#launchgate - the not avaiable models

Still waiting on my SS 42mm black sport band.

 

I said it before in 2 other threads, and I'll say it again here.

You weren't around during the iPhone 4 launch, were you?

If not, wait until the watch you were looking for isn't available for 4 months, then you'll have room to talk.

BL.

 

I have a lot of sympathy about the pink sport one, and also very curious about what happened there.

 

I am blown away by the complaints about the launch.

Apple adjusted their launch to basically occur within a 2 week period due to shortage of some models.

Every launch, including those with hard dates have had shortages of certain models.

I've got a 42MM Sport (Space Grey) currently processing. When I ordered I was given the 2 week window, so that is what I am expecting.

If you are expecting anything else you should go read your order status. The 2 week 'soft' launch is a both a PR and a business decision. Maybe it takes a degree in Business to see this, but given the number of units they had available on 4/24, the two week window was a fair decision. Also, it sets up customers to be used to this in the event they ever need to do it for a larger product launch (iPhone, iPad) given unexpected shortages.

 

You are letting apple off really easy if you dismiss criticism from anyone who doesn't have preorder "cred".

How truly bizarre.

 

Or they could've just launched it 5/8.

All I am saying is I ordered Pink. I would've easily ordered Blue or Green or White if I knew Pink wasn't coming. At all. There isn't one in the entire world.

I could've bought a Pink Band six months from now. And every day I wait on it puts me further down the queue from ordering another color and waiting on that. So if this does turn into a white iPhone 4 situation, which I was a part of, I would appreciate Apple telling me now so I can buy a color that's available.

 

Don't forget the standard link.

 

The problem is that a shipping window of two weeks is way too vague and wide. We would have rather someone said, "Delivers May 5-8". Later is fine, lack of information is not.

Apple has the best and brightest, and if it can't create an algorithm to do this, then what we are left to assume that there is an inconsistent yield in actually producing the watches. This, should have everyone worried.

 

THIS. Why don't people get this? YES!

I would much rather them have told me 5/8 than ship zero pinks.

 

Try not being able to not only get the model you want, but sitting up at night while trying to find it, and have every website selling the iPhone 4 crash.

Apple. Best Buy. ATT. T-Mobile. Radio Shack. 3. Rogers. Bell Canada. Optus. Vodafone. Telstra. All of them down for hours, for them to come back up saying that each model of phone at that time was sold.

To top that off, Steve himself stated that both black and white models of the 4 would be available at launch time. The white was not available, and not available for another 4 months afterward; not at pre-order, launch day, or otherwise. It would take until after Verizon is brought onboard for the iPhone that the white 4 was available. And for even those that were available and sold during pre-order, dates slipped another 6 - 9 weeks after that, then slipped further.

So like I said, until supplies are so slim that a repeat of the iPhone 4 launch occurs, there isn't much room to talk.

BL.

 

Space Gray 38mm Sport...

 

Agreed! I'm about ready to order the blue to see which one arrives first!

 

It is worth mentioning that Angela Ahrendts is not Ron Johnson. They come from very different retail backgrounds and clearly have some differences in retail philosophy.

Comparing this launch to previous product launches is fine, but be aware that future launches will be different under Ahrendts. Scalpers are a huge problem and if I was Ahrendts I can see why this is a problem that needed to be solved.

Are some folks who bought Apple watches online just going to flip them? Sure. But not having homeless people/line sitters sleep outside your flagship stores for days was a problem Ahrendts deemed worth fixing.

Tim is not Steve. As much as I miss Steve, Tim will allow Ahrendts to provide her experience in high-end fashion retail to make the Apple retail experience more upscale.

The new Ahrendts retail experience will evolve over the next two cycles of product launches.

This means it is going to be different than before. Think Different, people.

 

Even the "l" didn't show up in your thread title! It's a sad day indeed.

 

Imagine you talking to someone and telling them you had a really bad day at work. How would you feel if their response was "once in 2010 i had a bad day that was worse, so please stop talking."?

 

Apple seems to prefer doing things their way no matter the impact on the customer. They appear to have a great fear of using a working system like other retailers.

Instead of indicating what's in stock and available so customers can decide accordingly, they keep people guessing and waiting. Apple never hesitates to tell customers they're important, yet it's just talk.

 

Did we need different?

 

You're right. It is different. Every previous launch I stayed up until order time and had my item on launch day. This time I still did my part but I have no iProduct to show for it yet. Different doesn't always mean better.

 

I would know that one's sense of entitlement in wanting something as materialistic as this is really petty, compared to much worse that has gone on in my life. I know that in time, I'll be able to get what I would want, but some people's sense of instant gratification needs to be put in check.

A persons want for something like this and it not being available is akin to stomping your feet and throwing a temper tantrum because your favourite toy isn't available, when more are due to arrive.

It isn't the end of the world, nor is your world going to come crashing down on you because your favourite colour of watch band isn't available yet. If you are so up in arms about that, step away from the tech for a bit, go outside, breathe some air, and enjoy life.

BL.

 

Man, two weeks is not too vague at all. I am not sure what business you're in or what experience you have buying things that are custom made and don't come from Amazon Prime, but a 2 week window is not unheard of at all.

As a firearms enthusiast I can tell you people wait a lot longer than two weeks to get parts that are machined on a much smaller scale.

Do you know what the yields were for any of the previous products? IMO, you would need that information to assume that a 2 week delivery window is related to low yields.

I am not sure why as a consumer you need to be worried about yields. You can choose to order a product and are given a window such a product will ship. You have the choice not to buy it, or buy it and accept the delivery conditions. Unless Apple misses their promised window or customers have longer than reasonable delays in exchanging defective models, I would just worry about getting a functional product on the day it was promised. Also to note, Apple does have algorithms for this, that is why they gave folks a two week window. (Noting that it is insanely difficult to make algorithms for products in early stages like this)

This is a first-generation product for Apple, even the most valuable company in the world has a manufacturing learning curve for something it has never made, using alloys it has never used.

 

And your sense of entitlement because you're a veteran of the iPhone 4 launch isn't petty? The instant gratification you're getting by belittling someone else doesn't need to be put in check?

Live and let live. Maybe you should step away from the tech too. Go outside. Breathe some air. Enjoy life.

Maybe then you won't still be complaining about a launch from five years ago.

 

This launch was different, for reasons I have explained above.

If you are expecting that all products will arrive on a day it was not promised just because you "did [your] part" (lol, give me a break), then you are mistaken about how new product category launches are going to go.

 

Well, again, I said it was an assumption. Not making any hard claims here. Just guessing from my own experience in manufacturing.

Regarding why I'm concerned? Most of the time if you're having trouble with yield rates for something as mass produced as this, it increases the likelihood of defects in the products that do ship. I guess what I'm saying is that if this is a yield issue, and it stays around: there really will be a watchgate of some sort.