Apple Watch **might** be the biggest Failure to Launch from Apple yet

[Joe1602]

If any MEASURABLE amount of people were as pissed as you claim to be, orders would've been cancelled en masse & we'd ALL have our Watches, due to that stock going back in inventory.
That's not happening. People aren't tripping. You're just tripping, pretty much alone.

Alone? Google "customers opinions of apple watch launch". Click on any of these links and tell those writers how alone they are.
Make no mistake, this is no small minority.

http://www.macworld.co.uk/opinion/apple/apple-watch-launch-is-apples-worst-ever-3608120/

http://venturebeat.com/2015/04/30/apples-poorly-managed-watch-launch-questions-still-remain/

http://9to5mac.com/2015/04/22/apple-watch-launch-blockbuster-debut/

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/who-else-is-miffed-about-apples-very-modest-watch-launch-2015-04-28

 

[shandyman]

Show me a better place to gather data, and I'll go there. If you have any other data on consumers' opinions of the watch launch, I'm all ears.

Forums like this are not "typical" consumers though.

 

[QuiteSure]

If any MEASURABLE amount of people were as pissed as you claim to be, orders would've been cancelled en masse & we'd ALL have our Watches, due to that stock going back in inventory.
That's not happening. People aren't tripping. You're just tripping, pretty much alone.

Apple, the largest company in the world, hypes like mad its first new product launch since the death of its iconic founder. Starting in September 2014, Apple showcases this revolutionary product. Announces it will be available "Early 2015". For almost 9 months it publicizes this product in every conceivable way: celebrity sightings, fashion magazine spreads, print and TV ads.

The product is touted as a "gamechanging" accessory to the iPhone, marketed to the nearly 100 million users. Apple creates a fever pitch of excitement for its launch, and to these 100 million possible customers, following over $100 million in advertising and billions in R&D, on launch day Apple produces:

376,000 watches.

Epic.Fail.

----------

Only if there's justification to be pissed. All I've seen on here is people pissed for self entitled/made up/daft reasons.

Not all customers are pissed. Just a vocal minority.

If a vocal minority being pissed is what qualifies as a failed launch, then most of Apple's launches are failed, as there's always people like you posting as you don't get yours in launch day.

Realistically and logically, a failed launch would be if no one received the product on launch day. But, God forbid, anyone uses logic and common sense on this forum....

Here's a quote from Venture Beat that sort of sums it all up:

It was, in many ways, a botched launch. Consumer interest and demand proved to be very high, but the research suggests that Apple was able to process and fulfill only about 22 percent of the initial orders. Everything else was delayed.

This comes on top of the fact that Apple introduced a strange new online-only ordering process for the Watch. There’s no more in-store impulse buying. No magic moment in the store where you say “I have to have that” and then lay down the plastic. No immediate gratification. Instead you wait (and wait) for the notification to finally arrive from Apple saying your product is about to ship.

Many people who ordered on Day 1 (including one of my coworkers) have now received two delay notices from Apple. Some, however, have also received a note saying that the estimated ship date has been moved up. Regardless, most people are having to wait anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the Watch model they ordered.

The result, I think, is that many people’s first experience with the Apple Watch — and for some, their first experience with smartwatches, full stop — is kind of a bummer.
​

If you're having a great experience waiting for your watch, good for you. For most it kind of sucks.

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I ordered mine at 12:03am on pre-order day (black SS). I was told, before I finalized the order, that my watch would be delivered in June. No surprises.

I knew before I put my money down when my watch would coming. There was no misrepresentation on Apple's part.

I wouldn't say misrepresentation; I don't think Apple lied to anyone. But there was a huge miscalculation.

Webster's on "early"

early - at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

January or February is "early" in the year. March maybe too. Late April? Not so much. I ordered mine on the first day available and may not get it until May 27. Others who ordered that day won't get theirs until June. That's "middle" by anyone's definition.

Apple merits criticism for the way that this launch happened. It was a fail. It's really not even close to anything other than a fail.

 

[TonyC28]

Does it mean anything that Apple hasn't announced sales numbers yet for the watch? They issued a press release three days after the iPhone 6 launch but those numbers were very impressive.

 

[lashedup]

LOL I'm not self entitled I'm just pissed. And if Apple's customers are pissed, then it's a failed launch.

How pissed? Enough to cancel your order? Enough to never buy another Apple product again?

This is a product no one actually needs. Yet it is sold out for two months anyway? Despite all the analyst quotes in articles, no one really knows how many watches were sold or delivered at this point. But if they are two months out for new orders and we are talking a company the size of Apple that knows a thing or two about demand for their products, then I think it is safe to say it is a LOT of watches.

<Shrug> What can we do but wait. It has only been about ten days since they started arriving. My life will go on...

 

[powerslave65]

Moving to an online launch after production constraints was pure damage control. The high-end boutique roll out was planned months ago and probably unavoidable at this time. I don't like it but I can't say I would have done differently with the exception of a timely good will statement about supply constraint. People just want to be included, especially in a giant ecosystem like Apple.

 

[shandyman]

Apple Watch **might** be the biggest Failure to Launch from Apple yet

Apple, the largest company in the world, hypes like mad its first new product launch since the death of its iconic founder. Starting in September 2014, Apple showcases this revolutionary product. Announces it will be available "Early 2015". For almost 9 months it publicizes this product in every conceivable way: celebrity sightings, fashion magazine spreads, print and TV ads.

The product is touted as a "gamechanging" accessory to the iPhone, marketed to the nearly 100 million users. Apple creates a fever pitch of excitement for its launch, and to these 100 million possible customers, following over $100 million in advertising and billions in R&D, on launch day Apple produces:

376,000 watches.

Epic.Fail.

----------





Here's a quote from Venture Beat that sort of sums it all up:

It was, in many ways, a botched launch. Consumer interest and demand proved to be very high, but the research suggests that Apple was able to process and fulfill only about 22 percent of the initial orders. Everything else was delayed.



This comes on top of the fact that Apple introduced a strange new online-only ordering process for the Watch. There’s no more in-store impulse buying. No magic moment in the store where you say “I have to have that” and then lay down the plastic. No immediate gratification. Instead you wait (and wait) for the notification to finally arrive from Apple saying your product is about to ship.



Many people who ordered on Day 1 (including one of my coworkers) have now received two delay notices from Apple. Some, however, have also received a note saying that the estimated ship date has been moved up. Regardless, most people are having to wait anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the Watch model they ordered.



The result, I think, is that many people’s first experience with the Apple Watch — and for some, their first experience with smartwatches, full stop — is kind of a bummer.

​

If you're having a great experience waiting for your watch, good for you. For most it kind of sucks.

----------





I wouldn't say misrepresentation; I don't think Apple lied to anyone. But there was a huge miscalculation.



Webster's on "early"



early - at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time



January or February is "early" in the year. March maybe too. Late April? Not so much. I ordered mine on the first day available and may not get it until May 27. Others who ordered that day won't get theirs until June. That's "middle" by anyone's definition.



Apple merits criticism for the way that this launch happened. It was a fail. It's really not even close to anything other than a fail.

Your post States figures that are basically made up, like 376,000 watches and 22%

This pretty much makes your post pointless.

Also, early 2015, by Apple's proven historical use, means January - April, mid being May-August and late being September -December. The watch launched in early 2015. Everyone was given a timescale, which has been met so far.

Apple has had other launches that were massively worse than this, those were fails.

Think that's all your points disputed with fact.

 

[Mr Rabbit]

Also, early 2015, by Apple's proven historical use, means January - April, mid being May-August and late being September -December. The watch launched in early 2015. Everyone was given a timescale, which has been met so far.

This. Anyone who has watched Apple for any decent length of time will know that they almost always wait until the last week or so of the window they give in these "Early 2015, Late 2016, August, etc" statements. Product launching in December? You can bet it will be between the 26th & 31st. New iPad will be available in Early 2016? Mid to late April it is. I wish it was different and they had launched the watch in January but I didn't expect that, or anything earlier than April, for a minute.

I ordered my 42mm Sport w/ blue band and a milanese loop between 3:00 - 3:10am on April 10th. During checkout I saw a shipping range of May 13 - 27 for the watch and April 29 - May 12 for the extra band.

My watch was delivered mid-day on April 24th. Almost 3 weeks early.

My milanese loop is still processing, but there is also a full week left before it's actually late.

Expectations met? Absolutely.

I knew this would be a high demand product. I knew there would be (actual or perceived) shipping delays. I knew that Apple would more than likely over estimate shipping times for people in their historical fashion of "under promise and over deliver", or as Apple phrases it "Surprise & Delight."

The only thing that has been surprising at all (including the predictable outcry) is the lack of in store sales. I'm not so sure that falls back to supply chain. It doesn't often get publicized but there is a LOT of negativity in regards to the volume of traffic in Apple stores. From customers, from neighboring businesses, etc. Launch periods (launch day and the weeks following) greatly exacerbate the issue. With Angela Ahrendts coming in so close to this launch my guess is that the lack of an in store launch, and delay of in store sales, was a direct move by new management to address that often cited criticism from customers and neighboring business owners alike.

She would have seen complaints such as:

I had to go in to the Apple store to get my phone fixed and had to wade through a sea of people, only to be told that I needed an appointment, so I had to sit around for 40 minutes while the Genius helped other people. The place was so busy I couldn't hear myself think.

My son saved up his money to buy an iPad mini. We got an email telling us that our Apple store would be opening at 6am on whatever day to start selling this new model. We showed up at 5:45 and found a line of 100 people in front of the mall. When the mall doors were opened everyone started running and shouting, it was chaos. My kid was scared so we decided to come back a few days later, only to find that we had to wait in another line. We're glad your products are so popular but this is ridiculous.

etc...

I have a history working as a Genius for a few years and these are almost direct quotes from comments we received every single day. Like, by the time they made their way through management we wouldn't even read them, we'd just look at the numbers, because they were so predictable.

With that in mind, eliminating those higher (than the normally obscene) traffic periods would be a great step to creating a more welcoming environment. And from their perspective it's a win/win for customers... You don't have to camp out at a store overnight and hope to get one of the items from limited stock. You don't have to battle lines in all types of weather. You don't have to worry that your particular model will be sold out, prompting disappointment and a possible last minute decision to get a lesser desired model. Nope, now you just hop online at midnight (or 3am for us east coast folks) to be one of the first or, chances are you don't care if you're the typical consumer, order when you wake up in the morning. Apple gives you an estimated delivery date. More than likely before that date you get a shipping notification and an earlier delivery date, which is usually a nice surprise. You get to enjoy your first few moments with your device in your home or office, rather than an obnoxiously busy & loud store.

Honestly, I'm not buying a 6S or whatever the next iteration of iPhone is, but I'm really anxious to see if they launch it in a similar fashion. With online pre-orders only and a lack of in-store sales for the first 30 days or so. I won't be surprised if they do.

Food for thought.

 

[mr.anthonyramos]

Has your delivery window passed yet? Didn't think so.

True. It hasn't. But at the same time hearing my friends who ordered theirs a week ago with a June delivery estimate arrive kinda hurts. But hey, that's just me bitching. I'll survive.

 

[Trozetar]

I have owned a boat load of Apple stock for the last 4 years. I sold on Friday. This situation has caused me to drop Apple from my list of worlds greatest companies. The stock now needs a lower valuation before I get interested in owning it again.

I can't even. I just can't.

 

[TonyC28]

Your post States figures that are basically made up, like 376,000 watches and 22%

This pretty much makes your post pointless.

Also, early 2015, by Apple's proven historical use, means January - April, mid being May-August and late being September -December. The watch launched in early 2015. Everyone was given a timescale, which has been met so far.

Apple has had other launches that were massively worse than this, those were fails.

Think that's all your points disputed with fact.

This poster didn't make up those numbers.

http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-watch-may-have-shipped-to-only-22-percent-of-us-preorder-buyers/

Now it is possible that the analyst cited in the article made them up. I do agree though about the semantics of the word "early." When Apple announce it that way I took it to mean any time before June 30th, which broke the year up in half...an early part and a late part. Clearly when they said that they didn't know precisely when it would be ready so they were leaving some wiggle room.

 

[srazz]

Maybe not a failure but definitely a PR nightmare.

IMO, I feel its their biggest botched launch ever (Well, maybe their only botched launch).

 

[AppleInBoi]

The only thing that has been surprising at all (including the predictable outcry) is the lack of in store sales.

It is surprising that they didn't release in the stores but this is a direct function of releasing before manufacturing is ready.

I think it is also surprising that certain models were not available at the advertised launch.

If you are advertising leather loops and link bands with the same commercials as sports bands and milinase loops and giving a date of 4.24.15 then expectations have been set that at least some of the later will be available on launch. This is not unreasonable to assume.

I love Apple. I want them to succeed and I'm not angry but I am frustrated and disappointed that my watch is not available yet.

 

[chillg8r]

From a selfish perspective this launch was excellent. There is no way I am going to wait on line, or camp out, for anything these days. This procedure allowed me to compete for early delivery of my watch.

Of course the best situation would have been for Apple to have 3 million watches on hand and for sale on the 24th, but for whatever reason that was not possible. Under the circumstances this was ideal....for me.

As for whether or not it will be a long term success by Apple standards, I don't know. I do know that i love my watch and am very glad i bought one. When i posted a picture of it on my Facebook page i received as many likes as if i had a baby! I think that as more people who are not internet/Apple junkies see these watches in the wild, the more it will become popular.

OTOH, there is not the fevered frenzy for them on craigslist that i can see. Thats interesting.

I am very interested to see how Apple moves forward with this kind of product. I think, in many ways, it will be more like a Tablet than a phone in the fact that i don't think people will trade these in every two years. It could, however, be a more enduring business than a tablet as watches will always be around.

So count me as one who does not think the launch was a failure and I believe that by next year this whole episode will be forgotten.

JMO

 

[bradl]

Maybe not a failure but definitely a PR nightmare.

IMO, I feel its their biggest botched launch ever (Well, maybe their only botched launch).

Like I said before: White iPhone 4.

BL.

 

[shandyman]

True. It hasn't. But at the same time hearing my friends who ordered theirs a week ago with a June delivery estimate arrive kinda hurts. But hey, that's just me bitching. I'll survive.

I'm betting they ordered a different style, probably one of the less popular ones. It's the same as if you ordered a space grey iPhone 6 64Gb and your mate ordered the White and silver 128Gb one.

----------

This poster didn't make up those numbers.



http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-watch-may-have-shipped-to-only-22-percent-of-us-preorder-buyers/



Now it is possible that the analyst cited in the article made them up. I do agree though about the semantics of the word "early." When Apple announce it that way I took it to mean any time before June 30th, which broke the year up in half...an early part and a late part. Clearly when they said that they didn't know precisely when it would be ready so they were leaving some wiggle room.

That was my point. Apple have not released any numbers. This means any article is guessing. Why do people take these as fact?!

----------

The only thing that has been surprising at all (including the predictable outcry) is the lack of in store sales.

Actually, I think that the online only launch period was a good idea. They had no idea what models/bands were going to be popular in each store. Additionally, they obviously had no way to make enough for a decent stock for launch day in each store of all the variations. Massively complex. The online only launch period gives them real world data on what their focus will be for production ongoing. When they do Gen 2, it will be an in store and online launch, like all over devices they do. Angela herself stated this online only launch period was a one off.

 

[QuiteSure]

How pissed? Enough to cancel your order? Enough to never buy another Apple product again?

This is a product no one actually needs. Yet it is sold out for two months anyway? Despite all the analyst quotes in articles, no one really knows how many watches were sold or delivered at this point. But if they are two months out for new orders and we are talking a company the size of Apple that knows a thing or two about demand for their products, then I think it is safe to say it is a LOT of watches.

<Shrug> What can we do but wait. It has only been about ten days since they started arriving. My life will go on...

I'm pissed enough to waste my time complaining on the Macrumors forum. Other than that, I agree that by the time I get my watch all of this inconvenience will likely be forgotten.

 

[ZPr13st]

The people who are the most upset about the watch launch are people who ordered Modern Buckles, Leather Strap, Links and Space Black Links within 5 min of preorders becoming available.

Of course all of you people who ordered one of those mentioned above at a later date and time are not frustrated - because you weren't up at midnight hoping to get one on LAUNCH DAY as has been Apple's way of doing things in the past. You just "la-di-da'd" an order several days later if not just last week and are perfectly fine with waiting because you knew coming in that it was a wait.

Also - those of you who ordered a watch as soon as you could after preorders opening but didn't get your order in early enough for a wave 1 launch - don't have any room to complain either - because at least there are people who got your same type of watch on launch day simply because they ordered faster than you.

I happened to order a Space Black SS watch within the first 2 min of opening and got lucky enough for a wave 1 confirmation - which is may 13-27th. I did fully realize this as I was placing my order and was a bit frustrated - but I went with it anyways.

It is definitely annoying being one of the first in line for an upper tiered flagship watch model and not having any of your product type move to any customers whatsoever, while all these Joe's and Jane's are ordering their watches DAYS after preorders going live and getting theirs already.

I for one will truly be upset if I don't see at least one person on this forum who ordered a link/space black link not get one on or by May 13th. A ****ing MONTH after orders were put in -and even longer since they should have had at least a couple of them manufactured prior to preorders even going live. Oh wait - they gave all those to the celebs and youtube reviewers.

 

[bradl]

I for one will truly be upset if I don't see at least one person on this forum who ordered a link/space black link not get one on or by May 13th. A ****ing MONTH after orders were put in -and even longer since they should have had at least a couple of them manufactured prior to preorders even going live. Oh wait - they gave all those to the celebs and youtube reviewers.

I say again. We would have been lucky and happy if it was only a month we had to wait to get the White iPhone 4. It wasn't even available at launch, despite Jobs saying that it was. It wasn't available until 4 months after the launch, so imagine how people felt with their 3GS while seeing others with a black iPhone 4 for that amount of time.

And you still don't get the fact that this is a new product with a new market, and wisely enough, Apple let those celebs do the marketing/advertizing for them.

BTW: This is all a 1st world problem here. If it takes you that much to be upset, go outside and enjoy the day. It isn't as if your life isn't going to come to an abrupt end of your own doing if you have to wait until your delivery window for your watch.

BL.

 

[SixtyK]

I don't know which group of people is entertaining me more, the group hellbent on declaring the launch a miserable failure, or the sub-group that gets angrier every time another person disagrees with them.

Have you considered therapy?

 

[shandyman]

Apple Watch **might** be the biggest Failure to Launch from Apple yet

The people who are the most upset about the watch launch are people who ordered Modern Buckles, Leather Strap, Links and Space Black Links within 5 min of preorders becoming available.



Of course all of you people who ordered one of those mentioned above at a later date and time are not frustrated - because you weren't up at midnight hoping to get one on LAUNCH DAY as has been Apple's way of doing things in the past. You just "la-di-da'd" an order several days later if not just last week and are perfectly fine with waiting because you knew coming in that it was a wait.



Also - those of you who ordered a watch as soon as you could after preorders opening but didn't get your order in early enough for a wave 1 launch - don't have any room to complain either - because at least there are people who got your same type of watch on launch day simply because they ordered faster than you.



I happened to order a Space Black SS watch within the first 2 min of opening and got lucky enough for a wave 1 confirmation - which is may 13-27th. I did fully realize this as I was placing my order and was a bit frustrated - but I went with it anyways.



It is definitely annoying being one of the first in line for an upper tiered flagship watch model and not having any of your product type move to any customers whatsoever, while all these Joe's and Jane's are ordering their watches DAYS after preorders going live and getting theirs already.



I for one will truly be upset if I don't see at least one person on this forum who ordered a link/space black link not get one on or by May 13th. A ****ing MONTH after orders were put in -and even longer since they should have had at least a couple of them manufactured prior to preorders even going live. Oh wait - they gave all those to the celebs and youtube reviewers.

Wow. Upper tiered flagship? joes & Janes? That's coming across as Self entitlement posh style...

Also, those getting theirs before you get yours is simply because they chose a different style. They're not getting the same one as you, before you. Just like my example of someone getting s black 64Gb space grey iPhone before someone that ordered a white & silver 128Gb iPhone. Would you rather Apple just sent you any old one they have ready?!

These posts of people getting madder and madder are hilarious. Keep them coming.

Also, you realise that the ones the celebs got were probably made in Jony's lab, or somewhere on the Apple campus, which means it has NO bearing over the actual production line..... But yea, keep flogging that sad dead horse, if it makes you feel better...

 

[sunwukong]

Launch day.

Not "you impatient consumers will get the product that day" day.

Then what is (any) Launch Day, exactly, that differentiates from the day before it and the day after it?

 

[bradl]

Then what is (any) Launch Day, exactly, that differentiates from the day before it and the day after it?

In this case (which is the only case you need to be concerned with, as it is how Apple interprets it), Launch Day is when orders are starting to ship. It has nothing to do with when you placed the order, or receive the order. It is when the first orders are starting to ship.

None shipped before that day, and after that day is irrelevant.

And finally, the last thing that differentiates it is that customer's (lack of?) sense of entitlement and (lack of) patience.

BL.

 

[FlyGuyDEN]

Apple's Screw Up

EVERY product Apple has launched lately has been a runaway hit. They SHOULD HAVE BEEN READY! I am sure that the whole batch of watches that were scrapped or sent back to be fixed didn't help the situation but come ON!

 

[Thrilledge]

Its no doubt been a failure.