The iPhone compatible smartwatch, Apple Watch, is up for grab on April 24 but pre-orders can be made on April 10. The price range starts from $350 to $17,000 for the entry-level Sport model and the top-tier 18-karat gold editions, respectively. In Europe Apple's smartwatch models are going to cost from £299 to £13,500 and AU$499 to AU$24,000 in Australia.
Apple Watch doesn't do much except receive real-time notifications from Social Media updates and other apps, as well as make calls and use Apple Pay and Siri's services. iPhone 6 users can already do these through their phones, so why should someone feel the need to spend lavish amounts on Apple Watch? Without iPhone 6, the Apple Watch is useless.
If you want to buy one of the Apple Watches but don't want to spend that much, there are some options you might want to know to get it at a price cheaper than Apple is charging. Yes, you can get a gold Apple watch at a price that is $8k cheaper than Apple is charging by utilizing third-party gilding services.
In UK companies like Goldgenie and Gold Status can offer gold-plating service for the standard Apple Watch. According to Goldgenie's spokesperson, the company can offer rose gold finishes as well as platinum and 24-karat gold at approximately £1,250, VAT excluded. The rose gold version is likely to be offered at £1,300, and £1,350 for the platinum version. These prices don't include the cost of the actual device. Gold Status, however, will be offering aluminum versions only.
Goldgenie is the same company that offers "paid-for gilding of Apple's iPhone 6," Tech Radar reports. Compared to the price range that these companies offer, Apple's retail price for its Apple Watch Edition is five to ten times higher than the value of raw gold. That means third-party companies will be able to undercut Apple pricing and still generate huge profit margins.
There's no denying it, the Apple Watch is eye candy. But as with any first gen device, it lacks features that could arrive in the second generation devices, along with other improvements due to flaws like battery issues.
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