The Apple Watch’s launch is scheduled to occur in the “spring,” according to Apple Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts, later in 2015 than some had originally anticipated. Ahrendts stated the timeframe to retail employees in a video message, a transcript of which was provided by a source. While explaining that employees need to conserve energy for upcoming shopping seasons, Ahrendts stated, “we’re going into the holidays, we’ll go into Chinese New Year, and then we’ve got a new watch launch coming in the spring:”
Up until this point, Apple has consistently said that the Apple Watch will ship in “early 2015,” without specifying a day or month. The broad window was announced at the Apple Watch’s unveil in September, is stated on Apple’s website, and was reiterated by Apple executives last month. Sources indicated in September that Apple would struggle to hit a Valentine’s Day release, which now appears to be even more unlikely. Spring begins on March 20th and lasts until June. If Apple considers late March to be “early 2015,” there may have actually been no change in plans. However, Ahrendts clearly states the launch is after the Chinese New Year (February 19th), so it appears the launch will miss Valentine’s Day regardless.
Last year, a report indicated that Apple planned to ship the wearable in fall 2014, but engineering difficulties delayed the launch to 2015. Subsequent reports confirmed that battery issues were partially to blame for Watch delays, and sources tell us that Apple is still working out kinks in the device’s battery system. Tim Cook has noted that Apple intends for the first-generation model to last all day and be charged each night. While Apple has reportedly hit that particular goal, the company is still working to speed up the amount of time it takes the inductive MagSafe charging system to fully juice up the product.
Sources tell us that Apple executives are already planning retail strategies for the new category of watches. At an all-hands retail employee meeting last month, Cook told staff members that retail employees will be trained to help customers actually try on the Apple Watch, including swapping out different sizes and bands. iPhones, Macs, iPads, and iPods in retail stores are secured via wires to showroom tables, so Apple actually allowing customers to try on the product before purchase will be a new experience for the company. Ahrendts is said to believe that retail-based watch sales will deepen relationships with customers, which is critical for future sales.
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BAH… so late!!!
Peter fox = troll
http://www.cnet.com/news/web-trolls-are-narcissists-sadists-and-psychopaths-says-study/
No innovation?
Mac Pro
Apple watch (don’t dare compare this to the lack of innovative HMI in the other smart watches)
64 bit processor,
all in the last 2 years
Muppet!
Agreed, or a master at making sarcasm sound like serious issues… Not quite sure yet. I know for fact herb is a troll thru and thru…
Also just recently announced, the iMac with 5K display. Not innovating at all!
Apple bashers are just Samsung and Android owners with an inferiority complex, just like Samsung themselves, who resort to school boy put downs in their adverts to make themselves feel good about their mass flooding of the market of android crap.
Lol he talks about Apple flooding the market, exactly how many Android devices are there?
Right so it’ll be out September next year because that’s Spring. /sarcasm
It doesn’t make sense for them to announce this product in September 14 and then release the watch in March 2015 (six months later), when they have been testing the final product at the top level months before September 2014 and a few top employees were wearing the finalised version at the September event.
I would imagine this is a rouse.
It would make more sense to launch the product as a fitness device in the New Year with a Health Kit campaign again.
I think we will see a staggered launch into Spring to cope with the different product varieties, with the sports watch coming first and premium gold versions launching in the Spring.
Not a rouse. Apple is a publicly owned company. Investors don’t like being lied to and a stunt like that would get the company sued for BIG $$$$.
There are precedents to Apple announcing new product categories way before they hit the market. Take into consideration the Jan 2010 announcement of the iPad – April 2010 release, Jan 2007 announcement of the iPhone – July 2007 release.
There are reasons it makes sense:
1. They get to formally announce the product it before supply chain leaks occur.
2. It readies the market for the product. e.g. the announcement alongside iPhone 6, the event in France, being worn on the cover of Vogue China. Doing this gets the market ready because people are talking about it and consumers who want it have time to budget for the new gadget. It also affects purchasing decisions because someone who may have been interested in buying a Moto 360, Fitbit, Pebble or other wearable may decide to wait until the Apple Watch is released instead.
3. As they are reportedly still working on battery life issues (mentioned by Tim Cook), it also gives them time to make final tweaks to the product post-announcement, which theoretically could include insights gathered by reactions to the announcement on social media, etc.
It’s highly unlikely there will be a ~6-month window leading up to the second gen’s announcement.
http://9to5mac.com/2014/11/12/apple-watch-mass-production-ramping-up/
Like I said, Apple will want to target consumers for January fitness rush.
Would imagine they would release this model first
Better right than early. It’ll give Samesung until the fall to mimic it in time for the Droid Boi’s to ask for it for their entry into Kindergarten.
Maybe it will be announced alongside the iPad pro.
I’m sick of hearing Apple china this and that.
That’s an extremely short-sighted, and somewhat self-defeating POV you got there… You do realize how massive a market China is for Apple?
Kissing chain ass and then they hack you.
And yet it’s one of the largest potential markets on the planet for Apple’s products… Learn to think outside the box a bit eh?