iWatch Worth the price?
Release is imminent, but many slap iWatch
CURIOUS consumers lined up Friday to get an advance look at the iWatch, but not everybody was ready to bite at Apple’s latest pricey gadget.
Billed as the company’s “most personal device yet,” the iWatch hits stores April 24 — but they were only on display Friday to whet buyers’ appetites.
The smartwatch is only available online through preorders, and early buyers will have to wait at least a month to have the gadget delivered, according to Apple.
The iWatch blends with a user’s iPhone so the two devices can be used interchangeably — even down to sending emails and text messages and making phone calls.
The flashy timepiece drew a crowd at the Apple store in the Meatpacking District, but its hefty price tag — $400 for the cheapest model — was a deal breaker for many.
“I’m excited about the watch but I’m still not 100% convinced, I’m not entirely sold on it,” said Sebastian Schoofs, 28, of East Williamsburg.
“I’m still trying to get used to the idea of needing it in my dayto-day life,” said Schoofs, who works in the information technology industry in Manhattan and made an appointment to check out the new gadget.
His price concerns were echoed by D.J. Vasquez, 23, of Sunnyside, Queens.
Vasquez said he’d like to buy the watch, but doesn’t have the cash.
“I can’t afford it but I thought it was very cool,” said Vasquez, who is in graduate school. “It’s definitely very cool.”
Barry Cooper, 60, who is retired and lives in Greenwich Village, wasn’t sold at all.
“It’s got the same things as my iPhone has, so why do I need it?” he said.
Analysts have estimated sales this year to be anywhere from 8 million to 40 million for the company’s first new big product under CEO Tim Cook.
Apple shares rose 0.4% Friday, to $127.10.
ebadia@nydailynews.com