With prices starting at $350, it may not be an easy decision to make. Smartwatches are still a relatively new concept for most consumers, so a 10-minute tryout in an Apple Store will hardly be enough time to get an accurate idea of what the device can do, and whether it would be of any real benefit.
Help is at hand, however, in the form of gadget-rental service Lumoid. The San Francisco-based startup, which lets consumers try out devices before they buy (or not), is set to include the Apple Watch in its lineup of offerings when it becomes available next month. The deal offered by Lumoid is certain to appeal to waverers keen to take the smartwatch for a test run before deciding whether or not to lighten their wallet.
Explaining the system to Mashable this week, Lumoid says it won’t be offering the high-end Apple Watch Edition worth upwards of $10,000, but instead will rent out the less expensive Watch Sport and steel Watch versions.
Lumoid’s usual plan involves shipping five wearables to a customer for a 7-day rental period costing $25. If the customer decides they want to purchase any of the gadgets, they simply pay the full price and Lumoid ships them a brand new version.
The Watch Sport and Watch will cost a little more to rent, with prices set at $45 and $55 respectively. However, up to $30 of this fee is put toward any purchase, effectively reducing the rental cost.
Lumoid currently rents wearables such as the Pebble smartwatch, Samsung Gear Fit, Garmin Vivofit, and Jawbone Up Move. The Moto 360 is expected to be added by the end of this week, the startup said.
With consumers on a steep learning curve with smartwatches, trying a bunch of them out to see how they feel, as well as how they work, sounds like a great idea to us, and it’s a pretty safe bet plenty of people will be lining up to rent the Apple Watch from Lumoid when it becomes available on April 24.
Actual size
While Apple of course offers no such rental option, 9to5Mac recently spotted a new ‘actual size’ section in its Apple Store app, so you can kind of get an idea of how it might look on your wrist.
It’s a bit of a trip to get to view the two size options, but here goes: Tap the ‘Shop’ link at the bottom of the display, then tap on ‘Apple Watch,’ and then on ‘learn more’ under one of the watches.
After that, hit ‘view pricing’ top right, and finally, tap ‘compare case sizes.’ Now slap your iPhone on your wrist to see how the Apple Watch sizes up.
