AppleInsider Staff
Consumers who don't pre-order an Apple Watch this week could find themselves waiting more than a month to pick one up after sales begin, as some foreign outposts of Apple's online store indicate lead times that could stretch as long as six weeks.
The notices, first discovered by German Apple site Macerkopf, appear on Apple's German store and put delivery dates for the Sport model between April 24 and May 8. The same timing applies for the stainless steel Watch with sport bands, classic leather straps, or the milanese loop.
Those choosing a stainless steel Watch with a matching link bracelet or a leather loop can expect delivery in four to six weeks. Edition models have no specific time frame, instead simply showing "May."
AppleInsider heard from sources last month that supplies of the Watch could be constrained at launch, as the company faced production issues with the wrist-worn device "at every stage of the development." Those struggles have long been well known to Apple management, however, and are likely to have been factored in to the launch strategy.
Apple will begin accepting preorders for the Watch on Friday at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time, with shipments slated to begin on April 24. Those who are unsure which model to choose can also book in-store try-on appointments at the same time, but those appointments do not act as product reservations — Â after the try-on, a separate order will need to be placed.
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48 Comments
Apple has always been smart to keep supplies constrained initially to build demand and value. This time will be no different.
I think this is ultimately why Apple's pushing online preorders so hard; it'll simplify distribution greatly, especially with supply constraints.
Apple has always been smart to keep supplies constrained initially to build demand and value. This time will be no different.
This seems like the opposite of a smart business strategy. They're already probably going to sell as many as they can make, artificial scarcity doesn't do much to move demand -- we saw that with the iPhone, and even Tim Cook has said in the past that he wishes they could build more phones faster.
[quote name="BobJohnson" url="/t/185661/apple-watch-could-debut-with-4-6-week-lead-times-for-some-models#post_2706148"] This seems like the opposite of a smart business strategy. They're already probably going to sell as many as they can make, artificial scarcity doesn't do much to move demand -- we saw that with the iPhone, and even Tim Cook has said in the past that he wishes they could build more phones faster. [/quote] Scarcity increases perceived value and tends to generate excitement to acquire Apple's products in the first month or so. Intentional or not, it works.
Apple has always been smart to keep supplies constrained initially to build demand and value. This time will be no different.
This seems like the opposite of a smart business strategy. They're already probably going to sell as many as they can make, artificial scarcity doesn't do much to move demand -- we saw that with the iPhone, and even Tim Cook has said in the past that he wishes they could build more phones faster.
There's nothing artificial about this. This is an extremely complex product, in regards to # of models and skus. Easily the most complex in Apple's history. The've never sold anything like this before. Its expected that many combination of models will be tough to find initially in all stores.