Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

amirite

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 17, 2009
880
691
What's the current consensus on whether this will initially be a U.S.-only launch or not?
 

amirite

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 17, 2009
880
691
This analyst says U.S.-only launch, but he also says the Edition will be $950 :)rolleyes:) so I'm not sure what to make of it.
 

amirite

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 17, 2009
880
691
Nah, it'll be a UK launch too amongst other countries, I'm sure.

I really hope so. It's just that this is probably the most "different" product launch Apple has had since the original iPhone, so we really don't know what to expect. Then again, Tim visiting the UK and promoting the Watch here is a good sign :)

If not I'm afraid I may consider moving my next trip to the U.S. forward :eek:
 

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
The U.S. Apple Store has always said "Early 2015."
The U.K. Apple Store has always said "2015."

I think Apple has already spoken.
 

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,109
3,974
I would expect the countries that get day one iPhone releases will also get the :apple:Watch on day one unless they are in very short supply.

I would agree.

US and UK do generally have a special bond.
Even if it's not the exact same day and staggered, I would not feel it would be more than a week or two apart.

Would Apple really want to see loads of US watches being sold at a premium in the UK before UK Official Launch?

I'd not be surprised to see it the same day, albeit with some quantity issues as with any new launch.
 

TheDeviceUser

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2014
589
72
U.K
The U.S. Apple Store has always said "Early 2015."
The U.K. Apple Store has always said "2015."

I think Apple has already spoken.

Yes. That's what concerns me. I hope that if there's any delay at all, it'll be a matter of a few weeks.

What I hope, is that because Apple says '2015'. It's because they aren't prepared to class say, mid April as early, despite what Tim Cook said.

Therefore, a launch, say two weeks later would mean that it's not quite early, but is just a little later than the USA.

----------

I would agree.

US and UK do generally have a special bond.
Even if it's not the exact same day and staggered, I would not feel it would be more than a week or two apart.

Would Apple really want to see loads of US watches being sold at a premium in the UK before UK Official Launch?

I'd not be surprised to see it the same day, albeit with some quantity issues as with any new launch.

Hopefully, yes I doubt Apple would want to see that.
 

OllyW

Moderator
Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,799
The Black Country, England
The U.S. Apple Store has always said "Early 2015."
The U.K. Apple Store has always said "2015."

I think Apple has already spoken.

I'm sure "Early 2015" is in "2015". :p

It wouldn't bother me if it came to us later, it will let the Americans beta test it and identify all the bugs that Apple have missed. :D
 

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,109
3,974
identify all the bugs that Apple have missed. :D

How very dare you even suggest such a thing!

Apple have 100% total control over both hardware and software in all their devices.
As with all other products, I know the watch will run flawlessly without any bugs & be perfect from day 1.

:p
 

TheDeviceUser

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2014
589
72
U.K
Could it possibly be that back in the Fall, Apple didn't know whether it would launch in the UK at the same time, so just put 2015, when it could be launching in the UK at the same time anyway?

Or Apple did it just to mess with people!
 

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,109
3,974
Could it possibly be that back in the Fall, Apple didn't know whether it would launch in the UK at the same time, so just put 2015, when it could be launching in the UK at the same time anyway?

Or Apple did it just to mess with people!

Well the US is their most popular and most important market, so they will focus on that in their press comments.
It may simply be they did not think to give any more specific dates for other countries as any information they give out will naturally be focussed on their home soil.
Even if it's an unintentional focus.
 

TheDeviceUser

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2014
589
72
U.K
Well the US is their most popular and most important market, so they will focus on that in their press comments.
It may simply be they did not think to give any more specific dates for other countries as any information they give out will naturally be focussed on their home soil.
Even if it's an unintentional focus.

Well of course, everything does seem to be US focused. But I'd say theres significant UK, Canada and Australia focus too.

Hopefully it'll ship at the same time. I hold out hope!
 

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
I'm sure "Early 2015" is in "2015". :p

It wouldn't bother me if it came to us later, it will let the Americans beta test it and identify all the bugs that Apple have missed. :D

Yes, but not in the context of what Apple states on its U.S. site. If the U.S. site was the same as every other country site then you might have a point. But the U.S. site has a modifier, "early," whereas the other countries do not. I know U.K. and US english are slightly different but I'm pretty sure "early" is still in the U.K. lexicon if Apple felt it appropriate to use. ;)

But you are correct that Apple is going to let us in the U.S. be the guinea pigs here to insure the rest of the world gets flawless copies.
 

OllyW

Moderator
Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,799
The Black Country, England
But you are correct that Apple is going to let us in the U.S. be the guinea pigs here to insure the rest of the world gets flawless copies.

If it's true we get a late launch, we'll could also get another added bonus if it isn't an instant runaway success resulting in Apple having to reduce the price to kick start sales.

I'm not saying it's going to happen but it has been done before with the launch of a brand new product category which later went on to become a huge success. ;)
 
Last edited:

TheDeviceUser

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2014
589
72
U.K
If it's true we get a late launch, we'll could also get another added bonus if it isn't an instant runaway success resulting in Apple having to reduce the price to kick start sales.

I'm not saying it's going to happen but it has done before with the launch of a brand new product category which later went on to become a huge success. ;)

If it's delayed, I don't think it'll be long.

A month at most I'd hope.
 

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,109
3,974
If it's true we get a late launch, we'll could also get another added bonus if it isn't an instant runaway success resulting in Apple having to reduce the price to kick start sales.

I'm not saying it's going to happen but it has done before with the launch of a brand new product category which later went on to become a huge success. ;)

Honestly I don't feel there will be any reason to need to reduce the price of the sports model.

There is enough media hype now about Apple in general, and there are enough Apple users who will basically buy almost anything new.
Given the number of new iPhone users, I'd think there will be a guaranteed initial wave of buyers and we will see Apple saying:

Unprecedented demand, far more than we hoped for :)

The question I feel is. After this initial wave, and it will be a BIG wave, how then will it settle down to the mass market public.

I could very well be wrong, but I feel the initial VERY BIG numbers of sales, will die off a bit more than with the iPhone and iPad, simply as this is only really aimed at a specific band of consumers.

It will be interesting what Apple's long term plans are.

2014:

Across Europe*, Android remains the number one OS with 73.3% share. Apple is second with 16.6% share and Windows third with 8.1%.

I know we can argue about value of phones etc etc.
But at the end of the day there is a MASSIVE market out there worldwide that is closed and dead to the Apple Watch at the moment.

For starters this won't matter, there will be plenty of new model iPhone owners to make Apple happy with initial numbers, and they will be good.

But longer term, one must think Apple would have it's sights on a wider audience.

To put it another way, if Apple refuses to offer the bulk of worldwide consumers a SmartWatch they can use.
Then that vastly larger market will be open for others (Android wear perhaps) to get hold of, and in time make Apple a minority SmartWatch maker.

If I was Apple, I would not want that, I would be planning for the future to allow my future models to work across the 3 main formats at least.
 

cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,189
3,321
United Kingdom
As has been previously said, 'Coming Early 2015' and 'Available in 2015' suggest that they're at least thinking of a US-only launch to start with.

That being said, if it were only a few weeks I wouldn't mind. Would give us time to see what it was like, any major faults, how the battery holds up etc without having 'early adopter syndrome' where you just have to have it on release day...
 

TheDeviceUser

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2014
589
72
U.K
As has been previously said, 'Coming Early 2015' and 'Available in 2015' suggest that they're at least thinking of a US-only launch to start with.

That being said, if it were only a few weeks I wouldn't mind. Would give us time to see what it was like, any major faults, how the battery holds up etc without having 'early adopter syndrome' where you just have to have it on release day...

I dread it being as long as we had to wait for iPad in the UK. That was 7 weeks. I hope it's just 1-2 at most.
 

cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,189
3,321
United Kingdom
I dread it being as long as we had to wait for iPad in the UK. That was 7 weeks. I hope it's just 1-2 at most.

Wasn't it continually delayed - if I remember correctly, they pushed the date back at least twice.

I think the UK Apple Watch site briefly said 'Coming Early 2015', so they may have toyed with the idea of a worldwide release.
 

Dave245

macrumors G3
Sep 15, 2013
9,751
7,966
I really hope we get it in the first wave of release, my only concern is the Apple store having enough in stock. Every time i go to the Apple store when an new iPhone is released they never have any in stock, in fact i have never been able to buy one from an Apple store I've always had to buy online.

I'm just waiting until March the 9th now to find out the price :D and keeping my fingers crossed that the Stainless Steel version i want won't be over £1000
 

rossy100

macrumors 6502
Mar 23, 2011
434
185
Given the facts that training has already been seen to have started in UK stores, and Apple is also following high fashion marketing campaign with serious activity in Paris.... And the reports of pop up stores being built in Paris and London....... I think it likely the initial launch will cover UK as well.

If Apple do want to position the watch as a high fashion item, making European consumers wait will not go down well in the industry.
 

rasputin1969

macrumors 6502
Mar 4, 2010
417
257
I think Apple intend for it to be released later in 2015. Personally I don't expect it to be anywhere near as successful as what Apple apparently expect it to be (if the the rumours of Apple placing an order for 5,000,000 are to be believed). With that in mind I shouldn't think the uk will have long to wait.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.