Apple has released the latest details about the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition, and it confirms rumors that the Apple Watch Edition featuring an 18-karat gold case will run up to more than $10,000 in price.
At its Spring Forward event on Monday, March 9, Apple said that the entry-level Apple Watch Sport will cost $349 for the 38mm version for smaller wrists and $399 for the 42mm version for larger wrists.
The Apple Watch Sport features a case made of anodized aluminum, which Apple says is 60 percent stronger than standard aluminum but is just as light. It has a screen made from ion-strengthened glass and a composite (plastic) back. The Apple Watch Sport has a band made from a synthetic rubber called fluoroelastomer that comes in white, blue, green, pink and black.
The Apple Watch Sport will come with its own magnetic charging cable, a USB power adapter, two bands, and one year of hardware repair coverage and 90 days of technical support on Apple Care, which can be extended to two years for an additional fee.
The Apple Watch will start at $549 for the 38mm version and $599 for the 42mm version. The bands influence how much an Apple Watch will cost. For the entry-level prices, one can get an Apple Watch with a black or white fluoroelastomer band. For $649 for the 38mm version and $699 for the 42mm version, the Apple Watch will come with a classic buckle or a Milanese loop, a metallic stainless steel mesh band that fluidly wraps around the wrist.
A bright blue, light brown, stone, or black leather loop band is also available for $699 for the 42mm version. Apple says the band is made from Venezia leather handcrafted in Arzignano, Italy. A modern buckle is also available for $749, but only for the 38mm version. The leather modern buckle is French-made and has an inner layer of Vectran weave, the same material NASA used for the landing airbags of its Mars rovers, Apple says. The modern buckle is available in midnight blue, soft pink, brown, and black.
The link bracelet, made from the same 316L stainless steel alloy used for the case of the Apple Watch, is $949 for the 38mm and $999 for the 42mm versions. The black stainless steel link bracelet is $1,049 for the 38mm version and $1,099 for the 42mm version.
The Apple Watch features a cold-forged stainless steel alloy that Apple says is 80 percent harder than regular steel. Like the more expensive Apple Watch Edition, it has a sapphire display and a ceramic back. It also comes with a charging cable, a USB power adapter, and the same Apple Care coverage as the Apple Watch Sport.
The Apple Watch Edition starts at $10,000 for the smaller watch and $12,000 for the larger version. For that sum, one can get it with a black or white fluoroelastomer band. A classic buckle band is also available for the 42mm version, and it puts the price of the watch at $15,000. The 38mm version is available with a bright red or rose gray modern buckle for $17,000.
For those prices, the Apple Watch Edition will include an 18-karat rose gold or yellow gold case as well as the sapphire crystal display and ceramic back found in the Apple Watch. The box will also come with all the items found in the low- and mid-range versions of the watch, as well as a magnetic charging case, a Lightning-to-USB cable, and two years of hardware repair and technical support with Apple Care, which can be extended to three years.
All three models are water-resistant and feature a Retina display with Force Touch, which allows the Apple Watch to recognize varying kinds of force to trigger different responses. They also have the digital crown Apple unveiled last year, a heart rate sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an ambient light sensor. All Apple Watch models have a speaker and microphone for making calls and dictating text responses. Support for the latest Bluetooth and Wi-Fi standards are also included. Battery life on all three models is pegged at 18 hours on a single charge, which is better than some have expected but still requires the Apple Watch to be charged every night.
Apple also demonstrated various uses for the Apple Watch, which includes a multitude of things, from making voice calls, using the watch as a TV remote, checking stocks, unlocking the hotel room door at a Starwood Hotel, browsing photos on Instagram using the digital crown, and dictating notes to Evernote, among other things.
Apple will start accepting pre-orders for the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition on April 10 and will begin selling the items on April 24 in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
The following is a list of all Apple Watch models and their prices:
Apple Watch Sport, 38mm - $349
Apple Watch Sport, 42mm - $399
Apple Watch with Fluoroelastomer Band, 38mm - $549
Apple Watch with Fluoroelastomer Band, 42mm - $599
Apple Watch with Classic Buckle, 38mm - $649
Apple Watch with Classic Buckle, 42mm - $699
Apple Watch with Milanese Loop, 38mm - $649
Apple Watch with Milanese Loop, 42mm - $699
Apple Watch with Modern Buckle, 38mm - $749
Apple Watch with Leather Loop, 42mm - $699
Apple Watch with Stainless Steel Link, 38mm - $949
Apple Watch with Stainless Steel Link, 42mm - $999
Apple Watch with Black Stainless Steel Link, 38mm - $1,049
Apple Watch with Black Stainless Steel Link, 42mm - $1,099
Apple Watch Edition 18-K Rose/Yellow Gold with Fluoroelastomer Band, 38mm - $10,000
Apple Watch Edition 18-K Rose/Yellow Gold with Fluoroelastomer Band, 42mm - $12,000
Apple Watch Edition 18-K Yellow Gold with Black/Midnight Blue Classic Buckle, 42mm - $15,000
Apple Watch Edition 18-K Rose Gold with Rose Gray Modern Buckle, 38mm - $17,000
Apple Watch Edition 18-K Yellow Gold with Bright Red Modern Buckle, 38mm - $17,000
