD.
I'm just tired of all the people who buy or don't buy things based on how they think other people will think about them. If you want one, get one. If you don't, don't. Who cares either way? I'm sure Apple is laughing all the way to the bank with their meager $500M in online sales in a single day.
I don't know, but it works for me.
8. pour water in cup.
9. pour in the tiniest drop of milk
10. extract tea bag.
You're not an Englishman, you're an animal.
Those steps should read:
pour water in cup.
wait for 4 minutes.
extract tea bag.
add milk.
Only an animal lets the milk and the teabag meet. And an Englishman lets the tea brew. What you have there is slightly milky water with a bit of brown dye in it.