One gold Apple Watch reportedly costs more than 10 new iPads

 By 
Rex Santus
 on 
One gold Apple Watch reportedly costs more than 10 new iPads
Credit: Apple

Apple's new smartwatch starts at $349, but but how much does it cost if you want something a bit more high-end, like, say, the 18-karat pink- or yellow-gold version?

You could be shelling out between $4,000 to $5,000, according to a new report from French Apple blog iGen. We'll give you a second to process that.

That would make it more expensive than a 5K Retina iMac and the new iPad Air 2. In fact, if the report is accurate, you could buy both of those instead of the gold Apple Watch, and still pocket some leftover cash. If you bought 10 of the lowest-end iPad Air 2 models, you would still be shy of $5,000 before taxes.

Of course, watch aficionados could easily spend a lot more on a gold analog timepiece, but the highest-end Apple Watch may be one of the most expensive luxury items the company is offering.

iGen cited anonymous Apple sources for its report, and said the prices are not certain. If they do come to pass, however, we'd have some big questions, including: What's the appeal of a super-expensive watch if its technology is going to be outdated in just a few years?

Imagine that your old iPhone, for example, is made out of solid gold: Despite its fancy casing, the device would no longer be very impressive in terms of specs.

Some have suggested that the computer chip inside the Apple Watch might be replaceable. Unsurprisingly, the company hasn't yet acknowledged the rumor, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple's new smartwatches hits shelves in spring 2015. Start saving now.

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