Apple Watch gets teardown treatment, unannounced data port remains in production units

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 73
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,324moderator
    9secondko wrote: »
    Port for battery connectivity to external batteries in modular band?...

    I'd say it's to load software on, possibly through a special induction connector given that it's screwed shut on the inside. Every product they make has an external port to be able to load the operating system on. They could install software onto a chip and then assemble the product and seal it up and use a wireless transfer but if something went wrong or they needed to apply a firmware update, wireless transfer might lock them out and they'd have to disassemble the product.
    Can't wait to hear complaints about how it's not fixable.

    Some people were hoping the internals could be upgraded with successive revisions. This layout suggests that no upgrades will be possible so you just have to buy another one, even at $10k-17k, and sell the old one on eBay or similar. It means that whatever model you get will depreciate around the same levels as their other products from one year to the next so a steel model might be $1000 today but under $400 in 3 years.
  • Reply 22 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post

     
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 9secondko View Post



    Port for battery connectivity to external batteries in modular band?...




    I'd say it's to load software on, possibly through a special induction connector given that it's screwed shut on the inside. Every product they make has an external port to be able to load the operating system on. They could install software onto a chip and then assemble the product and seal it up and use a wireless transfer but if something went wrong or they needed to apply a firmware update, wireless transfer might lock them out and they'd have to disassemble the product.
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon 

    Can't wait to hear complaints about how it's not fixable.




    Some people were hoping the internals could be upgraded with successive revisions. This layout suggests that no upgrades will be possible so you just have to buy another one, even at $10k-17k, and sell the old one on eBay or similar. It means that whatever model you get will depreciate around the same levels as their other products from one year to the next so a steel model might be $1000 today but under $400 in 3 years.

     

    There's no reason the S1 module can't be swapped out to upgrade the watch... newer modules can be more powerful and yet no larger. Apple has it all thought out...

  • Reply 23 of 73
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    There's no reason the S1 module can't be swapped out to upgrade the watch... newer modules can be more powerful and yet no larger. Apple has it all thought out...

    Yeah not being an engineer myself I'm wondering what exactly in the teardown points to no upgrades being possible?
  • Reply 24 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Yeah not being an engineer myself I'm wondering what exactly in the teardown points to no upgrades being possible?

    In another article they mention that they had to destroy a few things to get the S1 out

  • Reply 25 of 73
    Making the internal module swappable isn't the solution. It may facilitate makers of crappy internal module for the Apple watch...
  • Reply 26 of 73
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,034member
    [quote]Apple should also consider porting Pages or MS Office into the watch so I can edit my spread sheets directly from my wrist.
    [/quote]

    I have to have the full version of Microsoft office or this thing is completely useless.
  • Reply 27 of 73
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    williamh wrote: »
    Apple should also consider porting Pages or MS Office into the watch so I can edit my spread sheets directly from my wrist.

    I have to have the full version of Microsoft office or this thing is completely useless.


    Throw in a CAD program and we just might have something....
  • Reply 28 of 73
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post





    I'd say it's to load software on, possibly through a special induction connector given that it's screwed shut on the inside. Every product they make has an external port to be able to load the operating system on. They could install software onto a chip and then assemble the product and seal it up and use a wireless transfer but if something went wrong or they needed to apply a firmware update, wireless transfer might lock them out and they'd have to disassemble the product.

    Some people were hoping the internals could be upgraded with successive revisions. This layout suggests that no upgrades will be possible so you just have to buy another one, even at $10k-17k, and sell the old one on eBay or similar. It means that whatever model you get will depreciate around the same levels as their other products from one year to the next so a steel model might be $1000 today but under $400 in 3 years.

     

    Got the feeling that the higher end models, would deprecate a bit slower and that watches would depreciate slower than phones.

    Phone are about 50% of their initial value after 3 years.

     

    I'd guess that the sport one in good condition, which for aluminium is not a given (we will see how durable the casing is in use),

    would be worth about the same (maybe a bit more for the esthetic value).

    Say,  $185-$215 after 3 years.

     

    By the same argument, the steel watch (maybe needs a bit of polishing) could be worth 60-65% ($300-$350).

     

    The gold watch will probbaly be worth 80-90% ($8000-$9000) of its initial price (100-120% if they become collectable) in 3 years.

     

    BTW, you don't need to sell the bands, the $500 band is probably the thing that will retain its value the most and you should certainly keep it and just sell the body. That the great thing with this. Yes, right now you have to spend $1000 for a nice watch, but in the future, the expenses are maybe $550 every 2-3 years. If you can sell the case for $300, the cost per year becomes $250, not much at all.

  • Reply 29 of 73
    Why do people keep asking for swappable/upgradable hardware on Apple Watch? Is your Omega or Rolex upgradable? How about your iPhone?
  • Reply 30 of 73
    d4njvrzfd4njvrzf Posts: 797member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by foggyhill View Post

     

     

    Got the feeling that the higher end models, would deprecate a bit slower and that watches would depreciate slower than phones.

    Phone are about 50% of their initial value after 3 years.

     

    I'd guess that the sport one in good condition, which for aluminium is not a given (we will see how durable the casing is in use),

    would be worth about the same (maybe a bit more for the esthetic value).

    Say,  $185-$215 after 3 years.

     

    By the same argument, the steel watch (maybe needs a bit of polishing) could be worth 60-65% ($300-$350).

     

    The gold watch will probbaly be worth 80-90% ($8000-$9000) of its initial price (100-120% if they become collectable) in 3 years.

     

    BTW, you don't need to sell the bands, the $500 band is probably the thing that will retain its value the most and you should certainly keep it and just sell the body. That the great thing with this. Yes, right now you have to spend $1000 for a nice watch, but in the future, the expenses are maybe $550 every 2-3 years. If you can sell the case for $300, the cost per year becomes $250, not much at all.


    In what shape will the battery be after three years of daily charging? And how will the hardware cope with smartwatch software three years from now? The value of a smartwatch derives mostly from its capabilities as a miniature computer, and all computer hardware eventually become obsolete. 

  • Reply 31 of 73
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    roake wrote: »
    Interesting guess. Considering the position of the port, may be some possibility for this.

    For sleep tracking I imagine a comfortable band with minimal electronics and battery that you would wear through the night. When you attach it the data would be transferred to the watch.
  • Reply 32 of 73
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member

    Needs a MicroSD card slot too.

    Gotta run Flash too!
  • Reply 33 of 73

    this is unacceptable. Where's the floppy drive so I can load CricketDraw? Come on Apple...don't you guys realize that some of us are stuck in the past!

  • Reply 34 of 73
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    radster360 wrote: »
    Why do people keep asking for swappable/upgradable hardware on Apple Watch? Is your Omega or Rolex upgradable? How about your iPhone?

    Exactly and let us not forget how expensive those watches are to maintain. It costs me $500 for a Rolex dealer to service my watch, that means change the crystal and clean the watch. The costs add up from there for any replacement parts or repairs plus labor. My last service came in at around $1,000.
  • Reply 35 of 73
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    There's no reason the S1 module can't be swapped out to upgrade the watch... newer modules can be more powerful and yet no larger. Apple has it all thought out...

    That has always been what I assumed would be the case. Although I have yet to read anything to back that theory up. have you?
  • Reply 36 of 73
    The EU will declare that this is actually a portable device (ala MP3 players and cell phones) that must comply with the directive that all such devices must have a standard USB charging port for interchangeability, after which all such 'Watch' devices not using mechanical gears must also have a USB charging port.
  • Reply 37 of 73
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    cash907 wrote: »
    Are you insulting ifixit? Their tear down guides and support forums have saved me hundreds of dollars in repair fees, so I'm not understanding what your beef with them might possibly be.

    I can't speak for others but for me they served a great purpose back in another era. When we did pull our Macs to pieces and change parts out. Today's Apple products by enlarge are different, just as looking under the hood of a modern car is compared to the old days when anyone could strip down an engine with a few tools. In those days cars were highly unreliable, today's are extremely reliable for the most part but not for the average Joe to tinker with. The same is true of Apple gear. So the problem with iFixit is they criticize this and give low marks (and fodder for Apple haters) simply because they are from the era of changing your own spark plugs to stretch the car metaphor another mile. This is why many of us are poking fun. They try to make the strength of Apple's new designs seem like weaknesses and it is no different from the corner garage grease monkey moaning that a 2015 BMW engine is crap because he is not able to fiddle with the carburetor manually.
  • Reply 38 of 73
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    gunner1954 wrote: »
    The EU will declare that this is actually a portable device (ala MP3 players and cell phones) that must comply with the directive that all such devices must have a standard USB charging port for interchangeability, after which all such 'Watch' devices not using mechanical gears must also have a USB charging port.

    They just posted this "Apple Watch found to be compliant with Qi wireless charging standard" so I guess we are OK without one in Europe :)
  • Reply 39 of 73
    roakeroake Posts: 811member
    radster360 wrote: »
    Why do people keep asking for swappable/upgradable hardware on Apple Watch? Is your Omega or Rolex upgradable? How about your iPhone?

    An Omega or Rolex isn't technologically outdated in a year. The iPhone doesn't cost $17000.
  • Reply 40 of 73
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,324moderator
    foggyhill wrote: »
    Got the feeling that the higher end models, would deprecate a bit slower and that watches would depreciate slower than phones.

    It's all down to the upgrade cycle. Mac Pros retain their value better because of the slow upgrade cycle. If upgrades come every year then depreciation rates should be similar to Macs/iPhones (about 25% per year or so).
    foggyhill wrote: »
    I'd guess that the sport one in good condition, which for aluminium is not a given (we will see how durable the casing is in use),
    would be worth about the same (maybe a bit more for the esthetic value).
    Say,  $185-$215 after 3 years.

    I think it would drop a little more because the choice would be between a 3 year old Sport model for ~$200 and a brand new one with new straps and warranty for $350.
    foggyhill wrote: »
    The gold watch will probbaly be worth 80-90% ($8000-$9000) of its initial price (100-120% if they become collectable) in 3 years.

    There's no way these are going to appreciate in value. They'll have a brand new gold model in 3 years. Depreciation can be lessened due to the limited availability but I could still see a used one going for under $6k in 3 years.
    foggyhill wrote: »
    BTW, you don't need to sell the bands, the $500 band is probably the thing that will retain its value the most and you should certainly keep it and just sell the body. That the great thing with this. Yes, right now you have to spend $1000 for a nice watch, but in the future, the expenses are maybe $550 every 2-3 years. If you can sell the case for $300, the cost per year becomes $250, not much at all.

    Yeah if they keep the connector size the same then keeping the straps will help lower the upgrade cost.
    Exactly and let us not forget how expensive those watches are to maintain. It costs me $500 for a Rolex dealer to service my watch, that means change the crystal and clean the watch. The costs add up from there for any replacement parts or repairs plus labor. My last service came in at around $1,000.

    Apple's service charges are pretty high too:

    http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/04/10/apple-watch-repair-costs-applecare-plans-try-on-experiences-detailed-as-preorders-mount
    https://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=US&product=applewatch&select=ADVANCE_REPLACEMENT

    It makes sense considering what it takes to open one up but it seems a bit much to pay $229 to service a $349 watch. You're only going to end up with a used watch after the service so you'd be better off selling it as spares and buying a brand new one.
    sog35 wrote:
    I guarantee that the gold and stainless models will have the option to upgrade the internals.

    Its going to be expensive - probably north of $300

    Quite a bit north I suspect. Keep going until you see snow on the ground. Their service fee for the gold one is $3599. No way a full upgrade would be less than that, which is pointless because the value difference between a new one and the old one would be comparable.
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