Episode #119
Last Friday the long-awaited Apple Watch arrived in Apple retail stores, with online ordering commencing at midnight Pacific. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that the Apple Watch is something completely different for Apple: a single product line with over 50 configurations. I mean, Apple hasn’t offered this many models in a product line since the Performa fiasco in the mid ‘90s. But I digress. All of the 50+ configurations have the same guts, software, and features; the only thing that distinguishes one from the next are the materials used for the case, display, and watchband.
To make things a bit less confusing, Apple has organized them into three “collections.”
- The Apple Watch Sport collection offers 10 models (38 or 42mm sizes in 5 colors each) that feature anodized aluminum cases, Ion-X glass displays, and flexible fluoroelastomer (rubberlike) bands, priced from $349 to $399.
- The Apple Watch collection is the largest, with 20 models that have stainless steel cases, sapphire crystal displays, and metal or leather bands, priced from $549 to $1,099.
- Finally, there’s the high-end Apple Watch Edition, with 8 models that include 18k rose gold or yellow gold cases, sapphire crystal displays, and premium leather charging boxes. As for the prices, if you have to ask you can’t afford one. I’ll tell you anyway: They run $10,000 to $17,000 and are only available at a handful of Apple Store. In Texas, that means zero stores in Austin and one each in Dallas and Houston.
The Apple retail stores have been redesigned to accommodate a new display and demonstration area devoted exclusively to Apple Watches. The demo table has these magical drawers that are locked until your specialist touches a secret spot with his or her magic key, causing it to slide open silently to reveal its bevy of beautiful watches for your trying-on pleasure. Check it out in this spycam footage I captured: