The Apple Watch Edition was first introduced in 2015 as part of the company’s attempts to get into the luxury wearable space, and fast forward to 2023, it has done exceptionally well for itself. The model featured an 18-karat gold casing and retailed for $17,000, making it one of the priciest products Apple has ever launched. Sadly, customers thinking they will be given preferential treatment over the purchase have been left high and dry, as all first-generation Apple Watch models have been added to the obsolete list, including this one.
Even the ridiculously expensive Apple Watch Edition will not be eligible for repairs or any other service at authorized locations
An internal memo received by MacRumors contained information stating that every single Apple Watch model that was released in 2015 was added to the obsolete list on September 30. In short, what this means is that none of these models, including the $17,000 version, will be eligible for repairs or any other kind of service at Apple Store outlets and Apple Authorized Service Provider locations.
Apple did not mass produce a successor of its most expensive smartwatch, and for good reason. It is likely that the technology giant only launched a highly expensive version with a gold casing to get sufficient eyeballs on a first-generation product. The Apple Watch Edition was later discontinued back in 2016 and was replaced by a significantly cheaper ceramic version, which was available for $1,299 and was accessible to many consumers worldwide.
After watchOS, the Apple Watch Edition received no other software updates, meaning that since 2018, owners of this model have been unable to receive any kind of new firmware. All 38mm and 42mm versions of the first-generation smartwatch that featured aluminum and stainless steel casings are classified as obsolete, too. Apple typically categorizes a product as obsolete once every seven years, but with the Apple Watch Edition, the company could have at least provided an extra year of repairs and services because of that price tag.
Then again, not many individuals likely got a hold of this model, and extremely limited units must have been mass produced in 2015, so for Apple, it was likely not worth the trouble maintaining a supply chain for just a few customers.
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