To those complaining about no launch day...

[ob81]

... In store inventory of the Apple watch:

You asked for this. Every Apple product release you complain about how many Chinese and other Asian people are taking all of the stock. How soon we forget. An Asian in line with someone handing them cash. Over and over again. Remember complaining about that? View all posts by your username and read a few of your iPhone 6 launch day posts. I will wait... You were quite angry weren't you?

This is the answer. Apple listened, and now you had the same opportunity to pre-order as everyone else. Congrats. This is the grass on the other side.

I woke up at 3am and ordered mine by the way.

 

[saving107]

The ones being the loudest are the ones who didn't get what they want, whose pre-order says 4-6 weeks (or June ). Some people just never grow out of their child tantrums phase of stomping their feet when mad. When they don't get what they want the world all the sudden owes them something.

 

[KPOM]

Given how quickly the pre-orders sold out it's pretty obvious that had there been in-store sales lots of people would have been turned away empty handed. The pink Modern Buckle and 42mm Space Black have July shipping estimates the second day into the pre-order window.

 

[Night Spring]

I woke up at 3am and ordered mine by the way.

I did the same, but I still got a delivery date of May 13-27.

I think I have a cause for complaint.

 

[ZombiePete]

I did the same, but I still got a delivery date of May 13-27.

I think I have a cause for complaint.

I did the same thing, got the same delivery dates as you, and it seems kind of early to be complaining about anything to me. Just sayin'.

 

[BillyTrimble]

I did the same, but I still got a delivery date of May 13-27.

I think I have a cause for complaint.

WHY?

There was limited supply. Dates changed within a matter of minutes. You weren't fast enough. I'll bet that Apple would have wanted to delay the launch until they had more stock, but for various reasons couldn't.

Are you going to complain to Cook that he shouldn't have launched until there was enough supply for you to get one right away?

 

[Cory Bauer]

The ones being the loudest are the ones who didn't get what they want, whose pre-order says 4-6 weeks (or June ).]

Which, having in-store stock would not have solved, either. Because even if there were 1,000 watches in stock and 500 people lined up outside, the number who would actually go home that day with the Watch size, finish, band preference, and band size they wanted would be...a very small percentage of those 500 people.

 

[KPOM]

I did the same, but I still got a delivery date of May 13-27.

I think I have a cause for complaint.

Which, of course, means that they wouldn't have had what you wanted on the launch day, anyway. This most definitely was not a one-size-fits-all approach that is more typical of Apple.

Next year is likely to be similar. While Apple will have a better idea of what models will sell relative to others, I'm guessing that if the Watch does have significant under the hood improvements (tweaked software, 24-hour battery life, better waterproof rating, perhaps some more color and band options), it could be the "iPad 2" of the Apple Watch (i.e. the model that sells the most and is the longest supported). I suspect that by the third or fourth generation this will be like the iPad in that everyone who wants one has one, and sales shift toward a replacement pattern.

 

[thefredelement]

I don't think one thing has anything to do with the other, why would Apple care who buys their phone? They get paid.

Do you think they would not have an in store launch for an iPhone?

I don't think they have an in-store launch because they have a really low amount of inventory. I'm glad I got my order in when I did but reading these forums I wonder why didn't they just push it back to the fall and launch it the same time as the new iPhones, iPads, etc.

... In store inventory of the Apple watch:

You asked for this. Every Apple product release you complain about how many Chinese and other Asian people are taking all of the stock. How soon we forget. An Asian in line with someone handing them cash. Over and over again. Remember complaining about that? View all posts by your username and read a few of your iPhone 6 launch day posts. I will wait... You were quite angry weren't you?

This is the answer. Apple listened, and now you had the same opportunity to pre-order as everyone else. Congrats. This is the grass on the other side.

I woke up at 3am and ordered mine by the way.

 

[Tsuchiya]

This has been messy, but I'm totally OK with this new way of ordering.

Launches have become a joke with the amount of scalpers there are.

The Apple ID and some form of identification method they tried with the iPhone 6 launch helped a little, but that didn't stop people registering accounts for the entire family, including the grandparents, so they can walk out of the store with a suitcase full of them.

 

[KPOM]

I don't think they have an in-store launch because they have a really low amount of inventory. I'm glad I got my order in when I did but reading these forums I wonder why didn't they just push it back to the fall and launch it the same time as the new iPhones, iPads, etc.

I think eventually it will be on the same cadence as the iPhone, which might suggest a modest redesign for 2016 with the iPhone 7. My guess is that Apple originally wanted to release the Watch last fall, but it obviously wasn't ready. However, since they promised "early 2015" they had to get it out even if the supply chain isn't ready for them. They've already stretched the definition of "early" about as far as they can.

 

[saving107]

Launches have become a joke with the amount of scalpers there are.

I think this is also the issue and reason why Apple is moving away from crowds, I'm sure many property owners and cities have complained

 

[mattopotamus]

I love the pre-order system. I got a launch day order, but the fact delivery dates got bumped in less than 5 minutes is crazy.

Did a single person who actually went through the website get a launch day order?

 

[edlex]

For this particular product an in store launch would have been impossible logistically. Imagine 500-600 "Try Ons" before deciding to purchase and then being told your model wasn't available after you waited in line all night. They would have riot on their hands. Too many choices and combinations along with a time intensive process.

ETA: I'm only speaking of the launch. Eventually they will have in store purchases once the furor dies down.

 

[ob81]

I don't think one thing has anything to do with the other, why would Apple care who buys their phone? They get paid.

Do you think they would not have an in store launch for an iPhone?

I don't think they have an in-store launch because they have a really low amount of inventory. I'm glad I got my order in when I did but reading these forums I wonder why didn't they just push it back to the fall and launch it the same time as the new iPhones, iPads, etc.

This is Apple who we are talking about here. Of course they care. You are right though; As long as they are selling merchandise, they are happy. They are worried about their image though. If they weren't, there would have never been any attempts by them to make their buying process stricter. There would be no limits on how many you can buy.

 

[5105973]

Are you going to complain to Cook that he shouldn't have launched until there was enough supply for you to get one right away?

Why not? If we were all assured that supply would be plentiful and conveniently available either via online or in-store there would be no reason for Apple product scalpers to exist. No need for Apple to comb through purchases and randomly cancel parts of orders to the same household to enforce a 2 per customer limit.

Once upon a time customers could reasonably expect that if they dropped by the store or placed a catalog order they could receive their purchase in a timely manner. With most products we still do.

I don't know how we Apple customers allowed ourselves to be conditioned that it's acceptable for a company to advise us to wake at 3:00 am to order a product they don't care if they get to us in 1-3 months. Or to accept that one day to one week or more later we could still have our orders cancelled on us for exceeding an order limit that was not at all communicated to us at the time the order was placed. I'm not just talking about the watch. The 6plus preorder and launch period was a hot mess. I was there at the Apple Store buying other stuff and saw a lot of ticked off customers who were incredulous over their projected wait for the Plus they wanted.

So what if Apple makes a lot of product and it doesn't all sell out the first week or the first month? It will sell eventually through the year of its run. At least have enough inventory on hand for a respectable launch. If that's too much to ask of Tim Cook maybe it's time to sit these launches out altogether. I think this is my family's last one unless something changes. We will start buying like normal sensible people from now on when the product is actually in the store to be bought.

 

[Night Spring]

WHY?

There was limited supply. Dates changed within a matter of minutes. You weren't fast enough. I'll bet that Apple would have wanted to delay the launch until they had more stock, but for various reasons couldn't.

Are you going to complain to Cook that he shouldn't have launched until there was enough supply for you to get one right away?

When products sell out within hours, that's great demand. When it sells out in minutes, to me, that feels more like bad planning.

 

[totten76]

I think this is also the issue and reason why Apple is moving away from crowds, I'm sure many property owners and cities have complained Image

And then someone hurts someone who sues someone, who blames it on someone else, who goes to court, who has to pay to someone else. Online saves employees and customers hastle

 

[Mr.C]

I love the pre-order system. I got a launch day order, but the fact delivery dates got bumped in less than 5 minutes is crazy.

Did a single person who actually went through the website get a launch day order?

There never were any available for launch day. The earliest delivery date was the one most who got in the first few minutes got which is between April 24th and May 8th. Some models were 4-6 weeks from the outset.

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Why not? If we were all assured that supply would be plentiful and conveniently available either via online or in-store there would be no reason for Apple product scalpers to exist. No need for Apple to comb through purchases and randomly cancel parts of orders to the same household to enforce a 2 per customer limit.

That isn't strictly true though. There will always be demand created for scalpers to exist unfortunately. You forget about all those countries which are not included in the initial launch and have no launch dates. There is demand in these countries made by people who can't wait and are willing to pay extortionate prices to get the product earlier.

 

[mattopotamus]

There never were any available for launch day. The earliest delivery date was the one most who got in the first few minutes got which is between April 24th and May 8th. Some models were 4-6 weeks from the outset.

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That isn't strictly true though. There will always be demand created for scalpers to exist unfortunately. You forget about all those countries which are not included in the initial launch and have no launch dates. There is demand in these countries made by people who can't wait and are willing to pay extortionate prices to get the product earlier.

I fully expect people in the 4/24-5/8 window to get them on launch day.

 

[5105973]

Yeah you're right I forgot about that aspect of it. I do still think there's been quite a few problems with this particular launch that make Apple look weird if not bad. But nobody is paying me any money to solve it so I won't. .

 

[KPOM]

Yeah you're right I forgot about that aspect of it. I do still think there's been quite a few problems with this particular launch that make Apple look weird if not bad. But nobody is paying me any money to solve it so I won't. .

The lack of communication about the limit (if indeed there is a limit of 2) is probably the biggest concern. Otherwise, I'd say that the pre-order process was the smoothest I've seen in a long time. No servers crashing like the iPhone 6, and Apple Pay made ordering one really easy. Perhaps too easy.

Quanta makes both the MacBook (which just slipped to 4-6 week delivery) and the Watch. They had some massive QC issues and Apple had to bring in Foxconn to help out. Apple got dealt a band hand and there's not much they can do to fix it that they aren't already doing.

 

[Mr.C]

I fully expect people in the 4/24-5/8 window to get them on launch day.

You can expect that all you want and it may happen but there is no guarantee of it and there is just as much chance of those preorders shipping later then the 24th. I hope you're right as mine falls in the same date range but unlike you I don't have that expectation and will wait until Apple update the info on those preorders.

 

[KPOM]

I fully expect people in the 4/24-5/8 window to get them on launch day.

Some will, such as those who ordered it right at 12:01 PDT. However, if you are like me and slept through my alarm and ordered it 2 hours after, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes until closer to 5/8. It just depends on how many people canceled/changed orders after seeing it in the store, and how quickly Quanta and Foxconn can ramp up production now that Apple knows which models are selling in which quantities.

 

[DirtySocks85]

You can expect that all you want and it may happen but there is no guarantee of it and there is just as much chance of those preorders shipping later then the 24th. I hope you're right as mine falls in the same date range but unlike you I don't have that expectation and will wait until Apple update the info on those preorders.

I'm inclined to believe that the delivery windows were designed as so they could be bracketed ordering waves. Essentially, I expect most people in the 4/24-5/8 window will get them on the 24th, and then we may see very few deliveries for the next week or so, and then another wave of deliveries begin in the next bracket, or maybe even a day or two before. By creating these windows it appears that Apple has designed a wave system based on their confidence in current supply plus manufacturing.

My guess is that the initial delivery window comprises of the supply currently on hand, and nothing more. If that's the case, there isn't really a good reason why it would not be delivered on the 24th. All future waves are likely determined by Apple's production projections going forward from the initial wave. With any luck Apple will continue to improve the manufacturing process over the coming weeks and those June and July orders will bump up by a few weeks.

Again, I understand that Apple has stated these delivery dates to be what they are, and that we cannot EXPECT any more than that, but we can still make predictions based on logic and the limited information available to us.