New iPhones/Apple Watch?

[Montecfo]

I do not see much utility in these watches and long ago stopped wearing one.

They have snob appeal which is why I bought AAPL.

 

[kcowan]

Has anyone used a new Apple watch with just an iPad? I am thinking I can skip the iPhone with a new watch and iPad?

 

[braumeister]

No, you need the Watch app to manage it and that app only runs on the iPhone.

 

[audreyh1]

I do not see much utility in these watches and long ago stopped wearing one.

They have snob appeal which is why I bought AAPL.

So many people think Apple products are bought for their status/snob appeal. God forbid they actually have any functionality. That customers might actually think they are getting value for their money.

 

[kcowan]

So many people think Apple products are bought for their status/snob appeal. God forbid they actually have any functionality. That customers might actually think they are getting value for their money.

I like the fact that you are a pioneer and have discovered many useful uses for it. It has made me watch for an application set that I need. It will not be until after we return from the south. And we have to find an acceptable cellular supplier.

 

[Chuckanut]

There are several things about Apple that worry me at this time:

1. The price of equipment. $1000+ for a phone/pocket-computer? $700 for a Mac mini? $999 for the cheapest MacBook Air replacement? Even if I wanted to Blough the Dough, I don't want to blow it all on Apple stuff.

2. This quote from their Head Guy:

When a cashier rings up a shopper, the register doesn’t show how many units the shopper buys—only what the shopper spends, he said.

Does Mr. Cook actually go to the stores and buy anything these days? He is seriously out of touch with the reality most of us live if he thinks the above is true.

Wake Up, Apple!! Wake Up!

 

[Sunny]

There are several things about Apple that worry me at this time:

1. The price of equipment. $1000+ for a phone/pocket-computer? $700 for a Mac mini? $999 for the cheapest MacBook Air replacement? Even if I wanted to Blough the Dough, I don't want to blow it all on Apple stuff.

2. This quote from their Head Guy:



Does Mr. Cook actually go to the stores and buy anything these days? He is seriously out of touch with the reality most of us live if he thinks the above is true.

Wake Up, Apple!! Wake Up!

I may be missing your point, but it seems you are conflating ideas here. Taken in the context he offered the quote above, Cook was referring to Apple's recent decision to not report unit sales as a company performance metric, not addressing how expensive consumers may be finding Apple products. When many people enter their recent grocery purchase into a budget, they use the summary line (total they spent), not the detail line of their grocery receipt. They often don't track how much milk they purchased, how much bread, etc. each month. I think it was a lousy comparison used by Cook, but in the context I've seen it in he was only referencing the metric of units sold in tracking the company's performance, not defending the cost of Apple products.

On the cost of Apple's products...the perception they are expensive has been around for decades. They tend to not offer budget devices, which propagates this. Many companies can slap together subpar devices with buzzword specs to woo customers. And in phones Apple does at least offers previous year's products still for sale. You can get an iPhone 7 for less than $500. It is quite possible a better phone overall than competing "new" smartphones out there.

It is very rare people can buy the top products in their class for a budget level price. If people don't think they are the top level products in their class, then they probably won't pay a premium price.

For what it is worth, I used Apple products when it wasn't common (1980s) because I thought they were the best, switched away from them when their quality fell and used others for a few decades. I wish Palm OS would have survived and been the competitor to the iPhone instead of Android. I liked Fujitsu made tablet PCs and think Microsoft could have kept going along that path more than it has, but I switched back to Apple several years ago because they were once again the best for my needs. I do think they are slipping a bit in innovation these days though. And their products are not seamlessly integrating as well as they used to. Apple's cloud offering isn't where it should be, Apple Maps pales in comparison to Google's, etc. but they are still getting my money when I need upgrades because nothing out there is better for us. Maybe somebody else will come along and disrupt them.

 

[W2R]

A lot depends on one's lifestyle, and what Apple functions fit the individual consumers needs and wants.

I keep reading about Apple stuff and what it can do, just to keep up to date. I think I have nailed it as far as what it can do to enhance MY own personal lifestyle. I suppose these new iPhones are worth what they cost, to those who are interested in buying one. They aren't to me, but I don't have the needs and wants of those people.

Here's what I need, want, and have, from Apple: I bought a 2017 iPad for $269 on Black Friday of 2017 (thanks to a kind tip by mpierce, and another from explanade in the same thread here on the forum!). I use it to play sudoku, do jigsaw puzzles, and play Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. This is the perfect use of Apple products for me.

I lead a pretty simple life, I suppose, and have no desire or need for any of the multitude of other functions provided by Apple products. But my iPad is lots of fun and I play those three games on it every evening.

 

[Sunny]

I use it to play sudoku, do jigsaw puzzles, and play Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. This is the perfect use of Apple products for me.

I'm replacing a 2015 iPad with one of the newly announced Pro iPads. If all I did was play those games and surf the web I'm sure my current one would last a lot longer. Although it has been dropped NUMEROUS times and has a chip out close to the screen.

I've never heard of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, but a quick look at it makes me wonder if you may like a recently released game (recent on iOS) called Stardew Valley. Maybe it is not the same, but it looks like a longer/larger game with similarly easily accessible content that'd work on older devices.

 

[explanade]

You play the Nintendo Animal Crossing on your iPad?

I knew they put out a Mario game for iPhone but didn't know about Animal Crossing.

 

[W2R]

I've never heard of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, but a quick look at it makes me wonder if you may like a recently released game (recent on iOS) called Stardew Valley. Maybe it is not the same, but it looks like a longer/larger game with similarly easily accessible content that'd work on older devices.

Wow, THANKS!!!! I'll go look at that this afternoon. Stardew Valley is supposed to be very similar and appealing to Animal Crossing fans like me.

EDITED TO ADD: It looks great, thank you so much! So I bought it, only $7.99 . I get so much fun and entertainment out of this type of game, that it is definitely worth lots more to me.

You play the Nintendo Animal Crossing on your iPad?

I knew they put out a Mario game for iPhone but didn't know about Animal Crossing.

Yes, they released it almost a year ago, believe it or not! Not only that, but it's free to play. You can make in game purchases and spend money that way, but I have had a perfectly good time playing it all year without paying a cent. It's not a full Animal Crossing game, but sort of a lesser spin-off (but still reasonably fun). Most people play it on the iPhone, but I love the bigger, beautiful iPad screen for playing it. Just search the App Store for "Animal Crossing, Pocket Camp" or "Pocket Camp".

 

[Ready]

There are several things about Apple that worry me at this time:

1. The price of equipment. $1000+ for a phone/pocket-computer? $700 for a Mac mini? $999 for the cheapest MacBook Air replacement? Even if I wanted to Blough the Dough, I don't want to blow it all on Apple stuff.

2. This quote from their Head Guy:



Does Mr. Cook actually go to the stores and buy anything these days? He is seriously out of touch with the reality most of us live if he thinks the above is true.

Wake Up, Apple!! Wake Up!

I keep track of how much I spend on groceries every month, but why would I care about how many units of groceries I purchased? I think that was the point he was trying to make. It's more relevant to know that I spend $1000 per month on groceries than to know that I consume 250 grocery items.

But we all know the real reason Apple wants to discontinue reporting unit sales. It's because the iPhone has been a growth product for Apple all of these years, and now it's reached a saturation point. People are keeping their iPhones longer, and almost everyone that wants one likely has it by now, so sales are beginning to slow down. The price of iPhones has been going up, so it would seem they are attempting to maintain or grow their revenues by raising the prices of their products to compensate for the decrease in number of units being sold. I don't know how I would feel about that if I were an Apple shareholder, but that seems to be the decision they've made regardless.

 

[audreyh1]

None of the competitors disclose the unit sales details that Apple has in the past.
I think this part is a tempest in a teapot. All of the FAANGs had huge selloffs after announcing Q3 results. It's just the mood the market has been in over the past month.

Apple has shown that customers buy plenty of the higher priced items - at times they can be the most popular. I am not worried about Apple and unit pricing. They have shown they know how to compete very well on their price points.

 

[audreyh1]

The bigger screen is great...I can actually read some stuff I had trouble with with the Series 3 42mm.

Love, love, love my watch. As usual, I forgot my phone at home while running to the grocery store. DH called to tell me to add an item to my list .

Edited to add: the store also didn't have the watch with the watchband that I wanted. As the old Series 3 42mm bands fit the Series 4 44mm I was able to get a watch that day and simply replaced with my old band. I traded in my old watch and all they wanted was the watch itself. It's nice having an extra charger around.

DH is also really thrilled with his new watch.

 

[Katsmeow]

Yes, in a way, it does seem insane what an iPhone costs. Of course most people don't think of it in terms of total price as most people don't pay for it in one payment. I think of it as more $64.50 per month for 24 months. The phone is actually $1249 plus tax (monthly price includes Apple Care).

I mean many people would pay less than that for a notebook computer (I wouldn't but many would). But, then I think of how much I use my iPhone. The fact it is actually a phone is now sort of the least of it. I guess we can think of it as a communication device. You can talk on the phone, you can text, you can use various chat programs, you can talk on social media, you can Face Time etc.

And then there is everything else I do with it. It is certainly a major device in my life. I still have a desktop computer and that is probably more important to me. But, just barely. And I know plenty of people for whom the iPhone (or other Smartphone) is their computer.

And yet, I do think that people are being priced out of the iPhone and there is a point where you have to wonder about the incremental value of the iPhone over an Android device. I tried an Android a few years ago and didn't like it. Things didn't work as seamlessly. More apps than I expected weren't available on Android. There wasn't an Android store to go to if there were problems. So, I eventually went back to the iPhone and wasn't worry. And, now that I have an Apple Watch (which I love, love, love), the iPhone is a necessity for it.

But -- then I think of my son. He had an iPhone X which he lost. At that time lost iPhones were not covered by Apple so he still owed more than half the price of the phone. There was no way he could afford to buy a new one. So he got the least expensive Android smart phone that Verizon sold. It was an LG that cost about $160. And, he is enjoying it. It doesn't have the big screen of the iPhone. It lacks some of the bells and whistles, etc. But it does do a lot of the things he used the iPhone for. He can surf the web. He can watch video. He can chat, etc. And it is over a $1000 cheaper than my iPhone XS Max.

 

[Texas Proud]

I hate Apple, but DW and DD seem to think that nothing is as good as what they produce, so I lose out.... at least I have bought Apple shares and get back much more than they spend


BUT, DD is now wanting airbuds!!! They go for about $160... wow, just wow...


Anybody know if anybody will be selling these cheaper when black Friday comes around? I do see that Sam's club will have a sale next week, but am hoping for something cheaper still...

 

[Sunny]

Anybody know if anybody will be selling these cheaper when black Friday comes around? I do see that Sam's club will have a sale next week, but am hoping for something cheaper still...

A new version of the airpods has been on the horizon for months now. Since Apple didn't release them at last week's even maybe they are no longer imminent. There was a price drop fairly recently that retailers have been using, closer to the $140 mark. I know you mentioned waiting on Sam's Club sale, but they are out of stock online there. Walmart's price is currently close to that $140, but until the new ones drop I wouldn't think you would find much cheaper...maybe in the $130s? Although Black Friday is a wildcard.

BTW, given that Apple sells premium products for a premium price to a luxury mass market (not true mass market) crowd....of all of their stuff the Airpods are without a doubt the most worth the cost of any of their products. If that is any consolation.

 

[braumeister]

Although I would agree that the rumor mill expects a new version of Airpods soon and that probably makes it worth waiting for, I love mine and think they were worth the price premium.

 

[Ready]

I like my AirPods, but if I hadn't purchased them by now I would not buy them at this point. They use the old W1 chip which is far less efficient than the W2 chip which is now found in the latest Apple Watches. It's inevitable that Apple will be replacing the AirPods with a more updated and power efficient model that incorporates W2 technology.

 

[Katsmeow]

BUT, DD is now wanting airbuds!!! They go for about $160... wow, just wow...


Anybody know if anybody will be selling these cheaper when black Friday comes around? I do see that Sam's club will have a sale next week, but am hoping for something cheaper still...

Maybe. I just bought Airpods this weekend and paid full price. Like many I was hoping that Airpods 2 would be announced at the Apple event this last week. But, it didn't happen. Rumor now says sometimes in early 2019. But, rumor has been predicting them awhile. I really wanted to wait.

But with an iPhone and Apple Watch the Airpods are far superior to most bluetooth headphones because of the seamless switching between the two. I was going to buy from Costco which sells them for $140 but they were out of stock (probably due to people like me who were waiting and decided not to want any longer). If new ones come out in a few months, I will either keep these as a spare for the bedroom or offer them to DH (who has an iPhone but no watch)....

 

[braumeister]

The Apple rumor mill is looking for the next generation of Airpods to be waterproof and boast wireless (Qi) charging of their case, and quite possibly noise canceling as well. If all that happens, it will be awesome but will also most likely come with a much higher price than they have today.

 

[Texas Proud]

A new version of the airpods has been on the horizon for months now. Since Apple didn't release them at last week's even maybe they are no longer imminent. There was a price drop fairly recently that retailers have been using, closer to the $140 mark. I know you mentioned waiting on Sam's Club sale, but they are out of stock online there. Walmart's price is currently close to that $140, but until the new ones drop I wouldn't think you would find much cheaper...maybe in the $130s? Although Black Friday is a wildcard.

BTW, given that Apple sells premium products for a premium price to a luxury mass market (not true mass market) crowd....of all of their stuff the Airpods are without a doubt the most worth the cost of any of their products. If that is any consolation.

We got an ad saying they were going to be $30 off for one day only next week... so I am expecting them to be in the $110 range... unless they mean off the $160 which actually means only $10 off but $130...


I will pass along the possibility of new ones coming... but I suspect DD cannot wait as she is a typical teen and has to have everything RIGHT NOW to impress friends...

 

[Sunny]

The Apple rumor mill is looking for the next generation of Airpods to be waterproof and boast wireless (Qi) charging of their case, and quite possibly noise canceling as well. If all that happens, it will be awesome but will also most likely come with a much higher price than they have today.

I don't know about that noise canceling part. Maybe in their rumored high end over the ear headphones, but in airpods? If so I hope they have non-noise canceling options. I very much prefer open formats where I can hear my environment. Being closed off in public is not safe imo, and being closed off with a tight fitting seal at home is not comfortable for long sessions, at least for me. Maybe if I commuted on an airplane or train or something and needed to block out the noise, but I doubt it for me even then.

I will pass along the possibility of new ones coming... but I suspect DD cannot wait as she is a typical teen and has to have everything RIGHT NOW to impress friends...

Just don't let her see this: https://www.colorware.com/p-743-apple-airpods.aspx or she will want colored airpods (and macbooks, apple phones, etc. etc.) .

 

[explanade]

I don't know about that noise canceling part. Maybe in their rumored high end over the ear headphones, but in airpods? If so I hope they have non-noise canceling options. I very much prefer open formats where I can hear my environment. Being closed off in public is not safe imo, and being closed off with a tight fitting seal at home is not comfortable for long sessions, at least for me. Maybe if I commuted on an airplane or train or something and needed to block out the noise, but I doubt it for me even then.

AirPods though are designed to be worn one at a time, to extend battery life.

I prefer in-ear to the bud types.

 

[Sunny]

AirPods though are designed to be worn one at a time, to extend battery life.

Where did you get that? At least I take your comment to mean their main designed use / intent is to be worn one at a time, which I don't believe is the case. A quick look at Apple's product page would see mention of battery length that would imply both being used as a pair (or it'd list 2x what it does), the airpods being used for music (stereo), touting the use of both beamforms (the stems that stick down) being used as noise canceling for the microphones, etc.

I've never had both L and R run out of juice at the same time. When one beeps that it is getting low on a charge I'll pop it into the case for 10-15 minutes and it is good to go for another couple of hours. When the other side beeps, samee thing.

Most people don't need to be using just one at a time to extend the battery life, the battery life is already amazing using them as they were mostly designed/intended to be used...at the same time.