Apple Watch Production Back on Track After 'Labor Shortages' Caused Initial Delays

[agsystems]

I wonder if this will affect Apple's decision to launch in April. If memory serves, they stopped using April for flagship hardware back in 2012 ("The New iPad"?). Since then, new iOS hardware has all been crammed into the Fall.

I mean, Lunar New Year is gonna happen next year, right?

Exactly...April is not exactly a holiday giving season. So as much as we don't like to see Apple quiet for 9 months and then ship all products in the fall, it makes more business sense for them to do so.

This means Apple Watch 2.0 in Sept/Oct 2016.

 

[2457282]

"...alongside Apple's already impressive attempt to come in ahead of delivery expectations..."

Ha, tell that to the people in the SS Space Black forum...

Well my watch still says "Processing" since day one. I am starting to think that I am gonna get my watch next year.

I have been railing against apple for such a poor release, where they clearly launched without any inventory. I ordered my SS with Link band on day 1 and earlier this week threatened to cancel my order given my frustration -- no movement and no updates. Miraculously, I got notification yesterday evening that my status changed to fulfilling. This morning I received notice from UPS that it will arrive today.

Less frustrated and hoping that the wait has been worth it. (actually I will admit to being a little excited in anticipation of the knock on the door)

 

[TonyC28]

I'm a few credits shy of my journalism degree, but in terms of the Watch that has not exactly had the most fluid of launches, what exactly is an "impressive attempt"?

 

[Winston Smith]

"Winston was smoking a Victory Cigarette which he held carefully horizontal. The new ration did not start till tomorrow and he had only four cigarettes left. For the moment he had shut his ears to the remoter noises and was listening to the stuff that streamed out of the telescreen. It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grammes a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grammes a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it. Parsons swallowed it easily, with the stupidity of an animal."

Nineteen Eighty Four -- George Orwell

I've given up smoking now but still see the herd mentality is alive, well and thriving.

 

[Glideslope]

Seems more like defects where being fixed

That is precisely what it is. Everything else is smoke.

 

[Analog Kid]

There aren't enough people in China to make the Apple Watch?

 

[Winston Smith]

I'm a few credits shy of my journalism degree, but in terms of the Watch that has not exactly had the most fluid of launches, what exactly is an "impressive attempt"?

Doublespeak

 

[Rogifan]

How great would it be if Apple produced its products in the United States?

Like seriously. They can afford it.

So what city in the United States could produce enough eligible workers to assemble Apple products?

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The author of this article states that there has been high demand for the Apple Watch. We have no idea what the demand for the Apple Watch has been, as Tim Cook has refused to release sales figures. As such, it is reasonable to assume that demand has been low, otherwise Cook would have been eager to proclaim the good news.

It is in Cook's interest to increase the share price of Apple, as it reflects well on Apple; many Apple employees also own Apple shares and are paid with them. Announcing stellar sales of the Apple Watch would have certainly increased the share price. Therefore, silence on this matter can only indicate bad news, which is why the share price has been so stagnant in recent weeks.

Cook's decision to withhold sales figures from the public has backfired.

How has it backfired? Give an example.

 

[Jtronic]

Ok, ordered on 4/20, this morning finally updated from "June" to 5-6 weeks delivery week 6/22/15.

At least I know now, but the wait is painful. There are worse things in life.

 

[dgdosen]

Oh, please. Apple's in the business of making money.

Agreed!

The demand is there for the Apple Watch because it's an Apple product selling into a market where the existing "smart" watches have effectively shown the negative side of wearables.

Agreed! - for a great device - absolutely

Put yourself in the shoes of any key Apple executive and just try to think of a meeting where you're saying, "Well we don't know if these are going to sell, so let's limit launch sales, which will drive up demand, then once demand has hit a fever pitch, we'll open up production and flood the market.

This is where we differ - I'm not saying Apple held off production - I don't know what happens in that black box. I do think they are holding back on supply.

Scarcity is a marketing tool. Apple is good (the best?) at marketing. Draw your own conclusions. I'll even bet that the higher margin watches become more readily available before the lower margin watches - because after you have pent up demand for a watch for so long - I'm sure there are a couple fan boys who will run out and get a better model watch - just because their space grey is on hold until "July". Let's just see what happens. I'll continue to bet that all watches will be in stores in quantity by the end of the quarter - that's the only pressure we external folks know is on Apple.

 

[gnasher729]

Scarcity is a marketing tool. Apple is good (the best?) at marketing. Draw your own conclusions. I'll even bet that the higher margin watches become more readily available before the lower margin watches - because after you have pent up demand for a watch for so long - I'm sure there are a couple fan boys who will run out and get a better model watch - just because their space grey is on hold until "July". Let's just see what happens. I'll continue to bet that all watches will be in stores in quantity by the end of the quarter - that's the only pressure we external folks know is on Apple.

It always amazes me how people think that you can sell more products by selling fewer products. Amazing.

 

[RickInHouston]

Great news! Now Macrumors and apple can get back to their public service announcements about how to use it.

 

[dgdosen]

It always amazes me how people think that you can sell more products by selling fewer products. Amazing.

You can google it... It's a thing, it's taught in marketing 101 and it works - especially for a company like Apple. Am I positive Apple is using this as a marketing tool for selling the watch? - No, but I'm reasonably sure, because this sure smells like it.

Like I said, let's just see what mix of watches is available in the coming weeks... and let's see how easy it is to get one at the end of June.

You'll be amazed.

 

[TonyC28]

So what city in the United States could produce enough eligible workers to assemble Apple products?

At the wages they pay in other countries? Zero.

 

[Dennison]

Well my watch still says "Processing" since day one. I am starting to think that I am gonna get my watch next year.

I have the same shipping window and I thought the same thing two days ago.

Now I'm wearing mine. So hang in there, it'll be on the way shortly.

 

[netdoc66]

The real problem.

If they couldn't deliver a product at the prelaunch window relatively around the same shipping window then ALL PREORDERS should have been withheld. I'm sitting in an office with a fool showing off his watch everyday and he ordered his 38" SS with the mesh loop model 5 minutes after I ordered my 42mm blk SS/blk SS band. I don't know how many watches where ordered, I don't care how many Chinese need to be abducted to finish my order, I don't care. Tim Cook, for someone coming from logistics you did a piss poor job of logistics on this product. The is rotten.

PS: the fool showing off his watch, the magnets in the watch are defective and his band won't lock into place. I guess there is a God

 

[ToM7]

Ok, ordered on 4/20, this morning finally updated from "June" to 5-6 weeks delivery week 6/22/15.

At least I know now, but the wait is painful. There are worse things in life.

same here!
I just hope this(maybe) will come before then!

 

[alfonsog]

It was pretty obvious both black models were gonna be very limited at first, otherwise they would have had more band options with them. Especially the SBSS would have been offered with a BSB instead of only releasing it at the highest price. Who wants a black watch anyway? I got mine on release day and I'm waiting to buy some more bands in store...

 

[dtuck90]

Ok, ordered on 4/20, this morning finally updated from "June" to 5-6 weeks delivery week 6/22/15.

At least I know now, but the wait is painful. There are worse things in life.

I ordered exactly the same model on 20th April so hopefully I'll see a simile update soon

 

[digitalnut]

If they couldn't deliver a product at the prelaunch window relatively around the same shipping window then ALL PREORDERS should have been withheld.

Yes, Apple shouldn't ship even one new device until it has enough of them for everybody that wants one! LOL.... so are you ready to wait until June/July so Apple can catch up with all the first-day preorders? (says he with a 12:04:51 AM PST confirmation for the same 42mm SBSSw/LB model)

I'm sitting in an office with a fool showing off his watch everyday and he ordered his 38" SS with the mesh loop model 5 minutes after I ordered my 42mm blk SS/blk SS band. I don't know how many watches where ordered, I don't care how many Chinese need to be abducted to finish my order, I don't care. Tim Cook, for someone coming from logistics you did a piss poor job of logistics on this product. The is rotten.

White iPhone 4 all over again. Except that this one actually is shipping, and no one has reported Apple not getting them delivered within the windows quoted - on pre-order day. Yes, the logistics of that is just so, so bad...

PS: the fool showing off his watch, the magnets in the watch are defective and his band won't lock into place. I guess there is a God

Defective watch, or defective fool that can't understand the instructions?

 

[clibinarius]

It was pretty obvious both black models were gonna be very limited at first, otherwise they would have had more band options with them. Especially the SBSS would have been offered with a BSB instead of only releasing it at the highest price. Who wants a black watch anyway? I got mine on release day and I'm waiting to buy some more bands in store...

The point of the black watch is you can't scratch the steel one so easily (The aluminum? Not the same tech. Haven't thought about it).

 

[Rogifan]

At the wages they pay in other countries? Zero.

I'm not even talking about wages I'm just talking about eligible people. How many cities in the United States have hundreds of thousands of people available to do this work? Apple is not going to be firing up an iPhone manufacturing plant in New York City or Los Angeles.

 

[iTom17]

Well, I do have to say that Apple isn't doing bad at all. I mean, I've been reading a lot on the forum of MacRumors. A lot of complaints from people who haven't received their Apple Watch, even though they ordered at the launch day. Some of them even in the first few minutes.

However, I ordered my Apple Watch Sport with White Sport Band at April 27th and a few days later it already went to 'Shipped'! Got it for a week now.

It just really depends on the configuration you ordered, it seems. The silver aluminum models of the Apple Watch Sport are being shipped quicker compared to the Space Gray one and a lot of Stainless Steel ones.

Anyway, it's good to see that they're really trying to get everything back on track. Did takes its time, but believe me... After all the wait it will be worth it.

By the way, I'm looking forward to see how this will work out when people from the other countries can order their Apple Watch. I've got some family living in Germany, so as a Dutch person I was able to get one. But a lot people in my area who are trying to get one don't have got this luck. They'll have to use a forwarder (which I would never use) or they will have to wait until late June. And then they might even have to wait another few weeks until they receive their order.

 

[goobot]

I'm not even talking about wages I'm just talking about eligible people. How many cities in the United States have hundreds of thousands of people available to do this work? Apple is not going to be firing up an iPhone manufacturing plant in New York City or Los Angeles.

The U.S. doesn't have the labor force. It's why Apple only brought over the Mac pro. It doesn't sell too many so it can be handled but they probably used up all the manufacturing potential in that area.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Apple hasn't even fulfilled the first 12 MINUTES of orders from the first day of the 42mm Space Grey!

What a time to sleep through my alarm.... 22 minutes late here. 29 May - 11 June Delivery...