I Just Don't Understand

Look, I'm not the biggest fan of Apple. I'm a staunch PC guy (I guess now that's a dying term. Do I have to say I'm a Windows guy or an Android guy instead?). That being said, my wife and I do have iPhones. When we got them, they were light years ahead of any other smartphone. Once we made the switch, we stuck with them. iCloud, Photostream, syncing music and apps, backups and updates are a total disaster, especially with 2 (or more) devices. The phone is great, though.

I understand the marketplace here too. Release a new, updated phone every year. Most people will update every year or two. Lots of new features. Better hardware. Better battery. Yada, yada, yada. It's the same model for most electronics. It works. Customers will keep coming back and buying the next big thing.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would EVER buy an Apple Watch.

This is being marketed alternatively as a new electronic device, as an iPhone add on, and even as a high end watch. Sure, Apple may push the tech aspect, but make no doubt they are gunning for the watch market. The retail debut of Apple Watch models in watch sections of high end stores should dispel any thoughts otherwise.

Pricing starts at $349 and goes up to $17,000. Most watches will be in the $600 - $1000 range. Seems like a lot for a watch that doesn't work without an iPhone. Sounds like a worse deal when it costs 3 to 5 times more than said iPhone. Sounds ludicrous when you consider it's for a watch.

See, here's my biggest issue. When you drop $1000, $5000, $10,000 or more on a fancy watch, you are buying a watch that will last you forever. You can pass it on to your kids or grandkids. Although I personally wouldn't pay $10k for a watch, I understand why some would choose to do so. Hell, some nice watches actually retain value or increase in time!

Compare that to the Apple Watch. It will be obsolete in a year. The battery when brand new lasts 18 hours. Do you think it will make it through a day after a year? Judging by the battery degradation in my iPhones, I would say NO WAY! New tech will evolve. New features will be added to newer watches. Your old watch will be worth $150 to an online reseller.

So if you run out and buy one of these things, congrats on being one of the "cool kids" for a few months. Then let me know when you go back to pulling out your iPhone to check the time!