How Much Did the First Apple Watch Cost in 2015?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The Apple Watch price was $349 when it went on sale on April 24, 2015. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $497.01 in September 2026 money, roughly 1.4 times the original price.
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Apple Watch Sport at a glance
- US launch price
- $349
- In today’s money
- ≈ $497.01April 2015 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- April 24, 2015
- Where it was designed
- Cupertino, United StatesDesigned by Apple at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.
- Category
- Gaming & tech
- Price source
- macrumors.com
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
Apple Watch prices in 2015
- Apple Watch Sport (aluminium): $349 for 38mm, $399 for 42mm
- Apple Watch (stainless steel): $549 to $1,099, depending on size and band
- Apple Watch Edition (18-carat gold): $10,000 to $17,000
The Apple Watch price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 2015. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original Apple Watch price of $349 works out at about $497.01 in September 2026 money, around 1.4 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the Apple Watch sells for second-hand.
Why the Apple Watch came in three collections
Apple design chief Jony Ive became interested in building a watch shortly after Steve Jobs died in October 2011. The team decided a watch had to suit many different tastes in fashion, so it offered a choice of bands, case materials and watch faces.
That is why one product had such a wide price range. The cheapest Sport model had an aluminium case, while the Edition used 18-carat yellow or rose gold.
When was the Apple Watch released?
- Pricing announced: March 9, 2015
- Pre-orders opened: April 10, 2015
- On sale: April 24, 2015, in nine countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Japan
Where was the Apple Watch designed?
It was designed by Apple at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. It needed an iPhone to work, and it was charged by placing it on a magnetic inductive charger.
Apple Watch facts you might not know
- It had a “Taptic Engine” that tapped your wrist gently when a notification arrived.
- At first you could only buy it online. Apple started stocking it in its retail stores in June 2015.
- An estimated 4.2 million were sold in the second quarter of Apple’s 2015 financial year.
- More than 115 million people were estimated to use an Apple Watch by December 2022.
Frequently asked questions
How much did the first Apple Watch cost?
The Apple Watch Sport started at $349 for the 38mm model when it went on sale on April 24, 2015. The stainless steel model started at $549.
How much is $349 from 2015 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the Apple Watch’s $349 price is about $497.01 in September 2026 money.
How much was the gold Apple Watch Edition?
The 18-carat gold Apple Watch Edition cost $10,000 to $17,000.
When did the Apple Watch come out?
It went on sale on April 24, 2015, after pre-orders opened on April 10.
Want to compare the Apple Watch price with other launch prices? See what the Learjet 23 cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play this question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.
- Press release: Apple, “Apple Watch Available in Nine Countries on April 24” (9 March 2015)
- Wikipedia: Apple Watch
- MacRumors: Apple Watch launches April 24, price ranges from $349 to over $10,000
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
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