Briefly mentioned at the end of today’s official announcement of the Apple Watch, Apple has set the “starting” price of the wearable device at $349, noting that it will come in three different versions, each with two sizes, and with six watch band options.
The two different sizes will enable Apple Watch to be worn fashionably by men (generally larger) and women (generally smaller), while the three versions differ in the metal and glass used.
An aluminum and glass Apple Watch Sport will presumably be the most affordable, while Apple Watch will be made with stainless steel and sapphire crystal glass, and the 18 karat gold Apple Watch Edition will use a gold alloy claimed to be up to twice as hard as standard gold.
Apple has also announced six detachable straps for Apple Watch: the plastic Sport Band, three leather versions called Leather Loop, Leather Modern Buckle, and Leather Classic Buckle, and two metal versions—the Stainless Steel Link Bracelet, and the fine chain-linked Milanese Loop.
It’s likely that the Apple Watch Sport will come with a Sport Band, but unclear which versions will come with the other watches. It’s possible that customers will get to choose bands for the higher-end watches at the time of purchase.
