I’ve been thinking about the blurred lines between Apple’s luxury tech productsand high-end jewelry ever since it was first revealed that Apple Stores average more sales per square foot than iconic diamond retailer Tiffany & Co.
Apple is apparently thinking about it, too, since 9to5Mac reporter Mark Gurman claims the Cupertino company is taking a page out of luxury jewelers’ playbook by keeping its 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition devices in specially installed safes. These custom safes will be fitted with Apple Watch MagSafe chargers to ensure their safety.
Set to arrive this April, the Apple Watch will offer numerous pricing options, starting at $350 and likely running into the thousands. They will come in two bezel colors: silver and gold, along with a range of different leather and sport bands.
The smartwatch itself was unveiled along with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on September 9 last year. In addition to numerous sensors, the Apple Watch’s big selling point is its “Digital Crown,” which allows wearers to control apps on the watch’s sapphire display. Currently the devices are being tested by hundreds of Apple employees to ensure that as many bugs as possible are eliminated by launch date.
Apple is also getting ready to switch up the current Apple Store layout to include Apple Watch display tables, along with an area where people can try on different band materials and color options. Finally, the company is said to be investing in scales that they can use to weigh the amount of gold in Apple Watch Edition units should they be returned or replaced.
While these security measures may strike some as extreme, Apple Stores have long been a target for break-ins—with some thieves even “ram raiding” the heavy glass doors at the front in order to make off with thousands of dollars in tech gadgets.
With the Apple Watch being the company’s biggest launch since the original iPad in 2010, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
[via 9to5Mac]