Rumor: Will the Gold Apple Watch Cost $4,000?!

In September, Tim Cook said that the Apple Watch would start at $350, a not inconsiderable amount of money for a smartwatch. That, of course, was the starting price, as new rumors are pointing to some really expensive costs for the higher end configurations of the wearable, ranging from $500 all the way up to $4,000…or even more.

A post on MacRumors points the way back to a report from iGen.fr, a French tech site that cites inside sources who claim that the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch could start at $500. From there, the gold model may cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,000 or $5,000. That, as you may be aware, is a buttload of money, even for a fancy smartwatch.

It’ll be interesting to see what Apple does with the various pricing options when the Apple Watch comes out sometime in early 2015. Even if the gold version were a mere $1,000, it would be the most expensive smartwatch on the market by leaps and bounds. That said, Apple is certainly keenly aware of its reputation as a fashionable company. As such, it’s likely planning on making the more luxurious configurations in much smaller quantities, and marketing them towards Apple fans who have much more disposable income.

Even still, one has to wonder just how much credence we should give these rumors. Four-thousand bucks – let alone a thousand – is a lot of cash for a device with such limited function, even one as cool as the Apple Watch. Will Apple be throwing in free car washes and a lifetime’s supply of frozen burritos with the gold watch or something? Because otherwise – man, that’s a lot of money.

[Source: MacRumors]