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Apple Watch for Sale in Retail Stores by Reservation Only, No Walk-In Sales
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Translation: We at Apple know that the Apple Watch isn't going to be a big seller and/or already is a failure of a product and we don't want excess inventory sitting in stores or want to pay the cost of shipping it to our stores where it will just sit in the back collecting dust.
Say a Hollywood celebrity wanders into the Apple Store in Santa Monica (something that actually happens quite frequently) and asks to buy an Edition right then and there.
"Er, sorry, Mr. Clooney. We can't sell you a watch right now. You'll have to go online and make an appointment."
Do we really believe that's going to happen?
"Er, sorry, Mr. Clooney. We can't sell you a watch right now. You'll have to go online and make an appointment."
Do we really believe that's going to happen?
Basically this is a covert way of forcing all early store purchases to be preorders.
In the "try-on-only" weeks, Apple can accurately gauge what's going to sell (and where) and adjust production and logistics accordingly.
Clever. Should save them quite a bit and improve customer sat.
We are witnessing Apple's most creative spin of a launch ever. They've never been in a better position. Customers salivating, a wide variety of rumors, developers complaining they're having problems with apps due to restricted (read none) access to the watch...
I've never had so much fun during a launch. Especially without risk since I have zero interest in being a man in the street tester...ha...ha...ha...
I can't imagine what it's like for those who are actually attracted to this world changing watch... A thrill a minute.
Risk and total uncertainty is all yours.
I've never had so much fun during a launch. Especially without risk since I have zero interest in being a man in the street tester...ha...ha...ha...
I can't imagine what it's like for those who are actually attracted to this world changing watch... A thrill a minute.
Risk and total uncertainty is all yours.
Otherwise it just sounds like Apple is being pretentious on an obnoxious scale.
We are witnessing Apple's most creative spin of a launch ever. They've never been in a better position. Customers salivating, a wide variety of rumors, developers complaining they're having problems with apps due to restricted (read none) access to the watch...
I've never had so much fun during a launch. Especially without risk since I have zero interest in being a man in the street tester...ha...ha...ha...
I can't imagine what it's like for those who are actually attracted to this world changing watch... A thrill a minute.
Risk and total uncertainty is all yours.
I see nothing amusing here but people who tried too hard to be amused
. It's just a watch. But again, I can't wait to get mine soon.
No worse than reading a rumor online and then getting fed up about something no one knows to be neither true nor false - really getting fed up with the MacRumors experience, which I used to rate so highly.
Kidding. Just having fun. Love this site.
On topic: it would seem odd for Apple to redirect sales to online. Granted, with so many potential Watch combos, stocking brick & mortar with anything resembling adequate supply sounds like a nightmare. Thus I could see where it might make sense to incorporate some sort of "try & order" transactional scenario. Should be interesting to see how it all pans out. I, for one, am ready to order. Let's get this rolling, already!
Interesting because this is pretty much how Apple handled the iPad Mini Retina launch. By your translation that product was a failure and is no longer produced. Of course I think you earned an "F" in "Applian."
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I don't think you have to go in to pre-order. Buying is limited to online w/ in-store pickup as an option.
LOL, so true.
The title should be: Apple Watch for Sale in Retail Stores by Reservation Only at Launch
Too many people just read the headlines and ignore the articles.
Here is the bit of articles that people conveniently ignore:
According to leaked Apple documentation, the company will not be selling the Apple Watch to walk-in customers at launch.
Apple will begin offering online pre-sales of the Apple Watch starting on April 10th, with the first deliveries occurring on April 24th
However, according to training documents that MacRumors has received, Apple is not allowing any walk-in retail purchases for the Apple Watch at launch.
Like all (most?) Apple Store appointments, they must be reserved online. No walk-ins.
Regardless, there will be lines. It will be "news."
Fully expect they accept preorders during try on sessions. Example: you try on a 38 & a 42, look at some bands, some finishes and they ask which one you'd like to preorder. Now, whether they have supply to meet all online preorders AND in-store try on appointment preorders, by the 24th, remains to be seen. Placing a premium on those 1st in-store appointment time slots. The real question remains: when can we schedule in-store appointments? Midnight (local time) on the 10th? Earlier?
Agreed. You can preorder at home or preorder in store. In that first week of "sales" all you can do is preorder.
Good call by Apple. With supplies super limited at launch, it's best to sell to customers who will use your product, not scalpers who will take devices to China and mark them up.
Apple Watch (all versions < $600) will be a GIANT hit. Biggest device since iPhone. It will change the world.
Apple Watch (all versions < $600) will be a GIANT hit. Biggest device since iPhone. It will change the world.
The fact that you had to write that screed at all shows how totally botched this launch is. It's far too complicated.
Walmart makes buying easier.
(Never thought I'd say that about Apple Retail)----------
Yeah, that was pretty funny. Upvote for you and pmau
SomApple will still have their launch line, except this time it'll be April 10th just to try one on
Agree. Apple is the one store where no one seems to care whether I buy anything or not and on occasion a salesperson has even told me I don't need to upgrade in their opinion.
The fact that you had to write that screed at all shows how totally botched this launch is. It's far too complicated.
Walmart makes buying easier.
LOL you missed my point. It's not about how complicated it is. It's about misinformation and misunderstanding the article caused to people. Unless I bold and enlarge the particular part of the sentence, people who just read the title would assume Apple is being obnoxious to sell their watch only to those who do reservation indefinitely.
LOL. And you mine
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I think Ahrendt's and Ive are in cahoots for this (mis)adventure.
God, how I miss Jobs. Problem now is we have too many cooks* in the kitchen
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* Sorry Tim, didn't mean you personally, but could you please rein-in your underlings. Apple comes across as schizophrenic these days.
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Scalpers are people too... Few enthusiasts care, there's always a variety of purchase irregularities with any product. It's just not a big deal.
Ok cool... guess you won't be getting the watch. Ok, yours is saved for someone else.
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Well if this is your "excuse" not to buy it I suspect you weren't really going to buy it in the first place.
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Nice to see this kind of brand loyalty....or lack there of I guess is more appropriate. You are intrenched in both ecosystems yet still opt for another brands band. You are the example both sides should look to..... But I'm getting the apple watch lol
I have a regular fitbit my watch will be replacing... I'm getting it more for the notification aspect over the health aspect but look forward to trying those out too. Let us know how you like your PT as it does look like a promising product.