As Android Central pointed out yesterday, the UK-based jeweler Goldgenie is ready to give the upcoming Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge the luxury treatment.
Available in 24k Gold, Rose Gold, and Platinum, these devices will set you back about $2500. But put another way, that's about a quarter of price of the base Apple Watch Edition variant.
While I definitely think spending 10-17 thousand dollars on a watch that could be obsolete in 2 years (if not sooner) is simply absurd, does that make a gold Galaxy S6 seem more reasonable? What the hell would a gold iPhone be priced at? Based on the price of the Apple Watch Edition, is there any way Apple would have the balls to charge upwards of $20K for a 'luxury' iPhone?
Or is all this just ridiculous consumerism at its best?
If you're interested in getting one of these S6 variants, you can register here, but really, if you're going to spend $2500 on a phone, why not just get a regular S6 or S6 Edge, convert the $1500-2000 you would not be spending into singles, and roll around in it. Sounds like much more fun to me...
7 Responses
Well, Apple already has a "gold" iPhone, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had a real 24-karat gold iPhone 7 (or even an iPhone 6) after seeing the Apple Watch Edition. If people have money to throw away on a gold phone, more power to them. It's just like buying a $200K+ luxury car. Who cares? I don't need one. I do wish they'd spend their money on better things, like this guy, but it's theirs to do with what they want. I won't be getting a gold phone any time soon. Now if they could figure out a way to make one magnetic, I might go for that.
The standard S6 will also be available in a "Gold Platinum" color, but of course that isn't real gold, much like the iPhone 6.
I just think it's interesting, though not surprising, that while Apple will of course sell the 24k Apple Watch Edition themselves, Samsung and most other OEMs leave this stuff to 3rd-parties, where demand and supply are more in line with each other.
I guess only time will tell whether Apple's gamble with the Edition will pay off.
These "luxury" models are nothing more than a status symbol. They're meant for the rich, not for us regular consumers like Justin mentioned above. Even if they go obsolete in a few years, to them (the rich) it won't matter. They have enough money to replace it.
And I think it'll work in Apple's favor. Not sure about the jeweler, since it's priced more for regular consumers. If anything, they should raise the price a few thousand hah.
Even as a status symbol I can't see many people buying a 24-karat gold device. If a wealthy person is going to pay that much for a watch they will get a Rolex or a Tag, because those are recognized watch makers and more obvious status symbols. Who knows, Apple seems to be able to sell anything.
I think the gold pricing is more about price-expectation anchoring, with exclusivity by design being a happy by-product. If the only options to compare were $400 aluminum/rubber and $1100 stainless steel (with steel band), everyone would say the stainless steel is ridiculous and only for the super rich who want to make a status statement. But because there's a $17,000 option, suddenly the $1,100 option doesn't look so crazy by comparison... I'm certain they're going to get more people to go for it as a result.
That said, because this is Apple, I wouldn't be surprised if collectors pay even more than $17k for a well-kept old original gold Apple watch in a couple decades. Just look at what Apple ][s go for now.
I totally agree with that last sentiment. I think that both the S6 and Apple Watch are collector's pieces and not something meant for everyday fanboys. I know if I had the money I'd buy one of the gold watches, wear it maybe one time to see how it feels, and then keep it on display somewhere.
Even if these weren't exorbitantly expensive, I still think all of this looks disgustingly tacky and tasteless. But if I see someone using one of these devices in public, I will make sure to point and laugh as I get in my base model Honda Civic and drive to my humble, yet adequate home while listening to Pleasant Valley Sunday on the radio.
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