2023-10-03 06:51:46
Apple announced that the first generation of the Apple Watch, launched in 2015, was now considered obsolete, meaning it would no longer benefit from any repair or replacement services from the Apple company. Among the affected models is the 18k gold Apple Watch Edition, which cost between $10,000 and $17,000 in the US when it was released.
The gold Apple Watch Edition was a personal project by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive. This was Apple’s first attempt to compete in the luxury watch market, and the gold model only lasted a year before being replaced by much cheaper ceramic and titanium versions. The gold Apple Watch Edition has been worn by influential celebrities, such as German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, artists Drake, Pharell Williams and Katy Perry.
On the software side, watchOS 5 dropped compatibility with the gold Apple Watch in 2018. All other 38mm and 42mm aluminum and stainless steel versions of the first generation Apple Watch, including the Herms variants, are also now classified as obsolete. Apple classifies a product as technologically obsolete when more than seven years have passed since it stopped distributing it for sale. The first Apple Watch was discontinued in September 2016, when the Apple Watch Series 2 and Series 1 models were released, meaning it recently hit that seven-year milestone.
Apple’s obsolete label doesn’t just mean the end of software support. The original Apple Watches (widely referred to as Series 0) were never updated beyond watchOS 4.3.2 in 2018. This means the end of hardware support: the company will no longer provide parts, repairs or replacement services.
You might spend $10,000 to $30,000 on a Cartier Tank, and still have a square watch and not worry regarding whether you can get it serviced eight (or 80) years later. As long as there are luxury watch manufacturers like Cartier (or Patek Philippe, Rolex, etc.), you can get first-hand repair service. If your $17,000 Apple Watch needs repair, you can take your chances with a third-party repair shop, replace the battery yourself, do a custom mechanical conversion, or, if you feel like it, wear it anyway. After all, Karl Lagerfeld hadn’t even configured his own.
First edition of the Apple Watch specially made for Karl and other celebrities, worn by Karl Although the blackened Royal Oak is undoubtedly the watch most often associated with Lagerfeld in collector and enthusiast circles, it is not not the only watch he was seen wearing throughout his long and storied career. Most recently, he was seen wearing a solid 18k yellow gold Apple Watch on a special gold bracelet that was never made available to the public (the same one that Beyonc and other celebrities also wore). But the best part? It seems he never actually configured the device, but did as Andy Warhol did, wearing it only as jewelry. The image here, taken from Instagram, shows it in pairing mode, and numerous other photos have shown Lagerfeld wearing the watch in what appears to be a completely discharged state. The folks at The Verge even coined the term Lagerfelding to describe someone walking around with a tinted Apple Watch on their wrist. This man’s legacy knows no bounds. Jony Ive and Apple Watch
Ive’s fingerprints can be found on all of Apple’s most iconic products, from the iPhone to the MacBook to the Apple Watch. But its design DNA is arguably more present in the watch than in any other Apple product. Maybe it’s because it’s the first major product category launched following Jobs, or maybe it’s because Jony Ive really likes watches (Apple COO Jeff Williams has in the past credited the watch as being Ive’s work).
Jony Ive joined Apple in 1992. After leaving Apple in 2019, Jony Ive, a famous designer known for his Apple brand products, still worked for the latter as a consultant. But in July 2022, the separation between the two parties was complete.
It was on the occasion of the first separation, following more than 20 years spent within the company, that the anecdotes surrounding the character arose. One of them sheds light on how Ive came to create the Apple Watch and reveals some interesting, previously unpublished information. At that time, the public already knew that the Apple Watch was Ive’s passion project for Apple, but a Wall Street Journal report gave details showing how Ive was intrigued by the potential to continue chipping away at the technology of the Apple Watch. iPhone a wearable device.
The report said some executives opposed the idea of a smartwatch, fearing that such a device would not have a compelling killer app. However, Tim Cook approved the project and Ive started working in 2013.
Here’s what the Wall Street Journal says:
He met with the team almost daily and dove into the details, helping imagine the distinctive hexagonal grid of apps that morphed as people scrolled. He worked with Apple’s acquisitions team to hire industrial designer Marc Newson, his friend, who had developed designs for rectangular watches. He pushed Apple to hire CEO Yves Saint Laurent to manage the business side of the project. The article goes on to claim that some Apple executives wanted to position the watch as an extension of the iPhone, while Mr. Ive saw it as a fashion accessory. The result would have been a compromise. What would Ive’s unnegotiated vision have looked like? It’s hard to say, given that the Apple Watch was released with both a $17,000 gold version and a Herms design. Interestingly, the report states that thousands of Golden versions remained unsold. L, little surprise.
The last interesting nugget is this: The company sold regarding 10 million units in the first year, a quarter of what Apple expected, a person familiar with the matter said. Apple clearly had higher expectations for the watch from day one, but it took until Series 2 for the wearable to reach Apple’s hoped-for sales volume and help make it the smartwatch success it was. is today.
The reaction of Internet users
Some opted for humor:
What the hell am I going to do with all mine now? Others felt the situation was completely normal: It happens eventually: the technology eventually becomes obsolete and vendors no longer support it. Sad but predictable. The type of technology in this watch cannot run forever. Even if the watch itself doesn’t break, apps that require network support will eventually stop working. Others have highlighted the limitations of smartwatches compared to traditional watches: The difference between a Rolex and an Apple Watch is that a Rolex will still be perfectly functional following 10 years, regardless of complications. Others think Apple should make a goodwill gesture for those who paid that much: For $17,000.00, Apple should regularly re-equip them with the latest technology. And others feel that the Apple Watch is just too expensive: I remember when the Apple Watch was new, I went to the Apple Store to take a look at it and sort of had a conversation with a guy there wearing a t-shirt, shorts and a Rolex that cost more than my car. (Of course, that $17,000 Apple Watch too, but the Rolex would have bought two.) He simply handed it to me at one point, asking me to feel the weight of it.
It was a strange few seconds.
Anyway: I still don’t have an Apple Watch, but maybe one day. But it makes no sense to pay for the golden version*!
Sources : Apple, Karl Lagerfeld n’a jamais configur sa Apple Watch, Jony Ive et Apple Watch
And you ?
What do you think of connected watches in general and the Apple Watch in particular? Do you have one? For what ?
What do you think of Apple’s strategy to obsolete the first generation of the Apple Watch, including the $17,000 gold model?
Do you think the gold Apple Watch Edition was an innovative product or a commercial failure?
Would you be willing to buy a luxury smartwatch, or would you prefer a traditional watch?
What do you think is the future of connected watches? What features would you like to see on future models?
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