42 mm SS Milanese Loop 4/24 - 5/8 batch

[striders]

Well, looks like what we fear is true:

Analyst: Apple Watch launch was 'botched'

Quote: "Delays in shipments aren’t the result of overwhelming demand – but rather – supply issues, UBS says"

 

[nrubenstein]

I just don't get the anger. The launch so far has been smooth. Nobody has received their watch late. I'm not sure how Apple could be more "transparent" and improve communication. Would you like Apple to issue a press release to tell everyone to clam down and their orders will be fulfilled as quoted? Is that really necessary? Unless things have changed, there is no reason for them to say anything...there's nothing to say.

For the record, I ordered at xx:03 and am still in processing.

They want a counter on their status page showing exactly how many are ahead of them. (Which Apple would *never* do - revealing the order count would be crazy.)

 

[rlj1010]

I just don't get the anger. The launch so far has been smooth.

Nobody is late (yet!) But launch has been far from smooth. From the Apple Store website not opening on time (only the App did).... to the arguably unfair distribution out of ordering sequence..... to the reports of taptec failures.... it hasn't exactly been awesome.

 

[larryinfl]

I find the anger of many childish really. Apple still has a full week to deliver the rest of the first batch. No one's order ever said they would have it 5-24. Just because you are not patient does not mean Apple has botched anything.

I'm a xx:10 42 ML myself and still waiting.

 

[striders]

I find the anger of many childish really. Apple still has a full week to deliver the rest of the first batch. No one's order ever said they would have it 5-24. Just because you are not patient does not mean Apple has botched anything.



I'm a xx:10 42 ML myself and still waiting.

Someone posted an old homepage image where Apple say the watch will be available on 04/24. Pre-order starts on 04/10, so Apple did say buyers would have it (or at least shipped) by 04/24.

Looks like they realized that they cannot deliver by 04/24 in the last minute, so they started giving an extra 2 weeks. But at this point, nothing stopping Apple to even further delay the delivery date beyond 05/08. The silent from Apple is deafening.

 

[Lustan]

It's not that you ordered late. It's that you ordered later than all the people receiving watches before you. Concerts can sell out in minutes, tickets to WWDC routinely sold out so fast that now it's a lottery system, why can't the initial supply of Apple Watches sell out in 10 minutes?

There's a huge difference between a concert held in a building with a maximum attendance of 45,000 people and product that can be manufactured ahead of preorders. Lets just stop that comparison now.

 

[TheNaz]

Sloth like rollout

I'm more frustrated that the "reveal" was eight months ago. The prerelease press conference was three months ago and they couldn't provide enough product to cover preorders placed in the first 5 minutes, let alone first hour.

 

[nrubenstein]

Nobody is late (yet!) But launch has been far from smooth. From the Apple Store website not opening on time (only the App did).... to the arguably unfair distribution out of ordering sequence..... to the reports of taptec failures.... it hasn't exactly been awesome.

Have you ever ordered an Apple product at launch before? This was one of the smoothest that I participated in. There have been occasions where it literally took HOURS for ANYTHING to come up and you're freaking out because it took a couple minutes (which could simply have been propagation delays)?

 

[First Post G]

Nobody is late (yet!) But launch has been far from smooth. From the Apple Store website not opening on time (only the App did).... to the arguably unfair distribution out of ordering sequence..... to the reports of taptec failures.... it hasn't exactly been awesome.

The Apple Store website has opened after the iPhone app for the last couple of launches...nothing new here.

 

[Lustan]

The Apple Store website has opened after the iPhone app for the last couple of launches...nothing new here.

New to me since I usually bought my product day 1 in person. And I would have this time if that would have been possible.

Instead of their own retail stores Apple would prefer to sell their product in a store that premiers such items like this:

 

[ScardaNYC912]

I find the anger of many childish really. Apple still has a full week to deliver the rest of the first batch. No one's order ever said they would have it 5-24. Just because you are not patient does not mean Apple has botched anything.

I'm a xx:10 42 ML myself and still waiting.

Call it what you will then. If you can't see the issues with this launch then you obviously have blinders on. This has been far from smooth and it's not impatience with receiving the watch, it's the canned replies and lack of any insight from Apple reps that they are experiencing supply issues and manufacturing defects, which we all now know through third party media sources. Sorry we all don't have the patience of a saint like you...

 

[larryinfl]

Someone posted an old homepage image where Apple say the watch will be available on 04/24. Pre-order starts on 04/10, so Apple did say buyers would have it (or at least shipped) by 04/24.

Looks like they realized that they cannot deliver by 04/24 in the last minute, so they started giving an extra 2 weeks. But at this point, nothing stopping Apple to even further delay the delivery date beyond 05/08. The silent from Apple is deafening.

I can certainly understand peoples frustrations. I was 100% looking forward to getting mine last week Friday. I was REALLY disappointed over the weekend and Monday. I'm probably going to need a new keyboard and mouse after this from refreshing pages so many times. But as of now I'm not to worried. I'm sure I'll get it by next Friday.

From what it looks like Apple probably starting making these in February or so. They had some test units from the production batch that over time had haptic issues. They had to HUSSLE to find a fix. Then they had to make hundreds of thousands of these in just a few weeks and now we are getting each fresh off the assembly line. If that is the case it is very impressive what they are doing behind the scenes.

When it comes down it it, its a WATCH. It's marketed heavy by Apple as jewerly/a status item. Hence it being in fashion magazines, high end stores, giving gold watches to famous public figures, etc. NO one will be negatively affected in their life outside of their own personal stress by waiting for this. No one will rely on this for a paycheck, to eat, their life.

I'm done now. lol

----------

Call it what you will then. If you can't see the issues with this launch then you obviously have blinders on. This has been far from smooth and it's not impatience with receiving the watch, it's the canned replies and lack of any insight from Apple reps that they are experiencing supply issues and manufacturing defects, which we all now know through third party media sources. Sorre we all don't have the patience of a saint like you...

No blinders. I just can't wrap my head around people freaking out and getting so angry over what is basically a piece of jewelry. I think it just shows poorly on our society to freak over such a trivial materialistic thing.

 

[thegus]

I'm weirdly hopeful that my order will be charged late tonight.

Then again I was hopeful it'd be here on launch day but what can you do :/

Yeah guess I was wrong. Fully expecting to just get it right on 5/8 at this point

 

[rlj1010]

The Apple Store website has opened after the iPhone app for the last couple of launches...nothing new here.

So a repeated mistake is considered an acceptable mistake? Cool!

And to the lolololololer's.... no, I traditionally DON'T participate in Apple launches...... and likely wouldn't repeat.

 

[DgAl520319]

I just don't get the anger. The launch so far has been smooth. Nobody has received their watch late. I'm not sure how Apple could be more "transparent" and improve communication. Would you like Apple to issue a press release to tell everyone to clam down and their orders will be fulfilled as quoted? Is that really necessary? Unless things have changed, there is no reason for them to say anything...there's nothing to say.

For the record, I ordered at xx:03 and am still in processing.

Since you write like an Apple CS person, I'll respond to you as I would to them:

The main problem with this launch, as I (an Apple customer since 1987 & stock holder) see it, is that Apple trained its customers to "Think Different."

All companies train their customers. Take Amazon— they trained their initial customers to order today, get it tomorrow, free shipping. Later, you needed Prime for that level of service & it's not available on all products. Now, they are offering delayed delivery incentives. But this is all a gradual 180 shift from their debut. They're training their customer's expectations.

Apple's "think different" approach effected not only their products, but also customer expectations. We learned the apple terminology, just as any cult followers would do. "Pre-order" had always meant "get it on launch day." Also, Apple's "think different" approach meant stellar customer service— exceptional responsiveness and accountability.

The past couple of years have moved 180 degrees from Apple's "Think Different" motto, so much so that customers have been jarred; as such, Apple should only expect that customer faith in the company would diminish.

When Apple says they will deliver— they should deliver. Instead, they just edit their webpage and keep customers in the dark, albeit "excitedly" so... Or so we are told we are.

 

[ScardaNYC912]

Since you write like an Apple CS person, I'll respond to you as I would to them:

The main problem with this launch, as I (an Apple customer since 1987 & stock holder) see it, is that Apple trained its customers to "Think Different."

All companies train their customers. Take Amazon— they trained their initial customers to order today, get it tomorrow, free shipping. Later, you needed Prime for that level of service & it's not available on all products. Now, they are offering delayed delivery incentives. But this is all a gradual 180 shift from their debut. They're training their customer's expectations.

Apple's "think different" approach effected not only their products, but also customer expectations. We learned the apple terminology, just as any cult followers would do. "Pre-order" had always meant "get it on launch day." Also, Apple's "think different" approach meant stellar customer service— exceptional responsiveness and accountability.

The past couple of years have moved 180 degrees from Apple's "Think Different" motto, so much so that customers have been jarred; as such, Apple should only expect that customer faith in the company would diminish.

When Apple says they will deliver— they should deliver. Instead, they just edit their webpage and keep customers in the dark, albeit "excitedly" so... Or so we are told we are.

Amen!!!!!!!

 

[atrophic]

I spoke with Supervisor "Jason," ACS last Friday. He said my watch would be delivered to me by today. I said, "You're sure about that." He said that he would be utterly "shocked" if it were not.

The rep screwed up. I'm sure it was entirely against what he was trained to say, which is why everybody else is complaining about canned responses. They don't have access to exactly when your item is going to ship, only when you ordered and any credit card hold-ups, etc.

I think most of us had this expectation when pre-ordering at 2am: <snipped picture of "Available 4/24/2015">

I also had that expectation when I decided to stay up until 2am local time. But it *was* available on 4/24 if you got your order in fast enough. If I had known then what I know now I would have a) still stayed up, and b) tried even harder to get my order in fast.

I just don't get the anger. The launch so far has been smooth. Nobody has received their watch late. I'm not sure how Apple could be more "transparent" and improve communication. Would you like Apple to issue a press release to tell everyone to clam down and their orders will be fulfilled as quoted? Is that really necessary? Unless things have changed, there is no reason for them to say anything...there's nothing to say.

Exactly! So much anger over not having a luxury product for a span of a couple weeks. I think it's just as much envy as it is anger too. Somebody else has one, so why isn't mine here?

There's a huge difference between a concert held in a building with a maximum attendance of 45,000 people and product that can be manufactured ahead of preorders. Lets just stop that comparison now.

Yeah, a concert has a known quantity of tickets that can potentially sell and plan for. A concert doesn't have a complicated supply chain and potential production complications that can push supply down to lower quantities. A concert doesn't have to risk up-front costs north of $1.5B to supply 3M watches at an average selling price of ~$500 each. A concert doesn't have public stock and shareholders to worry about if they say their launch date is going to slip by a few weeks.

You're right, they're very dissimilar, but not so much in ways that help your argument

it's the canned replies and lack of any insight from Apple reps that they are experiencing supply issues and manufacturing defects, which we all now know through third party media sources.

Apple reps don't have any access to that information that you don't have. And it's not necessarily reliable information anyway; Apple's supply chain is notoriously watertight with information leaks. But let's say it is accurate. Now Apple's in a position where they are meeting the deadlines they promised you *despite* such complications. Isn't that more impressive?

I just can't wrap my head around people freaking out and getting so angry over what is basically a piece of jewelry. I think it just shows poorly on our society to freak over such a trivial materialistic thing.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! It's completely perplexing how much people care about this. I've been refreshing here so much lately because it's really refreshing to realize that, despite really wanting my watch to arrive, I'm not losing my mind over it like some others.

----------

When Apple says they will deliver— they should deliver.

You had a delivery date range before you clicked order.

 

[DgAl520319]

When it comes down it it, its a WATCH. It's marketed heavy by Apple as jewerly/a status item. Hence it being in fashion magazines, high end stores, giving gold watches to famous public figures, etc. NO one will be negatively affected in their life outside of their own personal stress by waiting for this. No one will rely on this for a paycheck, to eat, their life.

I just can't wrap my head around people freaking out and getting so angry over what is basically a piece of jewelry.

I disagree. The Watch is not a piece of jewelry. If it were, I would not be interested in buying it; my husband buys me all the jewelry I need.

Apple is a tech company. They sell tech. I'm buying it because of its wearable tech capabilities. I see tremendous applications (now and in the future) to my business— and yes, to the profitability of my business.

Apple's ADDED appeal to the fashion market is a marketing strategy designed to attract a new customer base faction. The only Apple product some of these customers might own is an iPhone. Apple wants them to buy more and become Apple devotees and branch out into more Apple products— lightings, security, appliances, vehicles...all easily controlled by Watch.

It really is pure genius. But it isn't "jewelry."

 

[Lustan]

Yeah, a concert has a known quantity of tickets that can potentially sell and plan for. A concert doesn't have a complicated supply chain and potential production complications that can push supply down to lower quantities. A concert doesn't have to risk up-front costs north of $1.5B to supply 3M watches at an average selling price of ~$500 each. A concert doesn't have public stock and shareholders to worry about if they say their launch date is going to slip by a few weeks.

You're right, they're very dissimilar, but not so much in ways that help your argument

Instead of slipping on the launch date they just slip on the ship dates. Better to be dishonest to customers than shareholders I suppose.

Average selling price ~$500... average cost $80... yeah you need to recalculate your $1.5B cost.

No blinders. I just can't wrap my head around people freaking out and getting so angry over what is basically a piece of jewelry. I think it just shows poorly on our society to freak over such a trivial materialistic thing.

That's just the fashion nonsense Apple is trying to spread to get fashion moguls to buy it. It's only disguising the fact that this is wearable tech that doesn't look like junk.

If you think Apple Watch just jewelry you shouldn't be buying it. There is much better looking jewelry out there.

 

[First Post G]

Since you write like an Apple CS person, I'll respond to you as I would to them:

The main problem with this launch, as I (an Apple customer since 1987 & stock holder) see it, is that Apple trained its customers to "Think Different."

All companies train their customers. Take Amazon— they trained their initial customers to order today, get it tomorrow, free shipping. Later, you needed Prime for that level of service & it's not available on all products. Now, they are offering delayed delivery incentives. But this is all a gradual 180 shift from their debut. They're training their customer's expectations.

Apple's "think different" approach effected not only their products, but also customer expectations. We learned the apple terminology, just as any cult followers would do. "Pre-order" had always meant "get it on launch day." Also, Apple's "think different" approach meant stellar customer service— exceptional responsiveness and accountability.

The past couple of years have moved 180 degrees from Apple's "Think Different" motto, so much so that customers have been jarred; as such, Apple should only expect that customer faith in the company would diminish.

When Apple says they will deliver— they should deliver. Instead, they just edit their webpage and keep customers in the dark, albeit "excitedly" so... Or so we are told we are.

I write like a logical human being who understands and appreciatesthe complexities that go into this. I also understand that when my quoted delivery date at time of purchase is 5/13-5/27, I should have no expectation of it coming earlier than that, and have no right to complain. The watch was available on 4.24 for many people, so I don't think their advertising was misleading. Knowing how many different combinations of watches/bands there were, in addition to Apple themselves saying there would be shortages out the gate (with front page articles on this website), we all knew it wasn't going to be easy getting one on launch date. That is why you got up in the middle of the night to order.

As a long time customer, future watch owner, and significant shareholder, I am happy with how the launch is going.

 

[DgAl520319]

As a long time customer, future watch owner, and significant shareholder, I am happy with how the launch is going.

If you were a *significant* shareholder, then you should be just as concerned about this new product launch as am I. It hasn't been handled "the Apple way." Tim should address the slip-up, own it (take responsibility for it), and address concerns with facts. It's a 101 business model. But it's only successful *before* too much faith is lost. Businesses rise and fall and are sold on good faith, the price of which is incalculable.

 

[larryinfl]

As far as the screen grab of Apples site showing available 4-24 I really think you are bending the situation to make it work in your favor. It was released that day and that did not change. Available does not mean you will have one in your hands.

 

[atrophic]

Average selling price ~$500... average cost $80... yeah you need to recalculate your $1.5B cost.

I rounded down based on ASPs I saw mentioned online. And their margins, unfortunately for my stock, are not 80+%. Regardless, the estimates for both ASP and total sales are just that--estimates. They shouldn't be off by a factor of ten, and $1B is still a significant amount of capital outlay to risk, even if you have $193B left in the bank.

As a long time customer, future watch owner, and significant shareholder, I am happy with how the launch is going.

Ditto.

If you were a *significant* shareholder, then you should be just as concerned about this new product launch as am I. It hasn't been handled "the Apple way." Tim should address the slip-up, own it (take responsibility for it), and address concerns with facts. It's a 101 business model. But it's only successful *before* too much faith is lost. Businesses rise and fall and are sold on good faith, the price of which is incalculable.

What slip-up? The people that are here and pissed off are a minority compared to those that are here and excited albeit impatient. And this forum is likely to attract the *most* excited / pissed off people.

 

[nrubenstein]

If you were a *significant* shareholder, then you should be just as concerned about this new product launch as am I. It hasn't been handled "the Apple way." Tim should address the slip-up, own it (take responsibility for it), and address concerns with facts. It's a 101 business model. But it's only successful *before* too much faith is lost. Businesses rise and fall and are sold on good faith, the price of which is incalculable.

The Apple Way for handling things is to circle the wagons and say nothing. The only time they ever traditionally say anything is to quell a major media s**tstorm. (Think Antennagate.)

I'm also a reasonably significant shareholder on a personal level (actually, at this point, I'm an uncomfortably concentrated shareholder - I don't like having 10% in a single stock - but on the plus side, the dividends pay for a lot of apple products), and I don't see anything especially wrong with this launch. Could expectations have been managed a little bit better? Probably, with the benefit of hindsight. But the reality is that what we are seeing here on the forum is a *tiny* number of people who are self-selected for a tendency to flip out over perceived inadequacies.

There are plenty of things to be concerned about, but the fact that far more people want a Watch than are able to buy one isn't very high on the list.

 

[MJWilliams1080]

What's the latest time that had their cards charged today? Is it :09?

It is true that Apple has not screwed up anything "yet" based on their predicted shipping times (something many of us did not find out until after our order was processed).

My confirmation e-mail came at 2:20 CST. I could not get into the store until 2:15. My shipping dates are 05/13-05/27

We should really be looking for the time stamp as to when the shipping dates changed. Then we may be able to determine if those who ordered a 42mm with the first shipping window will in fact receive theirs on time?