Apple Watch featured in UK's Style magazine, Space Gray Sport version quoted at $349

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited April 2015
Following cover stories in major publications across China, France and the U.S., Apple Watch made its big UK debut on Sunday with a three-page spread in widely circulated fashion magazine Style.




Apple Watch dominated "The Big Spring Issue" of Style magazine with two separate stories in the fashion-oriented standalone included with weekly UK broadsheet publication The Sunday Times.

The first article, which relates to one of four covers created for the magazine's special edition, offers a broad overview of Apple's upcoming device and highlights a picture of model Guinevere Van Seenus wearing a Space Gray aluminum Apple Watch Sport. Interestingly, the accompanying caption quotes the device at $349, a price that runs counter to recent rumblings claiming the Space Gray model could be more expensive than its silver counterparts.

In February, well-connected journalist John Gruber speculated that Apple could be planning to charge more for the Space Gray Sport version as it only has one band color option, compared to multiple choices for the "raw" aluminum model.

At the Apple Watch unveiling in September, Apple said its wearable would start at $349, but failed to mention which of the three tiers -- Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition -- would carry that pricing. Pundits subsequently associated the starting price tag with the Sport edition as it uses cheaper aluminum and glass build materials, not stainless steel, gold and sapphire.

It is unclear if Style confirmed Space Gray Sport cost with Apple, but the publication's second story, which concentrates on the tech behind Apple Watch, notes pricing has yet to be announced in the UK, and points out U.S. pricing is slated to start at $349 for the "basic model."

Apple is expected to reveal additional details about Apple Watch at its "Spring Forward" special event scheduled for March 9. AppleInsider will be on the scene at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts with live coverage starting at 10 a.m. Pacific.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 73
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member

    OK. That photo's cringe-inducing.

     

    Hope Apple had nothing to do with this placement.

  • Reply 2 of 73
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member

    Waiting for a picture of someone modeling an Android watch.  $5 it'll most likely be a picture of a homeless person that pulled one out of the trash bin.

  • Reply 3 of 73
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    OK. That photo's cringe-inducing.

    Hope Apple had nothing to do with this placement.

    Interesting, because this is the first time I've seen ?Watch on a wrist and thought, "I can see myself wearing that," specifically because I thought the styling of that space grey ?Watch Sport looked good.
  • Reply 4 of 73
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    .
  • Reply 5 of 73
    stanhopestanhope Posts: 160member
    Though it was my original thought that I would buy the stainless steel Apple watch with the milanese bracelet, I expect I'll get the aluminum one to start. I have a feeling the stainless with the bracelet will come in about $1,000. That's too much to justify a work in progress. The battery life is a concern as I often forget to charge my Pebble. In that case, since it lasts for a week, it isn't an issue. Also, I suspect it may take a generation to get the software worked out. I have an 18K Cartier Panther. That is $14,000. No tech watch will likely ever equal that in prestige so the gold edition is off the table for me.
  • Reply 6 of 73

    Apple really stopped charging a premium for black when the Black MacBooks died, didn't they? The Classic may have gone on with the two tiers for a hair longer but not much.

  • Reply 7 of 73
    What a horrible photo.

    I can't decide which is worse: the safety pins in the ear or the pus-like icons of the Apple Watch.
  • Reply 8 of 73
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    Apple really stopped charging a premium for black when the Black MacBooks died, didn't they? The Classic may have gone on with the two tiers for a hair longer but not much.

    Since there are 4 strap colour options for the silver aluminium version (white, pink, blue, and green), and only 1 for the space grey aluminium model (black), I suspect that it will have to cost more.
  • Reply 9 of 73
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    The marketing for Apple Watch has been flawless.

    I'm expecting the pricing to be simple and straightforward for all 3 variations of the watch with the 38mm sport models being the entry level price of $349, and the most expensive gold models being somewhere north of $3000 but south of $5000.
  • Reply 10 of 73
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    Apple really stopped charging a premium for black when the Black MacBooks died, didn't they? The Classic may have gone on with the two tiers for a hair longer but not much.

    #RIPBlackMacbook

    solipsismy wrote: »
    Since there are 4 strap colour options for the silver aluminium version (white, pink, blue, and green), and only 1 for the space grey aluminium model (black), I suspect that it will have to cost more.

    It's too soon to assume that.

    Personally I don't see a reason for Apple to charge more for the space grey Sport Watch when they don't currently charge a premium for Space grey in their other iDevices.
  • Reply 11 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blackbook View Post



    The marketing for Apple Watch has been flawless.



    I'm expecting the pricing to be simple and straightforward for all 3 variations of the watch with the 38mm sport models being the entry level price of $349, and the most expensive gold models being somewhere north of $3000 but south of $5000.



    $349

    $749

    $7499. Possibly an additional premium above that for the Rose Gold too.

  • Reply 12 of 73
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member

    $349
    $749
    $7499. Possibly an additional premium above that for the Rose Gold too.

    Yes that seems about right.

    Add a $50 up charge for the 42mm sport and standard models, with the gold getting an even higher up charge for the 42mm size.

    I think the starting price of the gold model might be lower than $7499, but the 42mm model with the large gold buckle will probably be close to (if not higher than) $7499.
  • Reply 13 of 73
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post



    What a horrible photo.



    I can't decide which is worse: the safety pins in the ear or the pus-like icons of the Apple Watch.



    Well, your trolling comments certainly qualify as top of the pus-list.

  • Reply 14 of 73

    I have to say that I don't think that photo does the watch any favours at all. It looks like something put together by a first year art student trying to be 'edgy', and I'm pretty sure that's not what Apple is aiming at.

     

    It's a good job I already want the watch. If I was still in the process of making up my mind, that photo could actively dissuade me on the grounds that anyone wearing it might be thought of as being a 'pseud'.

  • Reply 15 of 73
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    I have to say that I don't think that photo does the watch any favours at all. It looks like something put together by a first year art student trying to be 'edgy', and I'm pretty sure that's not what Apple is aiming at.

    It's a good job I already want the watch. If I was still in the process of making up my mind, that photo could actively dissuade me on the grounds that anyone wearing it might be thought of as being a 'pseud'.


    I think this ad will be successful for its targeted audience.

    The creative "first year art student" vibe (as you so kindly put it) is not everyone's cup of tea obviously, but I think it's effective for the demographic this ad is targeting.
  • Reply 16 of 73
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    blackbook wrote: »
    Personally I don't see a reason for Apple to charge more for the space grey Sport Watch when they don't currently charge a premiem for Space grey in their other iDevices.

    I do, and I noted why I do. The silver has four colour options, while the space grey has only one. If the prices were going to be the same I would have suspected more colour options for the straps on the space grey. To me it says we're making more of the aluminum which means the space grey will be constrained, and since we're making less we have to charge more to keep the margins in place and to balance the interest so not everyone is buying the black model.

    I hope I'm wrong, but I will a little surprised if all 10 models of ?Watch Sport are $349.
  • Reply 17 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post





    I do, and I noted why I do. The silver has four colour options, while the space grey has only one. If the prices were going to be the same I would have suspected more colour options for the straps on the space grey. To me it says we're making more of the aluminum which means the space grey will be constrained, and since we're making less we have to charge more to keep the margins in place and to balance the interest so not everyone is buying the black model.



    I hope I'm wrong, but I will a little surprised if all 10 models of ?Watch Sport are $349.



    We'll see. It could simply be a stylistic decision, the DayGlo colored bands are a bit bright to match with a black watch.

  • Reply 18 of 73
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    I, for one, can't wait for the ?Watch add that's all CGI in some futuristic world in a high-tech industrial world like we used to see with the Verizon Droid ads in 2010¡
  • Reply 19 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post



    I, for one, can't wait for the ?Watch add that's all CGI in some futuristic world in a high-tech industrial world like we used to see with the Verizon Droid ads in 2010¡



    I'd prefer one where the salesman points out that it has a dual-core processor, which means it's better because two is higher than one!

  • Reply 20 of 73
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    solipsismy wrote: »
    I do, and I noted why I do. The silver has four colour options, while the space grey has only one. If the prices were going to be the same I would have suspected more colour options for the straps on the space grey. To me it says we're making more of the aluminum which means the space grey will be constrained, and since we're making less we have to charge more to keep the margins in place and to balance the interest so not everyone is buying the black model.

    I hope I'm wrong, but I will a little surprised if all 10 models of ?Watch Sport are $349.

    I understand your point.

    This is uncharted territory so it's hard to assume what Apple will do. Since this is a fashion device Apple could easily charge more for specific colors, which is common for high end clothing.

    But I really hope Apple keeps the pricing structure of the watch relatively simple. There's already enough complexity with the different bands and models.
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