The Real Reason So Many of Us Crave the Apple Watch

TIME:

No one really needs an Apple Watch. Yes, it will have many uses, including tracking exercise, making mobile payments, reading email, and running all sorts of apps. But smartphones and other devices are capable of doing all of these things and more. So why do so many of us want an Apple Watch?

A month ago, I was riding in an elevator in San Francisco (45 minutes from Apple headquarters) and noticed someone wearing what appeared to be an Apple Watch. I asked him if it was indeed the much-hyped unreleased watch. He said yes. He also said I couldn’t touch it. Okay, no problem, but how about giving me a quick review? No dice. Fine, at least tell me how it is that you got one. No way, not a chance.

I ambush people in elevators (and on planes, at parties, and everywhere else I go) all the time. As a consumer psychologist, I’m always curious, and it’s my job to ask questions about why consumers do what they do. Almost always people enjoy sharing their purchases and spending plans with me. Not this guy, though. To be honest, I found the mystery and his aloofness to be highly intriguing (also, a bit humorous, especially the “don’t touch” part).

Read the whole story: TIME