If you haven't taken our Apple Watch buying poll...
There is still time, and we need more responses to get a representative sample of BetaNews readers. The question is easy: Will you buy Apple Watch? Preorders begin April 10 and sales start on April 24. Prices range from $349—please excuse my spitting out coffee—to $17,000.
As I post, the majority of respondents, 46 percent, don't plan to buy any smartwatch. About that finding, I am not the least surprised, given limitations like battery life, smartphone tethering, and functional overlap. Twenty-four percent plan to buy another smartwatch, while 14 percent say no for other reasons. That works out to 84 percent in the No category. The remaining 16 percent is no smaller number, assuming intentions materialize into purchases, particularly considering how costly is Apple Watch.
However, polls like this one—or any other asking about buying intentions, for that matter—foreshadow future trends and nothing more. No buying poll, even with tens of thousands respondents, is remotely reliable. Because the measure isn't what people will do but what they say they want to do. That's why I laugh and shake my head with disgust when seeing splashy headlines making claims like "One in three consumers will buy [insert product of your choice here]". What someone wants and what he or she does often don't match. Otherwise, based on buying polls conducted by outfits like ChangeWave early in the decade, every American would own an iPad pr iPhone.
Still, the polls are fun, reflect attitudes among our readers, and can give reasonably quantifiable sense of interest—or lack of it—in the next, new thing. Besides, many of you enjoy bashing Apple, and poll stories present fresh opportunities to comment.
So, let's look at some responses. "I think of the Apple Watch as an Aston Martin", Chris Averill, CEO of we are experience, says in a BetaNews commentary posted today. Shall we chock that up as one sure sale for the Gold Edition, which price starts at $10,000, then? I can think of more worthy contributions. For 10 grand, Averill can have my autograph on the photo of an Aston Martin that he chooses. For that much money, I can arrange gold-color ink. By the way, as I write, 2 people responding to our poll say they will buy that pricey gold Apple Watch.
"Ugly and useless as it is, I'm sure Apple is going to make a bundle from the 10k watch", GS5 comments to the first poll story. "Since there are many die-hard fanboys that will probably sell their car or mortgage their home to buy one". Now don't discredit him or her for likely being a Samsung Android user.
Responding to the Aston Martin story, ircolby45 opines: Meh—too much flash and not enough battery life. I think smartwatches will get there eventually, but for now they remain lackluster".
[poll id="19"]
Commenter phreeon adds: "An Aston Martin of wearable tech would assume there is something impressive 'under the hood' of the wearable. Considering the base Sport model specs are no different than the Edition model, lackluster battery life, and limited memory, this Apple Watch is more the equivalent to a Chrysler of wearables, decidedly average". Ouch!
Thing is, you can't buy a new, 2015 Chrysler for $17,000 at the list price. Hehe. The Chrysler 200 MSRP starts at $21,800. But let's suppose a dealer will sell you the car for $17K. Will you choose a new car? Or new Apple Watch?
Apple marketing consistently focuses on the apirational, which makes Nick Thorpe's comment to Wayne Williams' commentary "I should want an Apple Watch—but I don't" mighty relevant to the poll: "The question for me is it going to improve my life? is it going help me? Or is it just a gizmo extension of the iPhone? So far I can't see how it is going [to] make life easier and more productive as the iPhone has".
To answer the one question—"Will you buy Apple Watch?"—consider the other that Thorpe poses: Is it going to improve your life? Will you be happier wearing the smartwatch, and, if so, for what price? Please take the poll, if you haven't, and add your reasons to comments.