Possibility of shipping earlier?

[PegasusTenma]

Hello,

My watch is set to come to me between the 12th and the 28th of May. I am in the UK.

I was wondering if there are people here with experience in other items like the iphone 6 and/or the ipad that pre-ordered online and got them before their scheduled time.

I am asking this partially because I go on holidays at the end of May so the sooner it comes, the better.

Well thanks a lot guys!

 

[pmau]

I will also be on vacation in May.

My hope is that if Stores carry the watches from April 24th, some people might cancel their online order. Apple certainly wants people to have a great Apple Store experience.

I will wait until beginning of May. If nothing improves I will cancel my order and buy one after my vacation.

Keeping in mind that WWDC is in June and a new iPhone will show up with iOS9, I might skip the watch if I think the iPhone has features I want to see.

Like Force Touch and a precise digitizer for stylus support..

 

[Dave245]

Hello,

My watch is set to come to me between the 12th and the 28th of May. I am in the UK.

I was wondering if there are people here with experience in other items like the iphone 6 and/or the ipad that pre-ordered online and got them before their scheduled time.

I am asking this partially because I go on holidays at the end of May so the sooner it comes, the better.

Well thanks a lot guys!

I ordered a SS with bright blue leather loop and 2 extra sport bands, one white and one black and I got the same time frame for delivery as you.
From my experience with the iPhone 6 plus and the iPad Air 2 they arrived on time, not earlier and not later.

 

[madgalaxy]

I think Apple tends to over estimate rather under estimate.

 

[PegasusTenma]

I ordered a SS with bright blue leather loop and 2 extra sport bands, one white and one black and I got the same time frame for delivery as you.
From my experience with the iPhone 6 plus and the iPad Air 2 they arrived on time, not earlier and not later.

Did the Iphone and the Ipad arrived at the beginning of the delivery window or the end?

Yeah I hope it comes before my holidays too!

And yeah I've heard Apple overestimates, that's why I decided to make a thread )

 

[Tyler23]

I will also be on vacation in May.

My hope is that if Stores carry the watches from April 24th, some people might cancel their online order. Apple certainly wants people to have a great Apple Store experience.

I will wait until beginning of May. If nothing improves I will cancel my order and buy one after my vacation.

Keeping in mind that WWDC is in June and a new iPhone will show up with iOS9, I might skip the watch if I think the iPhone has features I want to see.

Like Force Touch and a precise digitizer for stylus support..

The new iPhone is shown in September at its own keynote, not in June at WWDC. So if you're waiting to see the new iPhone before deciding on the Watch, youll be waiting at least until September.

 

[bounou]

Hello,

My watch is set to come to me between the 12th and the 28th of May. I am in the UK.

I was wondering if there are people here with experience in other items like the iphone 6 and/or the ipad that pre-ordered online and got them before their scheduled time.

I am asking this partially because I go on holidays at the end of May so the sooner it comes, the better.

Well thanks a lot guys!

Very likely, I think a lot of the people who ordered early ordered a few different models, went to try them on in store and after deciding cancelled the models they do not want.

I think a lot of people who just missed having the watches shipped to them on release day because they ordered at 330-5AM might end up getting them early.

 

[pmau]

The new iPhone is shown in September at its own keynote, not in June at WWDC. So if you're waiting to see the new iPhone before deciding on the Watch, youll be waiting at least until September.

Yes, sorry. I rephrase that. WWDC and iOS 9 betas might hint at new input methods and interactions that will be possible. It might also hint at future iPhone / WatchKit communications that are not in iOS 8 to ensure a smooth product launch.

All the WWDC sessions reveal pretty much about new possible hardware features. I'm looking forward to this years WWDC.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Very likely, I think a lot of the people who ordered early ordered a few different models, went to try them on in store and after deciding cancelled the models they do not want.

I think a lot of people who just missed having the watches shipped to them on release day because they ordered at 330-5AM might end up getting them early.

Yeah you might be right. I can't see the retail stores stocking watches from the 24th but if they do then I will get mine from there and cancel my orders. I much prefer the retail store experience to ordering online anyway.

 

[antman2x2]

In all my iPhone ordering experiences Apple has ALWAYS over estimated, and then delivered much earlier.

 

[Dave245]

Did the Iphone and the Ipad arrived at the beginning of the delivery window or the end?

Yeah I hope it comes before my holidays too!

And yeah I've heard Apple overestimates, that's why I decided to make a thread )

The iPhone 6 plus came towards the end and the iPad Air 2 came at the beginning.

 

[PegasusTenma]

In all my iPhone ordering experiences Apple has ALWAYS over estimated, and then delivered much earlier.

Is that so? How much earlier if you can remember? This is what gives me some hope hahaha thanks.

 

[dannyyankou]

I hope the SS Link Bracelet ships earlier than they said. I ordered EXACTLY the minute it went on sale (email receipt was 3:01 EDT). I can't imaging that everyone will have to wait for the link bracelet until May.

 

[Tezcatlipoca]

My hope is that if Stores carry the watches from April 24th, some people might cancel their online order. Apple certainly wants people to have a great Apple Store experience.

Hasn't it already been confirmed by Apple that the Apple Watch will *only* be available to purchase online to start with?

You'll be able to see it in a store, but not buy it.

 

[Tycho24]

Did the Iphone and the Ipad arrived at the beginning of the delivery window or the end?

Yeah I hope it comes before my holidays too!

And yeah I've heard Apple overestimates, that's why I decided to make a thread )

The dates "tighten up" so to speak as it nears & you will get an exact delivery date, right when it ships...

 

[pmau]

Hasn't it already been confirmed by Apple that the Apple Watch will *only* be available to purchase online to start with?

You'll be able to see it in a store, but not buy it.

No. Apple always stated that it will be available from April 10th only for preorder, but you could also try it on in stores.

That's the main difference. In the past you could preorder, but you could not look at them in stores.

The iPhones and iPads would be visible in stores at the ship date of the preorders.

I'm absolutely convinced that you will be Apple to try and buy the Apple Watch in stores after April 24th, when they are officially released.

It is in Apples own interest to provide the best Apple Store experience, including buying what you just tried out.

 

[Tezcatlipoca]

No. Apple always stated that it will be available from April 10th only for preorder, but you could also try it on in stores.

That's the main difference. In the past you could preorder, but you could not look at them in stores.

The iPhones and iPads would be visible in stores at the ship date of the preorders.

I'm absolutely convinced that you will be Apple to try and buy the Apple Watch in stores after April 24th, when they are officially released.

It is in Apples own interest to provide the best Apple Store experience, including buying what you just tried out.

Apple saying that you can try one on in store is not the same as Apple saying that you can *buy* one in store.

All the articles I've read at MacRumours and elsewhere have said it's online orders only for the start, with no store stock.

There's also this:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/201...re-Preview-Online-Pre-Order-Begin-Friday.html

“We are excited to welcome customers tomorrow and introduce them to Apple Watch, our most personal device yet. Based on the tremendous interest from people visiting our stores, as well as the number of customers who have gone to the Apple Online Store to mark their favorite Apple Watch ahead of availability, we expect that strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch,” said Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and Online Stores. “To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period.”

Given that online orders sold out so insanely quickly, with many people who ordered within half an hour having to wait until May or June for delivery, what chance is there that there would even be sufficient retail stock if Apple did sell it in store?

If it is going to be sold in store at launch, where was the option to reserve on online for in store collection?

 

[NJRonbo]

I preorder and purchase a lot of Apple products every year....

From personal experience and talking with Apple reps when I have tried to speed up delivery times...

Apple ALWAYS over-estimates delivery times and most always, product arrives earlier than anticipated.

This is outside of initial release date, mind you. In other words, nobody will get product a day before actual launch date.

So, yes, it is VERY likely that your watch could come a week earlier than expected.

 

[pmau]

Apple saying that you can try one on in store is not the same as Apple saying that you can *buy* one in store.

All the articles I've read at MacRumours and elsewhere have said it's online orders only for the start, with no store stock.

There's also this:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/201...re-Preview-Online-Pre-Order-Begin-Friday.html




Given that online orders sold out so insanely quickly, with many people who ordered within half an hour having to wait until May or June for delivery, what chance is there that there would even be sufficient retail stock if Apple did sell it in store?

If it is going to be sold in store at launch, where was the option to reserve on online for in store collection?

You misunderstand the difference of the Apple Watch.

Apple is marketing this product as a device that has to be personal.
This is every other sentence in Apples marketing.
Therefore it is available in store for try ons before it actually launches.

I bet you can buy it in stores after April 24th. Apple would be stupid if this is not the case. The difference is, as I pointed out, that it is in stores before the launch day. For that very reason.

It will be in limited supply in stores, but that is no different than any other launch.

The Edition is a completely different matter. Every marketing aspect of the Edition should not be compared to the "real" Watch.

 

[Tezcatlipoca]

In-store try ons followed by online orders still enable it to be a personal device.

What about this line from the previous quoted link, from Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and Online Stores?

"To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period."

 

[lazyrighteye]

My hope is that if Stores carry the watches from April 24th, some people might cancel their online order. Apple certainly wants people to have a great Apple Store experience.

No link handy, but thought I read where stores will not have any on-hand supply until summer. June/July timeframe. In other words, on the 24th no one will be able to walk into a store and leave with a watch. These babies will be online orders only for a few months.

 

[pmau]

No link handy, but thought I read where stores will not have any on-hand supply until summer. June/July timeframe. In other words, on the 24th no one will be able to walk into a store and leave with a watch. These babies will be online orders only for a few months.

No disrespect but I do not believe this to be true.
You can correct me after 24th of April.

These statements are there to explain why Apple put them in stores early but you cannot buy them.

I'm, still convinced you will be. I will apologise otherwise

 

[ZombiePete]

I bet you can buy it in stores after April 24th. Apple would be stupid if this is not the case. The difference is, as I pointed out, that it is in stores before the launch day. For that very reason.

I think that it's been made very clear by Apple that customers lining up at retail stores on the 24th is something that they want to avoid. Angela Ahrendts said the following in a memo:

“The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers,” Ahrendts wrote. “The Apple Store app and our online store make it much easier to purchase Apple Watch and the new MacBook.”

Source: Apple wants you to buy an Apple Watch online after you try it on in-store

She doesn't outright say that they won't have any for sale in stores on the 24th, but the implications are clear: Apple doesn't want people lining up only to be disappointed when they learn that the make/model Watch they want isn't in stock, and I think we can extrapolate by how quickly online stock ran out and delivery dates got pushed back that stock is limited.

Assuming and arguing that they will have some for sale in store puts you on the wrong side of reason; if you can't see that Apple is preparing line sitters for disappointment in two weeks, I guess the only thing that would convince you is when the day arrives.

I could be wrong, but I don't think so. Apple doesn't want to send a bunch of people away unhappy because they didn't have the Watch/band combo that people in line wanted, or didn't have enough stock to sate hundreds of customers. The 24th will be "launch day" because that's when people will start receiving them and when they'll start allowing in-store pickup orders, not because you'll be able to buy them in stores.

EDIT: Even more evidence:

However, according to training documents that MacRumors has received, Apple is not allowing any walk-in retail purchases for the Apple Watch at launch. Instead customers must make an online "Product Reservation" to hold a specific Apple Watch model at a retail store. This new "Product Reservation" system is used instead of Apple's "Personal Pickup" system for Apple Watches. Apple's retail training documents indicate that "If a customer walks in and wants to purchase a watch, offer the option to try on a watch. Then help them place an order online or through the Apple Store app."

(Emphasis added by me)

Source: Apple Watch for Sale in Retail Stores by Reservation Only, No Walk-In Sales

 

[shandyman]

No disrespect but I do not believe this to be true.

You can correct me after 24th of April.



These statements are there to explain why Apple put them in stores early but you cannot buy them.



I'm, still convinced you will be. I will apologise otherwise

Apple states that it's exclusively online in the launch period. There is a vagueness as to how long the launch period is, but it's safe to say that there's no stock on sale on 24th April, since that's near the beginning of the launch period.

 

[MrBukey]

Hello,

My watch is set to come to me between the 12th and the 28th of May. I am in the UK.

I am asking this partially because I go on holidays at the end of May so the sooner it comes, the better.

Mine's due the 12th - 26th May, and I get wed on the 15th - so am going to be pretty much not about for this entire time - so I'm in a similar situation and I'm hoping it comes earlier.

All that said, I can see that you can change the delivery location - so if needs be I'll do that a week or so before the 12th so it goes to a family member's home...