If you ordered the 42mm SS Milanese Loop (not Milano, btw), and others who placed their order later than you are already receiving that exact model, then yes, I think you have a valid complaint, but I'm not seeing anyone else posting that's happened. Where are you seeing this?
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Forecasting Issues: Did Apple underestimate the popularity of the Apple Watch?
- Thread starter joebob73
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If you ordered the 42mm SS Milanese Loop (not Milano, btw), and others who placed their order later than you are already receiving that exact model, then yes, I think you have a valid complaint, but I'm not seeing anyone else posting that's happened. Where are you seeing this?
I've been accused of being an Apple fan boy many times, but the fandom in this forum over the past week has taken it to new levels.
You would think they were assembling spaceships with the way so many are defending every little thing about this launch. "This is the most complicated object mankind has ever sought to produce. We should be on our knees thanking Apple and begging for their generosity."
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I'm not defending anything, their shipping on the schedule they set doesn't need defending. Instead, I'm just calling out the people who are acting like spoiled children who didn't get their way and seem to be now having a temper tantrum.
I'd have loved to have mine Friday, but the fact is, they gave a shipping window, and that window is not even half way through, so there's nothing to complain about.
I don't think they underestimated the overall popularity of the watch but rather they failed to understand which product mixes would have the highest demand. This is what happens when you try to create too many mixes/SKU's. You have a shortage of some and an abundance of others. This explains why some models ship much faster than others.
I wouldn't be surprised if in version 2 they "assemble" them in the store such as with kits that contain the watch and the charger, and the consumer selects the band separately. For online sales they could package the bands separate from the rest of the watch and the consumer would build it similar to how they would a laptop. This would allow them to meet demands faster for those higher demand models and reduce their inventory of SKU's that have lower demands.
I wouldn't be surprised if in version 2 they "assemble" them in the store such as with kits that contain the watch and the charger, and the consumer selects the band separately. For online sales they could package the bands separate from the rest of the watch and the consumer would build it similar to how they would a laptop. This would allow them to meet demands faster for those higher demand models and reduce their inventory of SKU's that have lower demands.
Gen 2... they will prob just sell the watch without the band for those of us keeping the band from Gen 1.
Personally, I think it's pretty clear that they intentionally did not make a lot of the watches. They wanted to gauge interest from the try on appointments and then subsequently with the pre-orders. With a product that has so many variables in size and color and bands, they don't want to waste production time and money making a bunch of bands that won't be as popular. Did they underestimate some? Probably, in regard to certain models and configurations. But at the same time, they wanted to be conservative with it as it is a brand new product. They did the same thing with the iPhone 6 Plus. They underestimated how popular it would be but were also being conservative since it was such a drastic difference compared to the iPhone 6. The gold iPhone 5S is another example: low stock so they weren't wasting their time if it didn't sell well.
But now, Apple has a good read on what people want: which bands they prefer, which watches they prefer. They can be better prepared for future iterations, though new bands and new colors will probably face similar bottlenecks early. Apple knows what they are doing.
But now, Apple has a good read on what people want: which bands they prefer, which watches they prefer. They can be better prepared for future iterations, though new bands and new colors will probably face similar bottlenecks early. Apple knows what they are doing.
You're incorrect Preorders were always set to fill between the 24th and the 8th. You are thinking of how the website originally indicated that they would be available in store on the 24th They backtracked on that, but the delivery window was never changed from the moment they went on sale.
Not saying I'm agreeing with this whole two week delivery window thing...
Just want to make sure that we are clear.
A product with probably close to 40 models in initial launch with international launch scope is having issues, and even though the product mix wasn't ideal it's clearly a conspiracy...
Wait wait wait... I agree with you completely. Apple absolutely didn't invest in a major sapphire manufacturer only to find out that they couldn't do what they were paid to do...
Ya know if Apple was having such a hard time manufacturing these things then why did Apple punish their online preorders to force people to wait inline at the st.... oooh yeah...
This whole thing is a logistical mess. Many models haven't shipped at all. Many preorders still haven't been delivered. No watches are in stores to buy on site. If the logical decision that gets come to is Apple is intentionally not making money despite the various well documented issues then I have a worm hole that goes between NYC and China that I could sell you with the unedited tapes of the moon landing.
That's fair.
I think the point is, of which two camps have become very divided on this forum, is that IF there is a window, which there was (first time in history), then ordering at 3:01 should net you a watch Day One. And for many, that did not happen. Right? Was it even possible to get one on 4/24? So, who got watches on Day One? Very few people judging by this forum. I'm not saying they won't meet their window by 5/8 to all the people who were promised so, I guess we were assuming that orders would be distributed THROUGHOUT that window. And not all at the end. There wasn't a single Pink Sport delivered opening weekend, in the world. So why did it have a window? It's window should have been 4/28-5/8. Based on Apple's STELLAR launch of previous products, the bar is set very high. I kind of agree with a lot of the "spoiled" people on this forum. Certain models are MIA. So why did they say 4/24-5/8?
I would probably be willing to concede if the vast majority of the complainers were waiting on the Pink Sport - however, that's not what I've seen. Keep in mind that today was only the second business day of the window as well, shipping over the weekend was gonna be iffy at best. The complaints are a bit premature as far as I'm concerned. Sure, not everyone got their watch on Friday. But Apple never promised to deliver them all on 4/24, and I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt that they know their manufacturing and shipping processes a lot better than I do.
This is a very different type of preorder than they've done in the past because of the variables - many different bands, 3 different finishes, 2 different sizes, some bands shared between finishes (BSB, WSB for example), AND it's a first generation product so demand is going to be much harder to gauge, especially considering estimates are that Apple had more preorders in the first day than all Android Wear devices combined had in 2014. Link
It took Apple many generations to get to the point where there are that many different iPhone configurations, they didn't start the product line with them all. This is just a much different type of launch than we've seen before, and I don't think it's fair or accurate to characterize it as a failure as so many have been doing.
For all the whining, complaining and wringing of hands, there are some very simple facts that seem to be overlooked...
Don't like it? Target has Android and Pebble right on the shelves. You can take it home tonight.
- Apple does not owe you a watch on day one, they need only deliver yours within the window in which they promised.
- Apple does not owe you "model X" before they ship "model Y" to someone else, they need only deliver yours within the window in which they promised.
- Apple is not required to ship your watch in the order it was purchased, they need only deliver yours within the window in which they promised.
- Until Apple takes your money, they don't even owe you that.
Don't like it? Target has Android and Pebble right on the shelves. You can take it home tonight.
Oh, yeah I am not arguing that. All I said was from the moment they went on sale that window was clear. It is not like we all pre-ordered under the apple-promised expectation of 4/24 only for them to backtrack... That date range was shown before anyone swiped their virtual credit cards.
I ordered expecting to get my watch on the 24th. I ordered within the first 5 minutes. It's ridiculous to quote some 2 week window when I ordered within 5 freaking minute of them going live. Range or no range it was dirty of Apple to add some date range when it was clear from TV ads, press release and the website the 24th was launch day.
I learned my lesson.
People complain all the time and I am sure you too (though may not be for the watch). If you don't like people complaining, why are you here responding?
That's all nice. Thanks for repeating over and over. Except there was no "launch window" in the TV ads. Or on their website. Or in the press release.
Please stop making stuff up that did not happen BEFORE THE PREORDERS WENT LIVE to try and prove some point. There is no reason to do so. Apple screwed up and pissed off plenty of people. It's really sad people would even try to defend it with some made up launch window that didn't even exist until after preorders went live.
- Regardless of what you expected, nobody promised you or anybody else a watch on the first day.
- You and one million other people ordered in the first five minutes. What makes your particular order so special?
Same here... Apple should at least not give false hope...from Apple website: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2015/03/09Apple-Watch-Available-in-Nine-Countries-on-April-24.html
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Apple said it WILL be available on the 24th.
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2015/03/09Apple-Watch-Available-in-Nine-Countries-on-April-24.html
About the "Special" thing you quoted.. not sure what's so special for wanting the order to be processed in.. an orderly manner. Look, YOU don't care, but others do, so again.. why are you here? People can bitch, discuss the "why", etc...etc.. Get my mind off waiting for the damn watch that's for sure.
Nor was there any promise of first day delivery to anybody in the TV ads. Or on their website. Or in the press release.
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You are correct. Now quote me the line where they guarantee that you or anybody else will receive your watch that day.
I'll wait.
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Because I'm awaiting the delivery of my watch, same as you.
Does the word "will be available" means anything to you?
If you want guarantee.. does your boss guarantee you job for life? No.. he will said "Your job will be available for you".
Please don't turn this into semantics.
Like I said.. YOU do NOT like people bitching.. WHY are YOU HERE responding?
I'll wait...
I don't think any of the advertising or the press release matters. The only date that's important is the one you see when you pre ordered.
I think they underestimated the demand. If you read the reviews when it was first announced, it didn't sound like a stellar product, let alone a stellar Apple product. I think Apple ordered appropriately, expecting weak sales because they didn't have confidence in the watch.
And I think Apple severely under-estimated the general publics' love of all things Apple and willingness to blindly buy an Apple watch, even when it wasn't getting great reviews.
And I think the result of that is a 2 week launch "window" and no in-store availability at all, because every available unit is going to the internet pre-orders.
And I think Apple severely under-estimated the general publics' love of all things Apple and willingness to blindly buy an Apple watch, even when it wasn't getting great reviews.
And I think the result of that is a 2 week launch "window" and no in-store availability at all, because every available unit is going to the internet pre-orders.
I think they're doing it through some automated way... can't imagine a bunch of people trying to upload new firmware manually.
.... actually.. I'd LOVE to see that happening!