March 10, 2015
Will Apple get us to buy a Watch we don’t need?
Apple officially unveiled its Watch yesterday and here’s what we know:
- Besides telling time, it receives e-mail, tracks fitness activity, plays music, enables purchases using Apple Pay and features apps from third-parties such as Target, eBay, Uber, Starwood Hotels, Nike and Instagram.
- The device comes in two sizes (38 and 42 millimeters) and three basic models — Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition — with prices ranging from $349 to $17,000.
- The battery life is 18 hours for all the models, which go on sale April 24. Pre-orders will begin on April 10.
Apple is promoting the new device for its form as well as function, hoping to get millions of people who do not currently wear a timepiece to see the Watch as a must-have fashion accessory.
"They’ve created a device that’s desirable," Dan Ward, co-founder of Detroit Labs, a mobile app development firm, told the Los Angeles Times. "Design will sell, and Apple’s products are gorgeous. They’re not different from other products out there in terms of functionality, but they’re beautiful devices with beautiful materials."
"It could do wonders for the watch market if it means people might wear watches again, but realistically, there are a lot of doubts," Eric Wilson, fashion news director of InStyle, told Reuters. "Fashion customers are more skeptical than anyone, so Apple has picked a tough crowd."
While Apple plans to make the Watch available in its 453 stores around the globe as well as online, less is currently known about whether other current partners such as Best Buy and Target will carry the device when it launches next month.
According to Reuters, Apple has had discussions with Nordstrom about the department store chain selling the Watch. Nordstrom has refused comment.
Analysts surveyed by Fortune, project the tech giant will sell 22.47 million Apple Watch units before the end of 2015. Only about two million smartwatches were sold worldwide last year, according to earlier estimates.
- Apple Special Live Event
- Five Things You Need to Know About the Apple Watch – Bloomberg News
- Your Two-Minute Guide to Apple’s Biggest Announcements From Today – Fast Company
- First look: Apple Watch may be all it is clocked up to be – USA Today
- Apple Watch could become latest must-have fashion accessory – Los Angeles Times (tiered sub.)
- The Apple Watch: Is it a gadget or a fashion statement? – Reuters
- How many Watches will Apple sell in 2015? A Fortune survey. – Fortune
BrainTrust
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Will the Apple Watch succeed in becoming a must-have fashion accessory for millions of consumers who do not currently wear a timepiece? Will Apple need to find upscale retail partners such as Nordstrom to achieve the full retail sales potential of its Watch?
Poll
It wouldn’t hurt to find fashion partners, but I’m not sure it’s necessary.
I confess a certain befuddlement. The Apple Watch is being positioned as an accessory to the Apple phone. It’s unclear to me if it will even function without an iPhone nearby. Given that, I don’t get why I should even buy it.
Looking for more clarity here.
OK, it may be a cool device, but does it fulfill a need or is it a product looking for a need to fulfill? For much of its touted functionality it needs to be paired with an iPhone which can do most things if not everything the watch can do, and do it better. Will it sell? I am sure it will. Will it sell at the levels Apple expects? I have some doubts.
If I was 14 this might interest me. Right now I can’t think of anything that could be further down on my wishlist. Just the idea of the thing is too much work.
Here’s what I’ve observed: In their desperate quest for innovation and the “next big thing” companies go one step too far into the black hole beyond customer interest. TV networks do that in producing sillier and sillier sitcoms and talk shows that last one or two episodes. Auto manufacturers produce models no one wants. Google Glass seems to have been one step too far as well.
Has Apple gone that one step too far? We’ll see. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Is the watch a fashion accessory or a new tech device? Either way, if Apple sells 22 million of them, they will enter the mainstream and future iterations will build on this initial success. Apple doesn’t need upscale retailers to carry the watch. They have Apple Stores, the ultimate retailer, and online. Consumer demand will build retail interest. I will be curious to see who buys the watch and the ways in which it will be used.
The discussions of the Apple Watch fail to give adequate attention to the fact that it is an actual extension of the iPhone family. This means that it is a connection to the full power of the computing cloud that “knows everything” and at the same time, knows you, and your intimate personal movements.
Technology/society IS going to get you into a wearable computer, one way or another. And watches were more ubiquitous than glasses, historically.
Never mind what you think about tiny apps, etc. Think of all the times you don’t have your phone, tablet, Mac or whatever with you, when some “small” bit of information would be very helpful to have. I think Apple Pay all by itself may drive the success of the watch.
I don’t guarantee that this will work, but it looks more likely than Google Glass. And it is addressing head-on a practical alternative to an implantable computer. Can the geniuses that brought us the smartphone revolution make it work? I hope so.
Yes. Apple was deliberate on the design and function of the “personal device,” and will deliver to consumers looking for a simpler way integrate Apple products into their lives.
I don’t believe Apple needs to find upscale retail partners to reach full sales potential, but it will not hurt to have additional points of distribution, it will help it reach sales goals faster.
I don’t think there is any need for Apple to find an upscale retail partner. The upscale versions of this watch will certainly sell, but by far, by very far, the normal versions will sell more.
Those who buy watches as fashion accessories will buy the Apple Watch (or any other smart watch) as a fashion accessory. Those who don’t, won’t.
I haven’t worn a watch in years. Why? My watch told me the time. Now my phone tells me the time and many other things. No need for a watch. However, I may eventually tilt toward a smart watch. I am thinking right now how convenient it would be for my wrist to tell me the time plus if I have an email or text, or to alert me to an appointment or not to forget my umbrella. I could leave the phone in my pocket and not take it out every 10, 20 or 30 minutes “just to check.”
As an aside, last month I was at a dinner welcoming new students. I went to each table introducing myself. At one particular table of four, a student gave me his business card. He told me it was his father’s company and they made watches. I said “Hmmm,” and showed him my empty wrist. I asked him to show me his wrist—no watch. Then I asked for a show of wrists from each of the students at the table. No watches. I told him he better have a long talk with his father. (However, as smart watches get really smart, I believe every one of those students will be wearing one, not as fashion, but as a necessity.)
I’m not sure Apple has hit a home run yet—the price point is a concern—but there have been doubters before: “Who needs an iPad (and that awful name!) when you already own a laptop and a smartphone?” In that case, Apple created a demand for a product that people didn’t know they needed, in Steve Jobs’s words.
Can they do the same with the Apple Watch? Time will tell (sorry), but the initial pricing for even the simplest versions will make even the early adopters think twice about the purchase. And Apple has a well-known history of adding features (and lowering prices) on subsequent models. It sounds like longer battery life would be the first place to look for improvement.
For Applenistas, the Apple Watch will be a must have fashion accessory. For those that avidly watch “Big Bang Theory” the Apple Watch may serve a functional need.
For the rest of the world, time will tell (pun intended) whether we must have the Apple Watch.
One thing is for sure, this will be a very interesting test on three fronts:
- Does Apple have the design magic to sell fashion over function?
- Can Apple create enough value to change consumer behavior of no longer wearing watches for fashion or function?
- What will it take in retail stores (both Apple and others) to be able to demo and sell the Apple Watch from a fashion and function perspective?
I will wager a bet that very few will be wearing the $17,000 version to the gym to monitor their heart rates and wellness.
Apple Watch will succeed, but with a much smaller user base than the iPhone or iPad. Twenty-two million units is not even a possibility. At best maybe seven million units worldwide. Most people who do not wear a watch have a smartphone to tell time. At these price points I don’t see this changing. Fashion is not one-dimensional. The Apple Watch will appeal to a segment of techies and Generation Y, but not the masses. Many of the higher-quality watches are sold in jewelry stores which don’t have sales people trained on features that will sell the watch.
Apple inspired us to buy a form factor we don’t need (tablet) so why not a watch too? Seriously, tablets are about desire. They are the least needed screen, and the first one to be “voted off the island.” Yet we bought them. The watch might have more incremental functionality given I have my phone and a laptop. While shopping, offers will pop up on the phone and I can still use both hands (don’t minimize the importance of that ergonomic aspect). I will be able to pay for groceries with the flick of a wrist rather than a dive into a pocketbook (thinking of my partner, that is). I think there is definitely something here …
As with any first generation Apple product, they never put the whole kitchen sink into the first iteration of the item.
As far as needing the item, who thought they needed an iPod when it was introduced? Apple is very good at presenting products that people thought they didn’t need. I believe it is a good start for the item. I see them adding more features, longer battery life and the watch operating in a standalone mode in future additions. If anything this sets the bar for all other smart watch manufacturers (and there are a lot of them that have been waiting).
I’m in line with the consensus view that for consumers currently not wearing a timepiece, it is unlikely the Apple Watch will suddenly become a must-have fashion statement. The analysts at Fortune are projecting wildly successful sales of the device for the remainder of this year, which also casts a bit of doubt.
The likely driving force behind the success this new product will have lies in the incredibly devoted, huge population of Apple brand advocates. As an extension of the iPhone ecosystem, I’m betting the Apple Watch initially gains meaningful traction for its Apple Pay and fitness tracking features.
Sustainable growth in market share will become increasingly dependent on new apps that can leverage the wearable device platform—and on bridging the concern so many have with limited battery life.
The fan boys will love it, but as for it becoming a must-have? Nope. The screen is too small for most uses even if the messaging can use voice.
Now, when the geniuses at Apple can figure out how to project that face into a larger size and allow interaction with the projection? They might have something. Right now, I would suggest they focus on specializing it as a watch. Compasses, depth readers, heart rate, pedometer, pulse, whatever.
For my two cents.
This is a great step forward, but this current iteration is probably not the spark required to ignite this sub category of connected products.
Logistical problems like charging and managing the phone and watch will need to be addressed. The size is still too big for women. Timepieces are jewelry. An accessory for your outfit. These watches scream early adopters but the mainstream will be some time away.
Never mind the cost. There are lower cost alternatives that may do well for the time being.
Having said all that, projects like the Pebble on Kickstarter which state that their goal was to raise $100,000 and ended up with $10 million leads me to think my statements above may not be totally accurate.
” … get us to buy a watch we don’t need?” Well, the luxury watch industry has successfully done that for more than a century. Why shouldn’t Apple take a crack at it?
Back in the last millennium I got to know an executive at Cartier who explained a few things about the super-luxury mindset. When price is no object, it often comes down to a feeling of exclusivity on the part of the buyer. There is also the heirloom factor—a lasting purchase that can be handed down to the next generation.
Apple seems to have met part of these conditions with the deluxe versions of its new watch. Only a few can afford them, so it should stand out as a very visible status symbol, easily identifiable by its clunky shape and fancy finish.
However, it may fall short on the heirloom front. Electronic devices are inherently disposable, unlike the 17-jewel Swiss watch movements that are listed in people’s wills.
Stepping back to the fashion sector of the market, I see greater promise for the Apple Watch. It will power the trend wave for a while alongside similar offerings from Samsung and others. Like most mobile devices, they will be good for one to two years of use before they start looking out-of-date and feature-poor compared with the sleeker models to follow.
The first wave of sales may be tech-driven, but I think upscale department stores have great potential to do volume sales in the coming holiday season. If so, look for heavy markdowns next January.
I wish I understood or could understand why and how we now need a watch phone, email server, etc. What is the point? Is it for the person who has everything and now wants one thing more than everything? What can it do that I don’t have done now? Is it going to give me a haircut and shine my shoes? I am looking around the corner expecting to see Maxwell Smart and the Chief talking on their shoe phone. Note from my little bits of sarcasm I do not find value or a need for a smart watch. Maybe it is being developed to go along with the smart glasses I also do not own.
I want one!
If Apple does find upscale retail partners, it will only be a plus. They already have distribution.
The technology is cool. Move over Dick Tracy! The key to the success will be to distance the Apple Watch from the competition when cooler features the customer can’t get anywhere else.
I can’t wait!
Like most of the people here, my responses are:
1) SHOULD it become a “must-have”? – No.
2) WILL it? – Given that it’s Apple, probably yes…though even they from time to time go back to the bench without a hit.
I agree with Herb Sorensen—culture will drive putting wearable technology on a lot of bodies. So why wouldn’t it be just fine to get an Apple watch just because you decide you want one? I’m not a fashionista by any means, but I love that sport watch with the green band. It’s sexy and very desirable, at $349. Luxury goods in all kinds of categories are sold on desire versus particular function.
Case in point—handbags. Ask any woman who pays $1,000 or more for a handbag about its unique function that justifies the price. No way that function is the reason they buy. It may well be the post purchase “rationale,” but style and fashion and the need feel uber style or success is what’s going on.
I don’t think it can hurt Apple to sell via Nordstrom, but it’s not necessary for success. To me it’s more important to have the proper set up and demonstration of how it works, even if I barely use it for calls or apps. If Nordstrom associates can do it, good for them. Nordstrom will likely not trash their reputation for great service just to sell Apple watches, I’ll bet.
Is there a need for music? For some.
Is there a need for voice communication? For some.
Is there a need for electronic communications like email, text, etc? For some.
Is there a need for managing a calendar? Maybe.
Does one want to track personal things like finance, health, the weather? How about commerce, might one want to complete a portion of this activity efficiently? Or perhaps how we pay for things? How about managing things like locks, security, thermostats, automobiles… Oh, and telling time, oops, Now….
What if there was an entire ecosystem of turned-on developers, brand enthusiasts in the millions, and technical and design tools and methods to take the friction out of managing all this, and we reduce it all to something we can put on a wrist?
I know, let’s call it a watch, because if we call it a platform, people would say, platform? I don’t need a platform, I need an iPad, an iPod, an iPhone, I don’t need a platform.
So let’s say that Steve stole all of these ideas, what he added was additional technical breakthroughs, improved industrial design, developer tools/an ecosystem, and fashion (or not). So now we have this capability on our wrist. We don’t need to pull out our phone. It connects with things via that internet/bluetooth hub we carry. Let’s call it a watch.
My bet is on the Apple Watch becoming the darling of health/fitness aficionados and Apple brand loyalists. Really do not see this watch becoming a must-have fashion accessory for those that do not wear a timepiece, due in part to my belief that some may be looking to have fewer wearables, not more.
The fact that the Apple watch syncs with the iPhone for certain functionality is a limiting factor to me, too.
The phone obviated the need for a watch. It’ll take years to lure people back to watches….
Apple has long reigned supreme with luring people in with an emotional buy. So much of their brand love is based on what people feel it says about their personal brand to be “cool like Apple” (look around most ad agencies). So, it will certainly be interesting to see if they can make it happen again with yet another (stress another) platform for managing life’s complexities.
But I love the commentary about if this is enough to take the lead position. Similar to most apps, I feel it will come down to how the features/functions are helping people—its value exchange—against what else is out there. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are rife with great watches (I’m waiting with baited breath to get the one that I funded that counts caloric intake passively).
Also worth consideration is if people really want their physical bodies being tracked in a cloud, tracking their digital life activities. If any brand has the trust of people to do this, it may be Apple. But it makes you wonder, will we soon be seeing people going with the options that are not connected to everything else that they do just to have some semblance of control around their personal data?
Oh yes, the watch is a must-have for many Apple-addicted people. These people NEED the attention that they are sure the watch will bring them. Well it just doesn’t matter that if I check it more than five times per day or play with the features the battery will only last 10 to 12 hours. So what, man—it is so cool! Whatever!
I myself will visit the store. Watch the Apple nuts. Drink my coffee. Try a watch on and wear the battery out and then go get more coffee. Called “retail research.”
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It wouldn’t hurt to find fashion partners, but I’m not sure it’s necessary.
I confess a certain befuddlement. The Apple Watch is being positioned as an accessory to the Apple phone. It’s unclear to me if it will even function without an iPhone nearby. Given that, I don’t get why I should even buy it.
Looking for more clarity here.
OK, it may be a cool device, but does it fulfill a need or is it a product looking for a need to fulfill? For much of its touted functionality it needs to be paired with an iPhone which can do most things if not everything the watch can do, and do it better. Will it sell? I am sure it will. Will it sell at the levels Apple expects? I have some doubts.
If I was 14 this might interest me. Right now I can’t think of anything that could be further down on my wishlist. Just the idea of the thing is too much work.
Here’s what I’ve observed: In their desperate quest for innovation and the “next big thing” companies go one step too far into the black hole beyond customer interest. TV networks do that in producing sillier and sillier sitcoms and talk shows that last one or two episodes. Auto manufacturers produce models no one wants. Google Glass seems to have been one step too far as well.
Has Apple gone that one step too far? We’ll see. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Is the watch a fashion accessory or a new tech device? Either way, if Apple sells 22 million of them, they will enter the mainstream and future iterations will build on this initial success. Apple doesn’t need upscale retailers to carry the watch. They have Apple Stores, the ultimate retailer, and online. Consumer demand will build retail interest. I will be curious to see who buys the watch and the ways in which it will be used.
The discussions of the Apple Watch fail to give adequate attention to the fact that it is an actual extension of the iPhone family. This means that it is a connection to the full power of the computing cloud that “knows everything” and at the same time, knows you, and your intimate personal movements.
Technology/society IS going to get you into a wearable computer, one way or another. And watches were more ubiquitous than glasses, historically.
Never mind what you think about tiny apps, etc. Think of all the times you don’t have your phone, tablet, Mac or whatever with you, when some “small” bit of information would be very helpful to have. I think Apple Pay all by itself may drive the success of the watch.
I don’t guarantee that this will work, but it looks more likely than Google Glass. And it is addressing head-on a practical alternative to an implantable computer. Can the geniuses that brought us the smartphone revolution make it work? I hope so.
Yes. Apple was deliberate on the design and function of the “personal device,” and will deliver to consumers looking for a simpler way integrate Apple products into their lives.
I don’t believe Apple needs to find upscale retail partners to reach full sales potential, but it will not hurt to have additional points of distribution, it will help it reach sales goals faster.
I don’t think there is any need for Apple to find an upscale retail partner. The upscale versions of this watch will certainly sell, but by far, by very far, the normal versions will sell more.
Those who buy watches as fashion accessories will buy the Apple Watch (or any other smart watch) as a fashion accessory. Those who don’t, won’t.
I haven’t worn a watch in years. Why? My watch told me the time. Now my phone tells me the time and many other things. No need for a watch. However, I may eventually tilt toward a smart watch. I am thinking right now how convenient it would be for my wrist to tell me the time plus if I have an email or text, or to alert me to an appointment or not to forget my umbrella. I could leave the phone in my pocket and not take it out every 10, 20 or 30 minutes “just to check.”
As an aside, last month I was at a dinner welcoming new students. I went to each table introducing myself. At one particular table of four, a student gave me his business card. He told me it was his father’s company and they made watches. I said “Hmmm,” and showed him my empty wrist. I asked him to show me his wrist—no watch. Then I asked for a show of wrists from each of the students at the table. No watches. I told him he better have a long talk with his father. (However, as smart watches get really smart, I believe every one of those students will be wearing one, not as fashion, but as a necessity.)
I’m not sure Apple has hit a home run yet—the price point is a concern—but there have been doubters before: “Who needs an iPad (and that awful name!) when you already own a laptop and a smartphone?” In that case, Apple created a demand for a product that people didn’t know they needed, in Steve Jobs’s words.
Can they do the same with the Apple Watch? Time will tell (sorry), but the initial pricing for even the simplest versions will make even the early adopters think twice about the purchase. And Apple has a well-known history of adding features (and lowering prices) on subsequent models. It sounds like longer battery life would be the first place to look for improvement.
For Applenistas, the Apple Watch will be a must have fashion accessory. For those that avidly watch “Big Bang Theory” the Apple Watch may serve a functional need.
For the rest of the world, time will tell (pun intended) whether we must have the Apple Watch.
One thing is for sure, this will be a very interesting test on three fronts:
I will wager a bet that very few will be wearing the $17,000 version to the gym to monitor their heart rates and wellness.
Apple Watch will succeed, but with a much smaller user base than the iPhone or iPad. Twenty-two million units is not even a possibility. At best maybe seven million units worldwide. Most people who do not wear a watch have a smartphone to tell time. At these price points I don’t see this changing. Fashion is not one-dimensional. The Apple Watch will appeal to a segment of techies and Generation Y, but not the masses. Many of the higher-quality watches are sold in jewelry stores which don’t have sales people trained on features that will sell the watch.
Apple inspired us to buy a form factor we don’t need (tablet) so why not a watch too? Seriously, tablets are about desire. They are the least needed screen, and the first one to be “voted off the island.” Yet we bought them. The watch might have more incremental functionality given I have my phone and a laptop. While shopping, offers will pop up on the phone and I can still use both hands (don’t minimize the importance of that ergonomic aspect). I will be able to pay for groceries with the flick of a wrist rather than a dive into a pocketbook (thinking of my partner, that is). I think there is definitely something here …
As with any first generation Apple product, they never put the whole kitchen sink into the first iteration of the item.
As far as needing the item, who thought they needed an iPod when it was introduced? Apple is very good at presenting products that people thought they didn’t need. I believe it is a good start for the item. I see them adding more features, longer battery life and the watch operating in a standalone mode in future additions. If anything this sets the bar for all other smart watch manufacturers (and there are a lot of them that have been waiting).
I’m in line with the consensus view that for consumers currently not wearing a timepiece, it is unlikely the Apple Watch will suddenly become a must-have fashion statement. The analysts at Fortune are projecting wildly successful sales of the device for the remainder of this year, which also casts a bit of doubt.
The likely driving force behind the success this new product will have lies in the incredibly devoted, huge population of Apple brand advocates. As an extension of the iPhone ecosystem, I’m betting the Apple Watch initially gains meaningful traction for its Apple Pay and fitness tracking features.
Sustainable growth in market share will become increasingly dependent on new apps that can leverage the wearable device platform—and on bridging the concern so many have with limited battery life.
The fan boys will love it, but as for it becoming a must-have? Nope. The screen is too small for most uses even if the messaging can use voice.
Now, when the geniuses at Apple can figure out how to project that face into a larger size and allow interaction with the projection? They might have something. Right now, I would suggest they focus on specializing it as a watch. Compasses, depth readers, heart rate, pedometer, pulse, whatever.
For my two cents.
This is a great step forward, but this current iteration is probably not the spark required to ignite this sub category of connected products.
Logistical problems like charging and managing the phone and watch will need to be addressed. The size is still too big for women. Timepieces are jewelry. An accessory for your outfit. These watches scream early adopters but the mainstream will be some time away.
Never mind the cost. There are lower cost alternatives that may do well for the time being.
Having said all that, projects like the Pebble on Kickstarter which state that their goal was to raise $100,000 and ended up with $10 million leads me to think my statements above may not be totally accurate.
” … get us to buy a watch we don’t need?” Well, the luxury watch industry has successfully done that for more than a century. Why shouldn’t Apple take a crack at it?
Back in the last millennium I got to know an executive at Cartier who explained a few things about the super-luxury mindset. When price is no object, it often comes down to a feeling of exclusivity on the part of the buyer. There is also the heirloom factor—a lasting purchase that can be handed down to the next generation.
Apple seems to have met part of these conditions with the deluxe versions of its new watch. Only a few can afford them, so it should stand out as a very visible status symbol, easily identifiable by its clunky shape and fancy finish.
However, it may fall short on the heirloom front. Electronic devices are inherently disposable, unlike the 17-jewel Swiss watch movements that are listed in people’s wills.
Stepping back to the fashion sector of the market, I see greater promise for the Apple Watch. It will power the trend wave for a while alongside similar offerings from Samsung and others. Like most mobile devices, they will be good for one to two years of use before they start looking out-of-date and feature-poor compared with the sleeker models to follow.
The first wave of sales may be tech-driven, but I think upscale department stores have great potential to do volume sales in the coming holiday season. If so, look for heavy markdowns next January.
I wish I understood or could understand why and how we now need a watch phone, email server, etc. What is the point? Is it for the person who has everything and now wants one thing more than everything? What can it do that I don’t have done now? Is it going to give me a haircut and shine my shoes? I am looking around the corner expecting to see Maxwell Smart and the Chief talking on their shoe phone. Note from my little bits of sarcasm I do not find value or a need for a smart watch. Maybe it is being developed to go along with the smart glasses I also do not own.
I want one!
If Apple does find upscale retail partners, it will only be a plus. They already have distribution.
The technology is cool. Move over Dick Tracy! The key to the success will be to distance the Apple Watch from the competition when cooler features the customer can’t get anywhere else.
I can’t wait!
Like most of the people here, my responses are:
1) SHOULD it become a “must-have”? – No.
2) WILL it? – Given that it’s Apple, probably yes…though even they from time to time go back to the bench without a hit.
I agree with Herb Sorensen—culture will drive putting wearable technology on a lot of bodies. So why wouldn’t it be just fine to get an Apple watch just because you decide you want one? I’m not a fashionista by any means, but I love that sport watch with the green band. It’s sexy and very desirable, at $349. Luxury goods in all kinds of categories are sold on desire versus particular function.
Case in point—handbags. Ask any woman who pays $1,000 or more for a handbag about its unique function that justifies the price. No way that function is the reason they buy. It may well be the post purchase “rationale,” but style and fashion and the need feel uber style or success is what’s going on.
I don’t think it can hurt Apple to sell via Nordstrom, but it’s not necessary for success. To me it’s more important to have the proper set up and demonstration of how it works, even if I barely use it for calls or apps. If Nordstrom associates can do it, good for them. Nordstrom will likely not trash their reputation for great service just to sell Apple watches, I’ll bet.
Is there a need for music? For some.
Is there a need for voice communication? For some.
Is there a need for electronic communications like email, text, etc? For some.
Is there a need for managing a calendar? Maybe.
Does one want to track personal things like finance, health, the weather? How about commerce, might one want to complete a portion of this activity efficiently? Or perhaps how we pay for things? How about managing things like locks, security, thermostats, automobiles… Oh, and telling time, oops, Now….
What if there was an entire ecosystem of turned-on developers, brand enthusiasts in the millions, and technical and design tools and methods to take the friction out of managing all this, and we reduce it all to something we can put on a wrist?
I know, let’s call it a watch, because if we call it a platform, people would say, platform? I don’t need a platform, I need an iPad, an iPod, an iPhone, I don’t need a platform.
So let’s say that Steve stole all of these ideas, what he added was additional technical breakthroughs, improved industrial design, developer tools/an ecosystem, and fashion (or not). So now we have this capability on our wrist. We don’t need to pull out our phone. It connects with things via that internet/bluetooth hub we carry. Let’s call it a watch.
My bet is on the Apple Watch becoming the darling of health/fitness aficionados and Apple brand loyalists. Really do not see this watch becoming a must-have fashion accessory for those that do not wear a timepiece, due in part to my belief that some may be looking to have fewer wearables, not more.
The fact that the Apple watch syncs with the iPhone for certain functionality is a limiting factor to me, too.
The phone obviated the need for a watch. It’ll take years to lure people back to watches….
Apple has long reigned supreme with luring people in with an emotional buy. So much of their brand love is based on what people feel it says about their personal brand to be “cool like Apple” (look around most ad agencies). So, it will certainly be interesting to see if they can make it happen again with yet another (stress another) platform for managing life’s complexities.
But I love the commentary about if this is enough to take the lead position. Similar to most apps, I feel it will come down to how the features/functions are helping people—its value exchange—against what else is out there. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are rife with great watches (I’m waiting with baited breath to get the one that I funded that counts caloric intake passively).
Also worth consideration is if people really want their physical bodies being tracked in a cloud, tracking their digital life activities. If any brand has the trust of people to do this, it may be Apple. But it makes you wonder, will we soon be seeing people going with the options that are not connected to everything else that they do just to have some semblance of control around their personal data?
Oh yes, the watch is a must-have for many Apple-addicted people. These people NEED the attention that they are sure the watch will bring them. Well it just doesn’t matter that if I check it more than five times per day or play with the features the battery will only last 10 to 12 hours. So what, man—it is so cool! Whatever!
I myself will visit the store. Watch the Apple nuts. Drink my coffee. Try a watch on and wear the battery out and then go get more coffee. Called “retail research.”