Preoders: how fast will they run out?

[KPOM]

If the leaked dates from yesterday are true, I am going to be furious.

Apple is the largest, richest company in the world, with one of the most loyal customer bases. Is it really too much to ask that they stick to their word? Launch a product when it's ready and when you have the stock to meet demand. Why get people's backs up by claiming availability on the 24th and then immediately pushing it back. If they were not going to be ready by the 24th, they should have announced a later date.

They don't know what demand is. This is a brand new product in a brand new category for them. Consider your own example. Up until yesterday you were going to purchase a stainless steel watch, and then after reading the reviews changed your mind for the Sport.

Anyway, Apple has said that they expect the initial demand to outstrip supply, which isn't unusual for a new release. Once demand has stabilized, Apple is usually pretty good with shipping. Macs and iPads are good cases in point here. Even the iPhone 6 launch went fairly smoothly considering the significant increase in demand.

Apple wants to sell as many as they can, but like any company doesn't want to be stuck with unsold inventory because they guessed incorrectly. Some will be ready on the 24th and those will ship.

 

[BeyondtheTech]

I still think they should have sold the watchfaces separately from the bands. It's going to turn into a nightmare when the pink Sport band version is the only one available, for example.

But of course, perhaps Apple planned that all along, so that way they can sell you an extra band in the color you really wanted for an extra $49 when it likely cost them no more than $3 to produce.

 

[KPOM]

So, you think that if demand was low, Apple would keep shipping as many as they possibly can units into stores even when the media started reporting, loads in stock sitting unsold.

You genuinly think Apple would keep pumping into the stores the stock they have build up ready in the warehouses?

I don't think even you would do this.
You would wish to balance it, to make it look very successful.

They have already said they will not disclose unit sales. People will have to guess based on revenue in the Accessories segment. In any case, it's in Apple's interest to satisfy demand as quickly as possible. The longer people have to wait, the more likely they are not to buy this at all. Apple won't let inventory pile up, which is why they don't have a lot a launch. It's a balancing act, but one that every company makes.

I don't get all these conspiracy theories about how Apple supposedly deliberately suppresses supply. That's completely contradicted by the memo from Angela Ahrendts that came out the other day.

 

[profmjh]

Consider your own example. Up until yesterday you were going to purchase a stainless steel watch, and then after reading the reviews changed your mind for the Sport.

And then changed it back again

 

[Glene]

since we're all guessing...

after the reviews, the space gray sport will slip it's times within 24 hours

everything else will be ok for a while

and I agree, at this point apple does not engage in "shipping conspiracies".....the only thing that they did not count on, IMO, is the lousy reviews causing MANY to take the SS models out of their favorites and order the alum sport models........certainly the flames of the SS link models are quenched quite a bit...