Except Apple has also said, in a revised statement, that there will be no in-store pickup at launch. There will be ISP and in-store sales, but not at launch.
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Apple Watch Sold Out in Less Than 6 Hours as Shipping Times Slip on All Models
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Except Apple has also said, in a revised statement, that there will be no in-store pickup at launch. There will be ISP and in-store sales, but not at launch.
I think a lot of people are forgetting that this is quite different territory for Apple - when Steve Jobs returned to Apple he famously made Apple trim down the offerings/models for each product to a small, selected number of options. This time around there's 10 Sport models, 20 Watch models and 8 Edition models - each in two sizes. That's 74 different models of the product. A watch is a different prospect than a computer though, which is why I think there's so many options - but still, it's new territory for Apple.
You could reasonably argue that there's actually only 12 different "watch" components (2 finishes in each of the three editions, and two different sizes of each) - but each of those will require different production lines, or production lines to be switched for each.
Packaging, logistics, etc then need to be managed to get the 74 different retail SKUs.
At this stage, with a new product, how many of each to make is an educated guess. Sure - they can use data from people favouriting watches, but this is still only a guess (and this has only been available for a few weeks).
As others have said there's stock and storage logistics issues too - you make a product, you have to ship it somewhere before it goes to store/to us as customers. If you allow it to go to store then you're taking up store space for a product that isn't launched so that space can't be used to stock products that are currently selling. If you let it go to customers, then you've launched and are selling.
The only option - pre-launch - is to use a warehouse or storage. Now most warehouses that are available will have minimum leases. Once you launch, your stock will flow more freely so you probably won't need all of that storage space.
So, unfortunately, the only viable method for any product becomes making what you can to fill available storage space, launch, ship to stores/customers, and then continue with your production runs.
Popular models will run out more quickly. We've seen it with iPhones (and games consoles, etc). When you add 74 different models to that mix, where only an educated guess can be taken as to which models to manufacture and what quantities as this is a new product.
I think saying that Apple (or any company) purposefully hold back stock is kinda naive. It would cost more in storage (not just for now, but then with excess storage capacity that wouldn't be needed/used once products are past launch), it risks losing customers to rival products, etc. The situation is simply one born of logistics.
You could reasonably argue that there's actually only 12 different "watch" components (2 finishes in each of the three editions, and two different sizes of each) - but each of those will require different production lines, or production lines to be switched for each.
Packaging, logistics, etc then need to be managed to get the 74 different retail SKUs.
At this stage, with a new product, how many of each to make is an educated guess. Sure - they can use data from people favouriting watches, but this is still only a guess (and this has only been available for a few weeks).
As others have said there's stock and storage logistics issues too - you make a product, you have to ship it somewhere before it goes to store/to us as customers. If you allow it to go to store then you're taking up store space for a product that isn't launched so that space can't be used to stock products that are currently selling. If you let it go to customers, then you've launched and are selling.
The only option - pre-launch - is to use a warehouse or storage. Now most warehouses that are available will have minimum leases. Once you launch, your stock will flow more freely so you probably won't need all of that storage space.
So, unfortunately, the only viable method for any product becomes making what you can to fill available storage space, launch, ship to stores/customers, and then continue with your production runs.
Popular models will run out more quickly. We've seen it with iPhones (and games consoles, etc). When you add 74 different models to that mix, where only an educated guess can be taken as to which models to manufacture and what quantities as this is a new product.
I think saying that Apple (or any company) purposefully hold back stock is kinda naive. It would cost more in storage (not just for now, but then with excess storage capacity that wouldn't be needed/used once products are past launch), it risks losing customers to rival products, etc. The situation is simply one born of logistics.
Face and strap separately
I think the Watch face and strap should have been sold as two separate items.
That way, rather than produce say 10x Sport/blue, 10x Sport/green and 10x Sport/white which potentially limits someone purchasing a watch or it "selling out" in a specific colour (as there would only be 10 available); there would be the option to purchase the watch (30 being available in this example) and then a strap of your choice. They could even have had a generic "cheap" strap that all watch faces come with (simple plastic) as a temporary measure should your chosen strap be out of stock.
I think the Watch face and strap should have been sold as two separate items.
That way, rather than produce say 10x Sport/blue, 10x Sport/green and 10x Sport/white which potentially limits someone purchasing a watch or it "selling out" in a specific colour (as there would only be 10 available); there would be the option to purchase the watch (30 being available in this example) and then a strap of your choice. They could even have had a generic "cheap" strap that all watch faces come with (simple plastic) as a temporary measure should your chosen strap be out of stock.
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I agree totally with this. They should have just made the sports band (one colour for each of the editions/finishes) the "standard" for the Sport and Watch versions. That would have reduced that from 30 SKUs to 8 SKUs. Then sold the straps as accessories.
I guess the Edition version would always have to be slightly different given the amount of money people are spending on it - but for the Sport and Watch versions, they should have stuck to the simplicity of options that Apple normally does perfectly.
It's not an issue of "snobbery". The problem is that, unlike phones and computers, for most people watches are closer to shoes, pants, dresses, or haircuts than they are to any tech item. Watches have always been a piece of jewelry and a fashion statement first place, and a limited piece of tech second place ( that usually only gives you time ).
Other smartwatch manufacturers are catering to geeks only, people that don't care about the looks of their watches and just want a practical tech device on their wrist. It's a sizable market , but extremely small compared to that of the average person on the planet ( non-geeky people ). Apple is going after the much bigger consumer market, it wants to offer a piece of clothing, a jewelry item with some tech in it.
So it's almost exactly like if Apple is entering the shoe, pants , or women's evening dress market. You couldn't launch a clothing company that only offers one model of pants, shoes , or jacket . It would make no sense at all. There is no successful clothing or jewelry company on the planet that only makes one model. So Apple is forced to go against its usual philosophy of streamlined and minimal amount of choices, because it would make no sense at all in this new market.
Wich also makes me think that this may be the first ( and only ) area where Apple may license its WatchOS to select luxury watchmakers , simply because Apple cannot offer thousands of variations by themselves. And watch consumers had thousands of designs ( of traditional watches ) to choose from up to now.
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No, but they could just sell a "standard" band as the only bundled strap with each version/size/finish - and then have all the other straps as accessories. Would have made manufacturing, logistics and fulfilment easier? At least to get watches into customers hands?
Mind you, then people would have moaned that they didn't want the bundled band as they were buying another one of their choice and therefore paying for something they didn't want?
No, but they could just sell a "standard" band as the only bundled strap with each version/size/finish - and then have all the other straps as accessories. Would have made manufacturing, logistics and fulfilment easier? At least to get watches into customers hands?
Mind you, then people would have moaned that they didn't want the bundled band as they were buying another one of their choice and therefore paying for something they didn't want?
It could have worked well like this. At least people would have a "spare" strap.
No, but they could just sell a "standard" band as the only bundled strap with each version/size/finish - and then have all the other straps as accessories. Would have made manufacturing, logistics and fulfilment easier? At least to get watches into customers hands?
Mind you, then people would have moaned that they didn't want the bundled band as they were buying another one of their choice and therefore paying for something they didn't want?
People would moan no matter what. Let's see a week from now if all these orders will still be showing 4-6 week ship dates.
And then the iSheep would have looked even more uniform because there would basically be two Apple Watches out there and many would not buy a new band on launch day. Even people who really like the look of the other bands would not have bought a band as they waited to check out if they even liked the watch in practice.
Apple has forced us all to make a fashion decision with the initial launch. This will make the iSheep look better and more diverse resulting in better word of mouth sales. Bundling band and watch made life much much harder for Apple and restricted the choice of the customer. But I think Apple made the right call here.
Pretty much this. I'll be very surprised though if all these orders take until June or July to be filled.
If I hadn't purchased the GS6 Edge yesterday, I could've purchased the Apple Watch and flipped it for a major profit. Ironic how easy it was just to waltz into a T-Mobile 15 minutes before closing and get a GS6 Edge. I was considering the iPhone 6+, but not in the mood to buy two new iPhones in a 6 month span with the 6S+ coming out.
The Edge looks really nice as well. No one can contest that it is a powerful and nice looking phone.
It is a shame that so many people believe everything they are fed by the media!!
Moon landing.... hoax!!
911.... inside job!!
princess Diana.... killed on purpose!!
I don't think elvis is still alive though lol
Yeah, I enjoy it so far. If the GS6 wasn't a clear cut choice for me, I would've gone 6+. I own a 5C, so it's not like I am missing out on iOS. The watch looks really cool too, but the prices not so much. I hope Gen 2 will be more value friendly since Apple's prices are stagnant.
I could see the sport dropping by $50, but not much more than that. But at the same price with better features you might find version two more compelling. But cheaper, I wouldn't count on that. Apple's business plan is to serve the high end of any market it enters. That is a good business model.
Can't argue with results. I own two iOS devices right now and have had numerous in the past, so I like my fair share of higher end products. iOS having Android Wear is a nice alternative if Google comes through. I have a Moto 360, but that is not as a good as the Apple Watch because the AW has a speaker for answering calls and natively supporting apps whereas I need a 3rd party app to download apps for my 360's drawer.
If your survey is accurate for the population of iPhone owners they will only sell 60 million watches...
In store pickup = pay online but fulfilled in a store. No that is not happening but it doesn't mean no in store sales any more than no walk ins does
But go ahead and don't believe me. Go ahead and wait for four months, bitching and moaning about the wait the whole time. Trump up your bogus stories about production delays etc. Meanwhile dozens of folks a day will be reserving product, buying it at the store and sending each other dancing emojis etc while you are still waiting and still bitching cause you didn't listen to anyone that yes the stores will have stock to sell
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They will. A week from now will be the in store launch. Any stock waiting to be parsed out will be held until after the first couple of days to see the pattern of sales. Come Monday they will have numbers and know how many they can release into the online channel.
How a week and a half to two weeks from now, yeah those dates may have changed on many watches to much sooner.
True. Apple is going to sell more smartwatches in three months than every other competitors did in three years....
Umm, three months? I think Apple will sell more in one week than competitors have in three years. I bet we find out that launch inventory was north of a million and it was sold out in thirty minutes and that the watch is going to sell steadily from the stores as people play with and get to hold the watch.
And that's with it getting lukewarm reviews. Imagine if it was a must have? We'd be talking iPhone all over again.
Lukewarm reviews? I think most reviews were a bit better than that. It's just the negative get more attention because they get more clicks.