Apple at work on first-party Apple Watch dock with Nightstand support [u]

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited November 2015
Months after the Apple Watch's debut, Apple is finally at work on an official charging dock for the device, a leak revealed on Tuesday [updated with images of the product].




The product will be disc-shaped and known as the "Magnetic Charging Dock," a source informed French site igeneration on Tuesday. A shared packaging photo indicates that Watches will be able to lay either flat or on their side -- the latter is particularly important, since it enables watchOS 2's Nightstand mode.

The dock should come with a bundled Lightning cable, but not an AC adapter needed to plug the device into a wall outlet. Pricing should be 89 euros or about $95, though local U.S. pricing will likely be cheaper.

The source didn't mention a release date, but a price and finished packaging may suggest that a launch is imminent.

Update: New images from German site Grobgebloggt.de show the anticipated product in action with an Apple Watch. They are included below.



Numerous third-party Watch docks have been available since the wearable first shipped last April, but Apple itself has stuck to providing a basic charging cable. Many of those third-party options are vertically-built, preventing the use of Nightstand, and require that owners thread Apple's cable through them to make them work.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    Good to see Apple making their own charging stand. I ended up buying the Twelve South Forte stand. The Forte stand works great and the build quality is excellent. The Forte doesn't prevent the use of Nightstand.
  • Reply 2 of 23
    Strange that Apple did not have such a thing on day one. They are notoriously tunnelvisioned when it comes to imagining useful accessories for their own products.
  • Reply 3 of 23

    Wonder if they'll make an integrated iPhone/Watch charging stand as well? Kinda like the Belkin Valet but maybe try to get Nightstand support in there too. Maybe not but it'd be nice since I usually prefer Apple's accessories over third party.

     

    EDIT: on 9to5Mac there's actual pics of this thing in use.

  • Reply 4 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    Strange that Apple did not have such a thing on day one. They are notoriously tunnelvisioned when it comes to imagining useful accessories for their own products.



    If the ? watch had nightstand mode on day one it would have made sense to release this alongside of it at launch.

  • Reply 5 of 23
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member

    I don't currently have an ?Watch, but isn't $95 a bit pricey for such an accessory?

  • Reply 6 of 23
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    $100 for this thing is ridiculous. I get the feeling Apple doesn't much care about accessories anymore, or at least doesn't care how many they sell. Because if they did they wouldn't be so overpriced.
  • Reply 7 of 23
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member

    "though local U.S. pricing will likely be cheaper."

     

    I sense currency valuations at play.

  • Reply 8 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    Strange that Apple did not have such a thing on day one. They are notoriously tunnelvisioned when it comes to imagining useful accessories for their own products.



    I don't agree. Yesterday, I  re-watched one of Steve's early videos (maybe WWDC in 1997 or an internal meeting with developers) after he returned) to Apple where he stated that adding more software developers to a task is undesirable at a pint where additional bodies creates a downward slope in productivity. He explicitly singled out the problem where more people create a need for more complex communication, which offsets actual contribution to good code.

     

    I think a similar thing applies to their philosophy of designing and shipping hardware accessories. Apple would rather tackle accessory needs after major hardware updates are completed. That allows them to maintain a smaller ID team that can better collaborate and execute. One product goes into production and lesser important products are designed nad then pushed into production.

  • Reply 9 of 23
    It does at least one thing - as near as certain confirms that Apple watch 2 will basically have the same sized back charging plate.
  • Reply 10 of 23
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member

    The stand also doubles as diaphragm or container for your bc pills.

  • Reply 11 of 23
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member

    On first blush, it looks like a very smart design.

    Apple probably will justify the high price saying it's wrapped in soft leather, yada yada yada. 

  • Reply 12 of 23
    Strange that Apple did not have such a thing on day one. They are notoriously tunnelvisioned when it comes to imagining useful accessories for their own products.

    And when they do announce them with the product, they almost always ship later. It seems odd to me.
  • Reply 13 of 23
    rogifan wrote: »
    $100 for this thing is ridiculous. I get the feeling Apple doesn't much care about accessories anymore, or at least doesn't care how many they sell. Because if they did they wouldn't be so overpriced.

    Where do you get $100? The article says it should €89, but that would include a VAT. Isn't the EU VAT In France 20%? Doesn't that make it more likely to be $69–79 in the US?
  • Reply 14 of 23
    dreyfus2dreyfus2 Posts: 1,072member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by satchmo View Post

     

    On first blush, it looks like a very smart design.


     

    Yes and no. It is great that it is small and travel friendly. It is great that it supports both orientations for most Watches. It is not so great that you can't place a Watch with a Milanaise band or link bracelet in flat mode.

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    $100 for this thing is ridiculous. I get the feeling Apple doesn't much care about accessories anymore, or at least doesn't care how many they sell. Because if they did they wouldn't be so overpriced.

     

    While that may not be the US price, and considering what they charge for the cable alone, it might not even be that bad. What really annoyed me a bit was the pricing for the new plastic smart covers and smart cases for the iPad... Buying both for complete protection costs almost twice as much as the original iPad Air smart case (which included front and back) in leather. This is indeed getting a bit ridiculous.

  • Reply 15 of 23
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wdowell View Post



    It does at least one thing - as near as certain confirms that Apple watch 2 will basically have the same sized back charging plate.



    How does it do that? When the iPhone 5 came out there was no dock. Then when the iPhone 5s and 5c came out there were two docks. Then the iPhone 6 came out, no dock until just before the 6S came out, and then when the 6S came out a brand new dock that matched the 6S colors. So, A) based on past history, timing of release has nothing to do with the product life, and B) just because we've seen one possible dock, doesn't mean there won't be another released within a few months with slight changes to accommodate a new model, just like the incompatible 5s & 5c docks. 

  • Reply 16 of 23
    Ugly! Looks aside....I think I'd buy an Apple dock if it was <$40. That's probably my max...as an Apple Watch owner.
  • Reply 17 of 23
    Before I saw the actual pics of the product out of the box, I thought Apple may have taken the idea from the nomad pod pro. http://www.hellonomad.com/products/pod-pro

    Apple should've out a small battery in there for
    On the go charging as well.
  • Reply 18 of 23
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by StephanJobs View Post



    Before I saw the actual pics of the product out of the box, I thought Apple may have taken the idea from the nomad pod pro. http://www.hellonomad.com/products/pod-pro



    Apple should've out a small battery in there for

    On the go charging as well.



    Given how cheap small couple thousand mAhr  backup batteries are getting, I was just given one as a throwaway promotional for attending a user group meeting (originally from Brookstone though it had a vendor name added as they do for promo items) the added complexity and expense for a battery probably was seen as redundant for something that is largely aimed at stationary use. And for traveling it's just the situation I'm the least likely to saddle myself with extra weight like a charger stand versus just the cable.

  • Reply 19 of 23
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    dreyfus2 wrote: »
    While that may not be the US price, and considering what they charge for the cable alone, it might not even be that bad. What really annoyed me a bit was the pricing for the new plastic smart covers and smart cases for the iPad... Buying both for complete protection costs almost twice as much as the original iPad Air smart case (which included front and back) in leather. This is indeed getting a bit ridiculous.

    I'm sure Apple did that so they could upgrade you to the keyboard for "only" $30 more. As I've said before Phil Schiller's main job seems to be figuring out how he can get you to spend more money.
  • Reply 20 of 23
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    rogifan wrote: »
    I'm sure Apple did that so they could upgrade you to the keyboard for "only" $30 more. As I've said before Phil Schiller's main job seems to be figuring out how he can get you to spend more money.

    Geez, give it a rest. What does your bitching about a keyboard have to do with the Apple Watch?

    There's always good third party accessories if you don't like what Apple is offering.
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