by,

Suzanne Coleman

What new information was discussed and does it matter?  (Old info will not be reviewed again.)  Technical note, their audio is in and out so it’s a bit hard to stay focused, plus the speakers go very slowly.  Maybe this is normal business speak.

1.  They are dropping the price of Apple TV from $99 to $69, presumably in response to Amazon Fire’s lowering of their price to $19.  Which one would you buy?  What is the difference??  They didn’t go into details on this product.

2.  Medical uses for iWatch.  I am confused.  They are talking about using it for research.  Ok, nice idea, but that will not likely impact individual sales of the item in my opinion.  This could be a revenue generator for the company as they sell your medical information.  They promise to protect your individual identity as is the norm.  Do these research deals reduce the cost to the consumers who participate (you can choose)?  I doubt it.  A bit of a grey area in my opinion.  With all of the data breaches we have already seen in medical databases, having it on your watch is a questionable idea.  This is called “Research Kit.”  There is a clear interest in the Apple team in medicine.

3.  HBO deal, not news, but they discussed the initially exclusive business relationship between HBO’s new streaming video service and Apple.  It’s nice, Apple is branching out into cable tv deals.  This could mean they are considering becoming a more integrated service provider to end-users.  Maybe they will buy out AT&T with all of that extra cash?  😉  who knows (they didn’t say that, that is just me).

4.  My favorite new thing, you can use your Apple Pay device to pay at hundreds of thousands of vending machines, including Coca-Cola.  Now that is useful!  They note that Apple Pay is very widely accepted.  I say that it is probably going to be a huge revenue generator in the future, though as an investor I wish they would discuss this as I have found no information on how or when they intend to do this.

5.  CarPlay = what is it?  Whatever it is, it’s being adopted by many manufacturers.  Ok looked it up, it just connects your iPhone to a car, if equipped, so that you can use it via the car’s controls.  Sounds useful.  No mention of the “iAuto” (yes, I just made that up, sounds better than what other people have been calling the “iCar”).

6.  Apple is expanding inside of China by opening more retail locations.  They currently have only 21 stores.  I would have thought they would have had 100s by now.

7.  The Mac.  Tim is discussing its growth, but instead of noting how it is relatively still very far behind most of the competitors, he says it’s growing greatly.  Well, since it was so far behind, any growth will be “great.”  I say, let’s drop that price so that it’s competitive and see how sales shoot for the moon.  That is how I would drive sales and increased profits.

Apparently they have “reinvented the notebook” and are showing a video of what looks like the exact same thing they’ve had for years…  I guess (now showing the actual product) it is smaller and lighter, and in gold.  That is pretty.

It weighs “only” 2 lbs.  And it’s thinner (24%).  They’re “introducing” more stable keys for the keyboard (reminds me of the days before cheap tech).

It has retina display, good stuff.

Best thing ever, no fan so no noise.  They’ve also done some interesting things with the track pad and batteries.  It’s environmentally friendly, good.

New USB-C.  Never heard of it.  Hoping this doesn’t mean all new cords… again.  Only one port, that’s it, as far as I saw.

Prices range from $1299-1599.  Shipping begins April 10th.

Other models also have some upgrades.

8.  And, not surprisingly, last, the Apple Watch.  It’s accurate (well, is that special?).

Seems pretty cool.

OOoo it has some features that will be BAD for high school kids lol.  (Well good for them, bad for the teachers trying to get them to stay focused on their work.)  You can directly communicate with other Apple Watch wearers though visuals, touch sensations, or message/phone calls.  The drawing app is cool…

Other features:  full access to e-mail.  Appointment reminders, customizable watch face.  Notifications.  Answer and make calls.  News alerts.  And more.

Apple Watch can hold your flight boarding info so that you don’t need boarding tickets.  It can let you check into your hotel without going up to the desk and get you into the room without a key (I am assuming only newer technology will work with this).  You can monitor your home remotely as well as use the Watch to open doors that are electronically-controlled like your garage door.

Apps are loaded onto the Watch via the iPhone.  The Apple Watch App helps control and set-up the Watch and is available for download now.

Battery life, 18 hrs on average.  Charging is simple, through what appears to be a magnetized disc that connects to the back of the watch while you are not wearing it.  I read elsewhere that it charges fully in 2 hours.

The manufacture of the watch is discussed.  Apparently, like the ONE RING, the steel watch is too forged in a special fire 🙂

Pricing:

Apple Watch “Edition,” the gold version from $10,000.

Apple Watch “Sport” which has the aluminum case runs $350-400 based on size.

Apple Watch (no special name) which is the steel case runs $550-1100.

Pre-order April 10th and try on every style in stores with personal assistance.  For sale April 24th in many countries including the US and China.

My Summary:

I can easily see Apple Watch being great for salespeople, young people, parents, and tech lovers.

From a business perspective, I think Apple’s use of product placement is smart and effective.  This has made the brand seem like a part of everyday life in so many aspects.  They have already begun doing this with the Apple Watch when it had a cameo on the wrist of Sue Sylvester on “Glee” in this past week’s episode.

Browse my other articles on Apple and the Apple watch Watch.