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Apple Watch 'Sold Out'

GlobeZ

GlobeZ

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 14, 2015
45
6
In the Vale....
Several versions of the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport are now showing as "Sold Out' on both the US and UK Apple Web Sites....

Does this mean the much rumoured Apple Watch 2 is imminent?
 
I'm thinking there could be a new watch....if it has a much better battery I would be very tempted to get it. My 38 MM doesn't last an entire day (not without a top off mid day) and the new WatchOS 3 is awesome for response but it's really taking a toll on my battery....
 
Weird, because Best Buy seem to e sold out one minute, then fully stocked the next. However, that is mainly on the Stainless Steel Space Black, with the Sport band, versus the more expensive bands.
 
IphoneIssues said:
No, that's not what that means.
Click to expand...

Care to elaborate why? It seems strange that for example this is the availability on the US Apple website:-

Apple Watch42mm Stainless Steel Case with Milanese Loop - Availability: Sold Out

For one of the most popular Apple Watch models sold ? Surely the inference of 'Sold Out' means these are no longer available buy ?

Normally if it's just an out of stock issue we would see something like this form the US Apple website:-

Apple Watch42mm Stainless Steel Case with Marine Blue Classic Buckle - Available to ship: 4-6 weeks


 
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We've had some members convinced before Apple's last event that they'd refresh the AW because some models were "sold out" at the moment. Models seem to come and go in terms of availability so I wouldn't read too much into it.
 
Stainless steel / product red seems heavily discounted in the UK, don't know if that's related? It's about £100 less than any other SS with sport band.
 
mrklaw said:
Stainless steel / product red seems heavily discounted in the UK, don't know if that's related? It's about £100 less than any other SS with sport band.
Click to expand...

That's a discontinued product as of the last AW refresh. Many retailers, including Best Buy, tend to mark down discontinued products. The OP is asking about current products marked as "Sold Out."
 
GlobeZ said:
Care to elaborate why? It seems strange that for example this is the availability on the US Apple website:-

Apple Watch42mm Stainless Steel Case with Milanese Loop - Availability: Sold Out

For one of the most popular Apple Watch models sold ? Surely the inference of 'Sold Out' means these are no longer available buy ?

Normally if it's just an out of stock issue we would see something like this form the US Apple website:-

Apple Watch42mm Stainless Steel Case with Marine Blue Classic Buckle - Available to ship: 4-6 weeks

Click to expand...




It's common at this point for stuff to sell out and then re-appear.
 
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Another possible reason 'sold out' may not be an indicator one way or the other of :apple:Watch 2. Apple traditionally keeps the last generation iOS device (may do the same with :apple:Watch) and sells at a lower price point.
 
"Sold Out" is merely Apple's way of manipulating how people perceive availability. No other company is as adept at controlling the minds of their customers. Apple's empire relies on the companies world class marketing expertise.
 
Sorry, but these type of ‘conspiracy theories’ involving sale of products is contrary to science and studies. Take the following hypothetical example:

  • 100 want to buy an Acme widget but sold out and not available for 1 month
  • 10 will buy another brand widget
  • 10 lose interest in a month and won't buy
  • 80 still buy but 40 will be less satisfied with the product because of the negative attitude built up in not getting what they want WHEN that wanted
  • net lose of 20% in sales and deferred profits

Also if you sell 100 widgets today people will be showing their new and shiny widgets to their friends incurring even more immediate widget sales.

There is NO profit or good will to be made by purposely NOT selling a widget.
 
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Julien said:
Sorry, but these type of ‘conspiracy theories’ involving sale of products is contrary to science and studies. Take the following hypothetical example:

  • 100 want to buy an Acme widget but sold out and not available for 1 month
  • 10 will buy another brand widget
  • 10 loose interest in a month and won't buy
  • 80 still buy but 40 will be less satisfied with the product because of the negative attitude built up in not getting what they want WHEN that wanted
  • net lose of 20% in sales and deferred profits

Also if you sell 100 widgets today people will be showing their new and shiny widgets to their friends incurring even more immediate widget sales.

There is NO profit or good will to be made by purposely NOT selling a widget.
Click to expand...

I agree, Apple are in business to sell Apple products, simples.

Currently on the UK Apple Store Website;

Out of 22 Sport Watch combinations, 6 (27%) are showing as Sold Out, 2 (9%) showing 4-6 Weeks Delivery. So 36% of the Sport Watch range are now unavailable.

Out of 26 Apple Watch combinations, 8 (31%) are showing as Sold Out, 2 (8%) showing 4-6 weeks delivery. So 39% of the Apple Watch range are now unavailable.

By comparison, the iPhone 6s, 6 & SE are all available even though it is fairly certain a new iPhone is about to be launched in September. Time will tell if this is Apple manipulating supply or the early signs that a New Apple Watch is imminent....
 
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GlobeZ said:
I agree, Apple are in business to sell Apple products, simples.

Currently on the UK Apple Store Website;

Out of 22 Sport Watch combinations, 6 (27%) are showing as Sold Out, 2 (9%) showing 4-6 Weeks Delivery. So 36% of the Sport Watch range are now unavailable.

Out of 26 Apple Watch combinations, 8 (31%) are showing as Sold Out, 2 (8%) showing 4-6 weeks delivery. So 39% of the Apple Watch range are now unavailable.

By comparison, the iPhone 6s, 6 & SE are all available even though it is fairly certain a new iPhone is about to be launched in September. Time will tell if this is Apple manipulating supply or the early signs that a New Apple Watch is imminent....
Click to expand...

Certain models being sold out has to do with the availability of the bands. The AW body is exactly the same within a collection (other than the colors) so a model being sold out has more do to with the band than the AW itself. The iPhones do not have the additional complication of bands being available or not.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
Certain models being sold out has to do with the availability of the bands. The AW body is exactly the same within a collection (other than the colors) so a model being sold out has more do to with the band than the AW itself. The iPhones do not have the additional complication of bands being available or not.
Click to expand...

A good point, however it doesn't apply to some of the Sold Out Watches as the bands are available separately. The most affected models are the Gold and Rose Gold Sport Watches, even with woven nylon bands which are in stock ?
 
GlobeZ said:
A good point, however it doesn't apply to some of the Sold Out Watches as the bands are available separately. The most affected models are the Gold and Rose Gold Sport Watches, even with woven nylon bands which are in stock ?
Click to expand...

Can be the same vice versa. For example, the Modern Buckle bands weren't available for purchase separately for quite a few months even though you could purchase the Modern Buckle models.

Nobody knows what "Sold Out" means except Apple (and that doesn't include Apple Store employees) so anything we come up with is speculative.
 
Julien said:
Sorry, but these type of ‘conspiracy theories’ involving sale of products is contrary to science and studies. Take the following hypothetical example:

  • 100 want to buy an Acme widget but sold out and not available for 1 month
  • 10 will buy another brand widget
  • 10 lose interest in a month and won't buy
  • 80 still buy but 40 will be less satisfied with the product because of the negative attitude built up in not getting what they want WHEN that wanted
  • net lose of 20% in sales and deferred profits

Also if you sell 100 widgets today people will be showing their new and shiny widgets to their friends incurring even more immediate widget sales.

There is NO profit or good will to be made by purposely NOT selling a widget.
Click to expand...

Not correct. Look up "artificial scarcity", i.e diamonds, they are far from as rare as their price suggests. De Beers stockpile mined diamonds and sell them in small amounts to keep the price and diamond "brand" as rare high.
 
Poor analogy since De Beers is a monopoly that controls supply and worked hard to create an artificial demand. Diamonds are not widgets but just a fairly common natural resource form of carbon that is only available from selected areas. Diamonds true value is very low but keep artificially high by this monopoly method. It is not applicable in any way to the widget market.

This discussion is about mass produced, highly competitive, limited shelf life widgets. You can’t artificially inflate the value of a widget since you can’t monopolize the market. Also you must sell all the widgets you can in the limited time window you have before someone else (including yourself) comes up with a more desirable widget.

Apple (like all widget manufactures) has a fiduciary responsibility to achieve the highest profits and sales it can in each financial quarter. Holding back products (widgets) it could be selling violates this responsibility and would not be tolerated by the board on behalf of the shareholders.
 
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Julien said:
Poor analogy since De Beers is a monopoly that controls supply and worked hard to create an artificial demand. Diamonds are not widgets but just a fairly common natural resource form of carbon that is only available from selected areas. Diamonds true value is very low but keep artificially high by this monopoly method. It is not applicable in any way to the widget market.

This discussion is about mass produced, highly competitive, limited shelf life widgets. You can’t artificially inflate the value of a widget since you can’t monopolize the market. Also you must sell all the widgets you can in the limited time window you have before someone else (including yourself) comes up with a more desirable widget.

Apple (like all widget manufactures) has a fiduciary responsibility to achieve the highest profits and sales it can in each financial quarter. Holding back products (widgets) it could be selling violates this responsibility and would not be tolerated by the board on behalf of the shareholders.
Click to expand...

Diamonds can be made artificially now. Profit is not determined by selling most possible units. It is a combination of price, supply and demand. By limiting the supply to lower than the demand you can drive the price up (profit per unit) and archive greater profits and also spur a hype of "must have" (by giving user the feel of exclusivity) to create more demand. Limiting supply is a tool that is used.
 
Ries said:
Diamonds can be made artificially now. Profit is not determined by selling most possible units. It is a combination of price, supply and demand. By limiting the supply to lower than the demand you can drive the price up (profit per unit) and archive greater profits and also spur a hype of "must have" (by giving user the feel of exclusivity) to create more demand. Limiting supply is a tool that is used.
Click to expand...
I give and stipulate the win to you.:D Now let us in on the Kennedy conspiracy. :eek:

tinfoil_hat_zpszut5bbi3.jpg
 
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It sounds to me that apple is simply being conservative with inventory management. Industry rumors lately have hinted at a drop in overall sales. I bet apple scaled back manufacturing and is moving inventory through various outlets on a strictly needed basis. This helps them further manage their supply chain and prevent stockpiling while they continue to monitor sales.

This is not an indication of a new apple watch.
 
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