How much might the Apple Watch cost?
There will be three models of the Apple Watch, namely, Sport, Watch, and Edition.
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed on the September 9 launch event that the Sport edition will cost $349 and did not give any more hints as to what the Watch and Edition versions will cost.
Watch expert Chad Rickicki thinks that the Gold Edition Apple Watch could cost about $1,200, especially 18-karat gold is used in the metal alloy of the watch case.
Apple product tipster and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that the Apple Watch could cost “several thousand dollars,” and was most likely referring to the Edition version.
Ben Taylor of FindTheBest recently gave a few guesses about the Apple Watch’s price range in Time based upon how Apple prices its products, and taking into account the higher quality material used to make the watch.
If the different Apple Watch collections are indeed priced according to the standard Apple “$100-for-higher-storage,” then the Watch collection would only cost $449, and the Edition collection would cost $549, but Taylor notes that this “obvious” line of thinking stops becoming so when considering that the Edition collection watches could contain 18-karat gold.
Thus, Taylor came up with two more price ranges, which he dubs the “precious metal premium.”
In the more “conservative” estimate, the stainless steel Watch collection would go for $749 each, while the Edition collection would retail for $1,499.
However, in taking into account Apple Senior Vice President of Design Jony Ive’s mention that Apple views Switzerland and not Silicon Valley as their primary area of competition, and that 18-karat gold watches by Rolex start at about $3,000, Taylor came up with a more “liberal” pricing where the Watch collection cost $999, while the Edition collection is priced in excess of $4,999.
As the Apple Watch is slated for a 2015 release, it will be some time yet before Apple officially reveals the prices, but based on current estimates, those who fancy wearing the top-end Apple “wearable” will probably need some deep pockets.
