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Apple Watch’s online-only launch coming to an end soon as Apple preps in-store stock & pickup option

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Apple is now preparing for the rollout of the in-store pickup option on new Apple Watch orders, which will allow users to select a retail location to pick up their wearable devices after order. This is the first time Apple has made any indication of watch stock appearing at its stores since Angela Ahrendts revealed that the company was unsure of when that might happen.

The radio button to select the option is currently disabled, but is expected to be turned on once local stores start to see shipments arrive.

The Cupertino company launched the Apple Watch to much fanfare in an online-only sale, although potential buyers could try the device on at their local store to get a feel for which model they wanted to order.

As seen in the image above, shoppers will now have the option to select “pick up” as an option for delivery, though at the moment it seems every store just says “available soon,” with no solid date for when you’ll be able to actually make a pick up.

Selecting this option could help cut down on the wait time if you don’t want to hold off until July, but it could also mean you have to wait even longer for your local store to get some stock. Previous reports have indicated that it could be June before any stores get stock, so choose wisely.

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Comments

  1. Such crap, as i sit here and wait for my 42mm SGS

    • Couldn’t agree more… still waiting on my 42/SGS @ xx:12 and they’re only up to xx:06 :(

      • Larry Griffin - 9 years ago

        how can you tell where they are in terms of proccessing orders?

      • ronaldcschoedeliii - 9 years ago

        I ordered at 14:00 on the 10th and received my Sport 42 mm white on 29 April. I don’t think it’s as easy as “they’re only up to xx:06”.

      • steveome - 9 years ago

        To those wondering… (Larry) There are forums at MacRumors that are dedicated to tracking Watch orders. Apple does seem to be following order times for shipping, but it is model based. Meaning, even though I ordered my wife’s white banded sport five minutes after my 42mm space gray, she got hers on release day, and I am still waiting. (I’m a xx:10, meaning order processed 10 min after midnight.)

        I won’t be too happy if the watch is available in stores before I get mine…

      • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

        Orders would be based on model order though so it’s not as simple as “they’re only up to …”

        What bothers me is there are many reports of people ordering the exact *same* model LATER than others and getting their orders first, which is inexcusable and if true puts the lie to Apple’s statements on the matter. I talked to a person on a forum for instance that ordered the exact same size and model as I did, ordered it four HOURS later and already has it, in Germany.

        Sure these are anecdotal reports, but if you look you can find lots of them. Where there is some there is often fire. Personally I just don’t buy Apple’s assurances here. I mean if they *were* f*cking up, they would hardly tell us would they? Maybe the “old Apple” would, but not now.

      • Bruce Scheffel - 9 years ago

        ok this is depressing me. I ordered my 42 SGS at xx:34 and part of me is hopeful that I’ll get mine soon but when i realize they are not even to xx:10 orders yet for that model the reality is it could be close to the May 29-Jun 11 delivery date on the order. I actually ordered a silver sport but decided i wanted space gray. I probably would have had that one by now….

      • misterdigi - 9 years ago

        Gazoo Bee – the world doesn’t revolve around US orders, so if a particular model is more readily available in another country then of course someone there will get it sooner.

    • I just recieved my SHS xx:06 Yesterday. Wen’t from processing to in my hand in 24 hours as they seam to be shipping them next day air.

  2. Walter Dobbins Jr - 9 years ago

    Where are you seeing this? When going to the Apple Online Store, I’m not seeing this option.

  3. bpbatch - 9 years ago

    I wonder how many of these pick-ups are due to in-store returns?

  4. Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

    I don’t understand this reporting at all. Clear as mud.

    We didn’t have an option to pick up in store when we ordered on the 10th, am I supposed to think that my order will somehow gain this radio button deal over the next day or two?

    Or is this article aimed at folks who have been staring at this radio button dealie all along? I’ve been ordering Apple products online forever and have never had this option pop up before. Will it pop up for all orders without a ship date? will orders with ship dates ordered on the 10th change to this?

    • Larry Griffin - 9 years ago

      when you start checking out you are usually given 2 options : wither ship to an adddress or pick up in store. Some items are not available to for in store pick up so that could explain why you never saw that option

      • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

        Yeah, I wasn’t clear I guess, I know about that option. When I ordered on the 10th though, there was no such choice. It was just order/not order. Thus my confusion about whether orders are “changing.”

  5. darkenv2 - 9 years ago

    I ordered mine at 3:10am EST on April 10. If people who order now are able to pick one up in a store before mine even ships I’m going to be pissed

    • rogifan - 9 years ago

      I thought Apple said they are filling orders based on when they were placed?

      • Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

        Apple says lots of things.

    • TechSHIZZLE.com - 9 years ago

      Just re-order when local pick up becomes available and cancel your pending online order. No biggie.

      • darkenv2 - 9 years ago

        Yeah I was thinking that. Good thought

  6. theaccidental - 9 years ago

    I just hope they are underpromising and overdelivering and that my 42 mm Space Gray will arrive before “June”…

    • ronaldcschoedeliii - 9 years ago

      My white 42 mm sport was slated for June delivery. I ordered at 14:00 on the 10th. I ended up getting it on 29 April. Imagine my surprise.

      • Riley - 9 years ago

        It sounds as if they way overestimated people wanting a white band (don’t tell me that Apple is turning into Yes-Men for Tim Cook!) and way underestimated people wanting a black band.

  7. Matt Vaughan (@mattido) - 9 years ago

    They better have those preorders fulfilled first! Still processing on my order…

  8. kjl3000 - 9 years ago

    In-store pickup option not available on german online store (yet) … i’m in the second wave (12-26/05) and if they are go to sell them in stores before mine gets shipped = riot.

  9. Larry Griffin - 9 years ago

    i ordered mine over the weekend and got an eta of July for the watch and and eta of June for the extra band. Im already upset im going to get a band before i even get my watch to use it on … im going to be even more pissed if some one places an order after me and gets to walk into a store to pick it up

    • rogifan - 9 years ago

      Isn’t this basically giving you another option besides UPS to your front door or whatever? Doesn’t mean it’s going to ship any sooner; it will just be delivered to an Apple store versus your house.

  10. daving313 - 9 years ago

    I’m just hoping there’ll be more band options from third parties by the time my 38MM comes in (ordered April 25th – ETA between May 21 and June 4 to deliver here in US).

  11. Stephanie Goode - 9 years ago

    I had a June date for a 38mm pink sport watch and they just shipped it today. I ordered around 3am on 4/10

  12. JP (@jpindustrie) - 9 years ago

    It’s always been my experience with Apple that the retail brick + mortar and online source from generally the same inventory channels. So I wouldn’t expect the pickup in store option to be enabled until they can generally ship within a few days online. June/July/August (by back to school) would be my bet. I hope we see bands in store before then (probably not).

    • darwiniandude - 9 years ago

      It depends on the model. I ordered a 38 steel Milanese for Wifey and 42 steel link for me. She got hers on the 24th. Mine still says 12/5-24/5. My boss ordered a blue and a space grey sport 42, he got that yesterday, the blue one on the 24th.
      These were all first minute orders.

  13. Nick Castro - 9 years ago

    It seems liken the space gray is the hot item. I’m still waiting for June delivery and I ordered the day it released. It torture as I “watch” people who ordered after I did receive there colorful bands and all the gray watches are left in the dark

    • spart3n117 - 9 years ago

      Yep. They should’ve know the space grey 42mm was going to be the most popular. Predicted it back in March.

  14. Ashley Thomas - 9 years ago

    I ordered my 38mm stainless steel watch with black sport band on May 5th…with an expected ship time of 2-3 weeks, according to the Apple Canada website. I got an email on the 6th saying my order had shipped and was to be delivered on May 8th! Is this even possible?! Should I be extremely happy that my watch is coming WAY ahead of schedule? I didn’t expect this at all. I was prepared to not get my watch until the middle of June at least.

  15. spart3n117 - 9 years ago

    Ordered on April 30. Still know dates, just “june.” I hope it get mine before I’m able to just go into a store and get one.

  16. Riley - 9 years ago

    I ordered on Saturday, April 11 at 1:23 pm EDT, got an initial ETA of June and updated yesterday to June 22-29. If they have them in the stores before I receive my order, someone at Apple is going to get quite the earful from me.

  17. devilclarke - 9 years ago

    I feel the pain but at least things are moving now. Stainless steel 42mm ordered 28/4 got the dispatch note 5/6 say delivery is on or befor the 12/6