This is why you shouldn't buy an APPLE WATCH! #DTTNEWS

Imbued with Apple's signature design trend, as well as it's customary over-the-top price, Apple believes it's made a breakthrough in wearable technology. But why should consumers buy into the "it's good because it's expensive" logic. Is a statement of wealth really worth making a ridiculous purchase for?

The 38mm 18k Rose Gold dial with Rose Grey Modern buckle

The AppleWatch finally made its debut and it’s turning heads….away. All was fine and dandy at theSpring Forward event on Monday night; even though the watch isn’t particularly unique, it’s still a seemingly capable smartwatch -- and then the price bomb dropped. US $349 for the most basic model Apple has available, that’s the Sport version by the way, with a “high performance” plastic strap, and a home budget-wrecking US $10,000 for the luxury Apple Edition 18k gold series. It was at precisely that point that the event’s attendees began mouthing “are they serious” to each other. So, does the device justify the price tag? Let’s look at the facts

Not many consumers actually aiming to buy the Apple Watch will grab the Sport Edition. Let’s face it; if you’re enough of a fitness freak to justify a fitness tracker/watch on your wrist during your daily run, you’re not likely to risk your very expensive Apple Watch for that. But, since that might be a subjective line of thought, let’s put it aside for the moment and focus on the everyman Apple buyer.

Your average Joe, should he want to buy an Apple Watch, isn’t going to want one that’s strapped on with plastic. High performance though it may be, it’s just not going to look anywhere near as nice as leather or stainless steel, so what’s the point if it doesn’t look good? That means he’s going to want to go for the mid range of the watch, which starts at US $549. But wait, that’s the 38mm dial. What if Joe wears glasses? Or just wants something larger? That’s another US $50 for the 42mm dial. And what choice of wristband to pick? Will it be stainless steel (link band or Milanese loop), or leather? That can bring your total watch cost to anywhere between US $599 to US $1099. That’s a big margin, so let’s go with an approximate US $700. To put things into perspective, for that price I can buy two Moto 360 smartwatches, one for each wrist, and still have at least US $200 left over. That’s not just an edge on the competition for Motorola, that’s a complete price demolition. Similarly, the Samsung Gear S and the LG Watch R, both major competitors in the smartwatch market, are both priced at US $300.



So then, if I’m paying that much more for the same device, it should logically do a lot more right? But the truth is that there isn’t a whole lot of plus here. The Apple Watch does your average tasks like syncing to your phone for texting, notifications, Google assist, fitness trackers and the like. So what’s new? Well, for one, you can answer calls on the Apple Watch via an in-built speakerphone, something the Moto 360 sorely lacks. Point to Apple. Another feature is that the watches can communicate with each other directly and even ping each other with a vibration. I still insist that suffering constant virtual “poking” by an Apple-Watch wearing friend is a bad idea, but at least it’s different. Add to that the ability to use Apple Pay, by swiping your watch next to a terminal, or scanning a QR code on the display to get through airport security faster. Granted, those will come in handy, but only for countries that already have Apple Pay integrated in a large way (India isn’t one).

But the Apple Watch isn’t supposed to be just a piece of technology, it’s meant to be a fashionable accessory, a statement of prestige. This is evidenced by the fact that Apple launched an ad campaign for the watch with a 12 page insert in the March issue of Vogue, and that supermodel Christy Turlington Burns was present at the Spring Forward event to promote the watch.

And while Apple products have, for a long time, been a symbol of class for it’s consumers, is it worth paying through the nose for? Because the Apple Watch might seem like an investment but the signs point elsewhere. Firstly, you need to have an iPhone to be able to use the Apple Watch. Unlike other Android-based smartwatches, Apple sticks to its proprietary roots, forcing you to go full Apple or not at all. Secondly, let’s assume you shell out that US $700 for the steel band watch. So what happens when there’s an upgraded watch a year later, as Apple is wont to do? While they haven’t made an announcement for any upgrade plans anytime soon, this IS the company that releases a new iPhone every year. A plus point, however, might be if Apple has a form of exchange policy, where you can keep your wristband and trade in just the dial, and pay the extra amount for the newer version.

But the way things stand now, the Apple Watch isn’t a landmark device. It’s a late entry into a smartwatch market, which already has some very strong players, all while tooting the Apple Watch horn, claiming it’s better and hence pricier. Really. The launch event had three separate videos to show just how finely crafted the aluminium, stainless steel, and gold dials are and, I quote exactly from the videos here, “better than regular aluminium/steel/gold”. All in all, I’d suggest buying from the plethora of other smartwatches out there or, if you’re hell bent on Apple, sitting firmly on your credit card until they come up with something better in Round Two.