Apple Watch pre-orders begin
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USA TODAY Tech columnist Ed Baig has been wearing an Apple Watch for the past week. Here are his thoughts on Apple’s most anticipated since the iPad. Jason Allen
Members of the news media try the new Apple Watch during a presentation March 9 at the Yerba Buena Center For the Arts in San Francisco.(Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)
SAN FRANCISCO — Will Apple finally have the device that ignites the fledgling smartwatch market?
Pre-orders for the Apple Watch started early Friday at 3:01 a.m. ET.
In a scenario familiar to past eager buyers of new iPhones and iPads, the Apple Store was offline as Apple prepped its online store for what it expects to be heavy interest.
A screenshot of the Apple Store from 12:29 a.m. Eastern Friday. (Photo: Apple)
Prices for the watches start at $ 349, and climb all the way up to $ 17,000. Three models are available: Watch Sport, the standard Apple Watch and the higher-priced Apple Watch Edition.
Analysts predict the smartwatch will help breathe new life into the growing market. IDC forecasts smart wearables will top 25.7 million this year, more than five times the amount compared with last year.
“I think it will be quite successful, because it is as Apple always does: They rarely lead in a field. They watch how things develop, and then enter it and take it over. They’ve done that repeatedly, from computers to music players and so on,” said Scott Tilley, a professor and director of computing education at the Florida Institute of Technology.
The reviews from tech journalists who got to try out the Apple Watch before it was made available to consumers were largely positive, particularly compared to other smart watches out there. But the reviewers worried about the learning curve, a hurdle Apple seemed to address in a series of video advertisements released over the weekend that included tips on how to swing, swipe and tap it to get a response.
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When it comes to the new Apple watch – I’m fascinated with the “bells and whistles”… but, the “hot off the assembly line” price tag can be a deal breaker.
Apple, one of the most savvy consumer marketers in the world, has turned sales launches into entertainment spectacles. Devoted buyers regularly line up for hours, sometimes overnight, when new iPhones and iPad hit store shelves.
This launch is likely to be a bit different, however.
Consumers may be able to try on the Apple Watch in stores Friday — if they’ve been able to make an appointment for a session with a specialist or are visiting a store that’s not too busy.
But they won’t be able to buy one until April 24, and then only if they’ve reserved one online.
Apple says that online interest already indicates a sellout.
“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, in a release Thursday.
Contributing: Laura Mandaro in San Francisco and Rick Neale in Brevard County, Fla.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1ygNVuM
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Apple Watch pre-orders begin
Try Another
Audio CAPTCHA
Image CAPTCHA
Help
]]>
UP NEXT
03
]]>
USA TODAY Tech columnist Ed Baig has been wearing an Apple Watch for the past week. Here are his thoughts on Apple’s most anticipated since the iPad. Jason Allen
Members of the news media try the new Apple Watch during a presentation March 9 at the Yerba Buena Center For the Arts in San Francisco.(Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)
SAN FRANCISCO — Will Apple finally have the device that ignites the fledgling smartwatch market?
Pre-orders for the Apple Watch started early Friday at 3:01 a.m. ET.
In a scenario familiar to past eager buyers of new iPhones and iPads, the Apple Store was offline as Apple prepped its online store for what it expects to be heavy interest.
A screenshot of the Apple Store from 12:29 a.m. Eastern Friday. (Photo: Apple)
Prices for the watches start at $ 349, and climb all the way up to $ 17,000. Three models are available: Watch Sport, the standard Apple Watch and the higher-priced Apple Watch Edition.
Analysts predict the smartwatch will help breathe new life into the growing market. IDC forecasts smart wearables will top 25.7 million this year, more than five times the amount compared with last year.
“I think it will be quite successful, because it is as Apple always does: They rarely lead in a field. They watch how things develop, and then enter it and take it over. They’ve done that repeatedly, from computers to music players and so on,” said Scott Tilley, a professor and director of computing education at the Florida Institute of Technology.
The
UP NEXT
03
]]>
When it comes to the new Apple watch – I’m fascinated with the “bells and whistles”… but, the “hot off the assembly line” price tag can be a deal breaker.
Apple, one of the most savvy consumer marketers in the world, has turned sales launches into entertainment spectacles. Devoted buyers regularly line up for hours, sometimes overnight, when new iPhones and iPad hit store shelves.
This launch is likely to be a bit different, however.
Consumers may be able to try on the Apple Watch in stores Friday — if they’ve been able to make an appointment for a session with a specialist or are visiting a store that’s not too busy.
But they won’t be able to buy one until April 24, and then only if they’ve reserved one online.
Apple says that online interest already indicates a sellout.
“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, in a release Thursday.
Contributing: Laura Mandaro in San Francisco and Rick Neale in Brevard County, Fla.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter:
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Apple Watch pre-orders begin - USA TODAY
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