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Ask HN: Are you planning on purchasing an Apple Watch?

19 points by jmduke 12y ago

mathgeek 12y ago
No, for two reasons: * The cheapest model is not at all fashionable in a business casual setting (without swapping out the band). * There is no clearly defined "this will make my life easier/better" function (yet).
rilita 12y ago
No; the price is ludicrous compared to even existing smart watches.
camhenlin 12y ago
Yes but I am getting the sport watch this year since I think these technologies will move very quickly. I might buy one of the higher end models in a year or two depending on usefulness.
anigbrowl 12y ago
Nope, although I'm sure they'll have many takers, the prices are high but not outrageous. Except for the $10,000 gold one - I don't see them selling many of those and think that will backfire badly on them, and will become a symbol of excess rather than class. They should have just alluded to its existence and said 'price available on request.'
wsc981 12y ago
Not really planning to, but I might need to get one for professional reasons (I'm a freelance iOS dev).
carlosdp 12y ago
Yea, I'm grabbing a Sport the first chance I get. I've been wanting a good smart watch for a while. The Pebble came close, but this is a whole other league.
- Someone1234 12y ago
  Are you able to explain why? I legitimately don't see what this has over the Pebble or the dozen of other smart watches that came out before it.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
swalsh 12y ago
No, i'm a freelance international spy, and i'm worried this will blow my cover. I need something more subtle.
clarky07 12y ago
yes, with the caveat that i'm an iOS developer making apps for it. I probably would anyways, but it's a no brainer for me. The price is rough though. not sure if I'll get the cheap one or the one i actually want (not talking about gold obviously, just steel+sapphire vs aluminum+glass)
thejrk 12y ago
No. I hardly even wear my other watches. Simple as that.
Someone1234 12y ago
No. My reasoning is: - This is not the best smartwatch around. If I was going to buy a smart watch I'd buy the Moto 360. That thing actually looks like a regular watch, Apple's attempt is fugly, and looks like what everyone else was making a year ago. It might actually look worse than Samsung's attempts, and that is saying something... LG and Motorola are ahead. - It is expensive, starting at $350, the Moto 360 is $250 (both plastic straps). Most other manufacturer's are cheaper than Apple's Watch too. - I am not convinced that the software on smart watches is "there" yet. Either on iOS or Android. Both seem to be more novelty than actual use. However my mind on this can be changed, it just hasn't happened yet. Right now smart watches seem to be really expensive fitness trackers. Most other functionality requires you to use your smartphone anyway (therefore why have a watch? Is removing something from your pocket REALLY that time consuming?).
zcdziura 12y ago
As an Android user, it would be completely useless for me to buy one; I couldn't use it! However, even if I did have an iPhone, I'd still prefer the Pebble Time, just for the battery life alone. I currently have a Moto 360, and it lasts about 2 days on a single charge (depending on how often I'm checking it/how often my girlfriend texts me). While that's over twice as long as the Apple Watch, it still doesn't hold a candle to the longevity of the Pebble.
MiddleEndian 12y ago
No, but I use Windows Phone and hate wearing watches.
downandout 12y ago
I'll probably grab a sport for development purposes. I don't get the purpose of the Edition version...$10K-$17K for a watch that will be worthless when the next version comes out. They don't seem to understand that high-end watches hold their value over time, and that is why people are willing to pay such outrageous prices for them. It's similar to putting money in a bank. When the next version comes out, the people wanting to buy an Edition version will just buy a new one.....if you can afford $5K to buy a used watch, you have $10K to buy a new one. Accordingly, old versions will be worthless. Everyone knows that, so the only people that will buy the Edition version will be a few production companies for use in rap videos.
- rowofpixels 12y ago
  I've been wondering if they're just having the expensive version so they can look more like a legitimate high-end watch maker. Maybe more of a marketing thing than a "we're going to make a ton of money on the expensive version". We'll see though.
drewnick 12y ago
No. I don't wear a watch now, but I get lots of phone calls. I was interested in the phone via watch concept, but really I think it'll be a few years before that's bulletproof. I noticed a delay in the demo, similar to taking phone calls from the iPhone on the Mac using continuity.
philippnagel 12y ago
No. I bought a phone to replace a lot of tools at once. Including a watch.
sdrothrock 12y ago
Also an Android user. I'm perfectly happy with the Moto 360 and don't really see what an Apple Watch would offer me that the Moto 360 doesn't already. It's hard to judge, though, since: 1. A lot of the judgment is based on aesthetics and the 360 is great for me. 2. There isn't much out there about what the Apple Watch can/will actually do.
amagumori 12y ago
while apple has made some beautiful products like the ipod and unibody macbook, i honestly think the apple watch is pretty ugly. to me, it looks outdated today. i also think it's ugly from a design standpoint. the ipod and macbook were both takes on already existing technology that overstepped their competitors through holistic design that made the product more functional. the apple watch does not make a watch more functional, it just adds a bunch of tech shit to it.
EpicEng 12y ago
No; I'll stick with my automatics.
akhilcacharya 12y ago
Currently no, as I own a Nexus 5 as my daily driver. If I end up upgrading to the iPhone 6, then I may pick up a sport if I have an extra $400 burning through my pocket. I love the fact that it has built in NFC, WiFi, and a speaker, and do hope this carries over to the Android Wear ecosystem.
stevekemp 12y ago
I have a nice mechanical watch already, I wind it up every day and put it on when I get out of bed. Although I like technology a watch is as much about fashion as it is about knowing the time, and on that basis the classy mechanical watches are never going to look out of place. (People compliment me on my watch at least once every month or two, although my wife teases me at about the same frequency; "Only old people wear watches ..")
jedanbik 12y ago
Yes, at some point. I am very interested in the HealthKit integration. I'm also interested in the timekeeping interface complications.
Jeremy1026 12y ago
Not planning on buying Gen I. Perhaps Gen II. I have a Pebble currently and have been scorned on the smart watch thing by it not living up to their promises.
onhopwood 12y ago
I love android, so short answer is No. But i still think there are possible other watches i would get over this. I think apple is trying to make the rolex of smart watches, especially with a price tag of 10,000 for the higher end ones. But I think anyone who wants a nice watch like that will still buy a nice mechanical or Rolex watch.
schappim 12y ago
Yes. 2 of them. My wife and I run a startup and are trying to raise a young family at the same time. Because of this our phones are often playing white noise (to help a baby get to sleep) or are on silent in a bag (whilst the child is a sleep) and we often miss important messages. I'm hoping this will fix the problem. We've had pebbles in the past, but they are no good at forming replies to messages.
- girishso 12y ago
  > our phones are often playing white noise why not get some cheap radio and tune it to some frequency where there is no reception/station? That's how I do it!
  - schappim 12y ago
    We actually have a couple of white noise generators, but for some reason my wife prefers the phone at work...
saluki 12y ago
No, I don't miss wearing a watch and don't see any must have apps/features at this time. (If it was stand alone and didn't need to tether to my iPhone I might consider it, but even then probably not at this time).
BorisMelnik 12y ago
no, I am in front of a computer all day, and already use my phone way too much. I got rid of my tablet because "do I really need it?" being more connected for me is not a positive, I'm not looking to turn into a robot, I'm trying to humanize myself a bit more. more or less the same reasons I won't get Google Glass.
aravan 12y ago
Sun and my hunger are my best time tellers. What after sunset? my wife and daughter calls me every 15 minutes 'when are you coming home?'. In fact, I need smart-watch/device if that helps me to show me the driving direction during the rush driving in Indian cities on two wheeler (motor bike) when going to new places.

19 points by jmduke 12y ago

No, for two reasons: * The cheapest model is not at all fashionable in a business casual setting (without swapping out the band). * There is no clearly defined "this will make my life easier/better" function (yet).

rilita 12y ago

No; the price is ludicrous compared to even existing smart watches.

camhenlin 12y ago

Yes but I am getting the sport watch this year since I think these technologies will move very quickly. I might buy one of the higher end models in a year or two depending on usefulness.

anigbrowl 12y ago

Nope, although I'm sure they'll have many takers, the prices are high but not outrageous. Except for the $10,000 gold one - I don't see them selling many of those and think that will backfire badly on them, and will become a symbol of excess rather than class. They should have just alluded to its existence and said 'price available on request.'

wsc981 12y ago

Not really planning to, but I might need to get one for professional reasons (I'm a freelance iOS dev).

carlosdp 12y ago

Yea, I'm grabbing a Sport the first chance I get. I've been wanting a good smart watch for a while. The Pebble came close, but this is a whole other league.

Someone1234 12y ago
Are you able to explain why? I legitimately don't see what this has over the Pebble or the dozen of other smart watches that came out before it.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

swalsh 12y ago

No, i'm a freelance international spy, and i'm worried this will blow my cover. I need something more subtle.

clarky07 12y ago

yes, with the caveat that i'm an iOS developer making apps for it. I probably would anyways, but it's a no brainer for me. The price is rough though. not sure if I'll get the cheap one or the one i actually want (not talking about gold obviously, just steel+sapphire vs aluminum+glass)

thejrk 12y ago

No. I hardly even wear my other watches. Simple as that.

Someone1234 12y ago

No. My reasoning is: - This is not the best smartwatch around. If I was going to buy a smart watch I'd buy the Moto 360. That thing actually looks like a regular watch, Apple's attempt is fugly, and looks like what everyone else was making a year ago. It might actually look worse than Samsung's attempts, and that is saying something... LG and Motorola are ahead. - It is expensive, starting at $350, the Moto 360 is $250 (both plastic straps). Most other manufacturer's are cheaper than Apple's Watch too. - I am not convinced that the software on smart watches is "there" yet. Either on iOS or Android. Both seem to be more novelty than actual use. However my mind on this can be changed, it just hasn't happened yet. Right now smart watches seem to be really expensive fitness trackers. Most other functionality requires you to use your smartphone anyway (therefore why have a watch? Is removing something from your pocket REALLY that time consuming?).

zcdziura 12y ago

As an Android user, it would be completely useless for me to buy one; I couldn't use it! However, even if I did have an iPhone, I'd still prefer the Pebble Time, just for the battery life alone. I currently have a Moto 360, and it lasts about 2 days on a single charge (depending on how often I'm checking it/how often my girlfriend texts me). While that's over twice as long as the Apple Watch, it still doesn't hold a candle to the longevity of the Pebble.

MiddleEndian 12y ago

No, but I use Windows Phone and hate wearing watches.

downandout 12y ago

I'll probably grab a sport for development purposes. I don't get the purpose of the Edition version...$10K-$17K for a watch that will be worthless when the next version comes out. They don't seem to understand that high-end watches hold their value over time, and that is why people are willing to pay such outrageous prices for them. It's similar to putting money in a bank. When the next version comes out, the people wanting to buy an Edition version will just buy a new one.....if you can afford $5K to buy a used watch, you have $10K to buy a new one. Accordingly, old versions will be worthless. Everyone knows that, so the only people that will buy the Edition version will be a few production companies for use in rap videos.

rowofpixels 12y ago
I've been wondering if they're just having the expensive version so they can look more like a legitimate high-end watch maker. Maybe more of a marketing thing than a "we're going to make a ton of money on the expensive version". We'll see though.

drewnick 12y ago

No. I don't wear a watch now, but I get lots of phone calls. I was interested in the phone via watch concept, but really I think it'll be a few years before that's bulletproof. I noticed a delay in the demo, similar to taking phone calls from the iPhone on the Mac using continuity.

philippnagel 12y ago

No. I bought a phone to replace a lot of tools at once. Including a watch.

sdrothrock 12y ago

Also an Android user. I'm perfectly happy with the Moto 360 and don't really see what an Apple Watch would offer me that the Moto 360 doesn't already. It's hard to judge, though, since: 1. A lot of the judgment is based on aesthetics and the 360 is great for me. 2. There isn't much out there about what the Apple Watch can/will actually do.

amagumori 12y ago

while apple has made some beautiful products like the ipod and unibody macbook, i honestly think the apple watch is pretty ugly. to me, it looks outdated today. i also think it's ugly from a design standpoint. the ipod and macbook were both takes on already existing technology that overstepped their competitors through holistic design that made the product more functional. the apple watch does not make a watch more functional, it just adds a bunch of tech shit to it.

EpicEng 12y ago

No; I'll stick with my automatics.

akhilcacharya 12y ago

Currently no, as I own a Nexus 5 as my daily driver. If I end up upgrading to the iPhone 6, then I may pick up a sport if I have an extra $400 burning through my pocket. I love the fact that it has built in NFC, WiFi, and a speaker, and do hope this carries over to the Android Wear ecosystem.

stevekemp 12y ago

I have a nice mechanical watch already, I wind it up every day and put it on when I get out of bed. Although I like technology a watch is as much about fashion as it is about knowing the time, and on that basis the classy mechanical watches are never going to look out of place. (People compliment me on my watch at least once every month or two, although my wife teases me at about the same frequency; "Only old people wear watches ..")

jedanbik 12y ago

Yes, at some point. I am very interested in the HealthKit integration. I'm also interested in the timekeeping interface complications.

Jeremy1026 12y ago

Not planning on buying Gen I. Perhaps Gen II. I have a Pebble currently and have been scorned on the smart watch thing by it not living up to their promises.

onhopwood 12y ago

I love android, so short answer is No. But i still think there are possible other watches i would get over this. I think apple is trying to make the rolex of smart watches, especially with a price tag of 10,000 for the higher end ones. But I think anyone who wants a nice watch like that will still buy a nice mechanical or Rolex watch.

schappim 12y ago

Yes. 2 of them. My wife and I run a startup and are trying to raise a young family at the same time. Because of this our phones are often playing white noise (to help a baby get to sleep) or are on silent in a bag (whilst the child is a sleep) and we often miss important messages. I'm hoping this will fix the problem. We've had pebbles in the past, but they are no good at forming replies to messages.

girishso 12y ago
> our phones are often playing white noise why not get some cheap radio and tune it to some frequency where there is no reception/station? That's how I do it!
- schappim 12y ago
  We actually have a couple of white noise generators, but for some reason my wife prefers the phone at work...

saluki 12y ago

No, I don't miss wearing a watch and don't see any must have apps/features at this time. (If it was stand alone and didn't need to tether to my iPhone I might consider it, but even then probably not at this time).

BorisMelnik 12y ago

no, I am in front of a computer all day, and already use my phone way too much. I got rid of my tablet because "do I really need it?" being more connected for me is not a positive, I'm not looking to turn into a robot, I'm trying to humanize myself a bit more. more or less the same reasons I won't get Google Glass.

aravan 12y ago

Sun and my hunger are my best time tellers. What after sunset? my wife and daughter calls me every 15 minutes 'when are you coming home?'. In fact, I need smart-watch/device if that helps me to show me the driving direction during the rush driving in Indian cities on two wheeler (motor bike) when going to new places.