Apple rumored to start Apple Watch sales in March, retail training in February

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2015
Fresh rumors on Tuesday claim Apple is looking to roll out its hotly anticipated Apple Watch in March, with specialized retail staff training for the company's first wearable device said to begin in February.



Adding to the cacophony of rumors surrounding the upcoming Apple Watch, new rumblings from 9to5Mac claim the company is currently planning to launch the device stateside in March, just making the cut for Apple's self-imposed "early 2015" deadline.

While a firm launch date has not been set, select Apple Store employees will supposedly undergo intensive training at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. or Austin, Texas in February ahead of in-store sales the month following. Extra schooling may signal Apple's intentions to market the wearable as a fashion accessory, largely uncharted territory for the company.

In addition to in-store preparations, Apple is also said to be working to improve Watch's inductive charging system, though it is unlikely that hardware changes will be approved on such short notice. Aside from its own extensive research, Apple can draw on years of development on inductive charging technology from other manufacturers in the watchmaking field. Further, the company had working models on-hand at the big unveil in September, suggesting extra efforts may be focused on software tweaks.

Today's reported launch date lines up with rumors from December that claimed Apple Watch would hit mass production this month, giving the suppliers ample time to ramp up manufacturing and assembly.

Other than a base $349 configuration sporting an aluminum chassis and ion-exchange glass, Apple has not yet revealed final pricing for Apple Watch hardware. Versions made from stainless steel and 14-karat gold, both donning sapphire glass covers, will likely sell for much more. With an eye on hefty margins for upper-tier models, at least one analyst expects the device to account for 36 percent of Apple's revenue growth in 2015.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 73

    They could be like Nintendo, where "Early 2015" could be as late as June 30th. <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />

     

    So probably either a late February or early March event.

  • Reply 2 of 73
    macapfelmacapfel Posts: 575member



    This will be the most interesting Apple product launch in decades. iPhone was clear that everyone wanted one, and everyone who had one tried to convince friends and family to buy this phenomenal product. Everyone wants a phone. Not everyone needs a tablet. Still, iPad was and is hot. Regarding a smart watch, this will be interesting to a still smaller share of people. In addition, many already spent lots of money for iPhone and maybe iPad. So AppleWatch will be much harder to create an interest for. I myself knew I needed an iPhone, I also have iPads. But as much as I like the idea of AppleWatch, I am not sure I want to buy it. Probably because I do not have a wrist watch at all. But I'll wait what they have.

    And do you think once AppleWatch is there, Tim Cook, Jony Ive and all the others will constantly wear AppleWatch? (Beside public events?)

  • Reply 3 of 73
    Looking forward to WatchOS 1.3, when all the bugs have been weeded out ;)
  • Reply 4 of 73
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member

    "Adding to the cacophony of rumors surrounding Apple's upcoming Apple Watch device, new rumblings from 9to5Mac claim the company is currently planning to launch the device stateside in March"

     

    Actually, if you read the original 9to5mac report it says this;

     

    "Apple is finishing up work on the Apple Watch’s software, and sources familiar with the product’s development say that the device is currently on track to ship in the United States by the end of March.

  • Reply 5 of 73
    nobodyynobodyy Posts: 377member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

     

    They could be like Nintendo, where "Early 2015" could be as late as June 30th. <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />

     

    So probably either a late February or early March event.




    March 20th, here we come!

  • Reply 6 of 73
    dimmokdimmok Posts: 359member

    Must have Apple Watch.......

  • Reply 7 of 73
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member

    Why don't they just sell it earlier like right before Valentine day. It's going to be huge since Lunar New Year is the following week right after Valentine on Feb 19? Chinese and Vietnamese people give a lot of gifts during Lunar New Year to their loved ones.

  • Reply 8 of 73

    I think Cook should sell the watch division to Microsoft or Google, in order to save getting egg on his face. 

  • Reply 9 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     

    Why don't they just sell it earlier like right before Valentine day. It's going to be huge since Lunar New Year is the following week right after Valentine on Feb 19? Chinese and Vietnamese people give a lot of gifts during Lunar New Year to their loved ones.


     

    It does seem like missing the boat, twice over between Christmas and Valentine's/LNW. The next major opportunities for this sort of product aren't until Mother's and Father's Day in the US, or White Day in east Asia.

  • Reply 10 of 73
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacApfel View Post

     



    This will be the most interesting Apple product launch in decades. iPhone was clear that everyone wanted one, and everyone who had one tried to convince friends and family to buy this phenomenal product. Everyone wants a phone. Not everyone needs a tablet. Still, iPad was and is hot. Regarding a smart watch, this will be interesting to a still smaller share of people. In addition, many already spent lots of money for iPhone and maybe iPad. So AppleWatch will be much harder to create an interest for. I myself knew I needed an iPhone, I also have iPads. But as much as I like the idea of AppleWatch, I am not sure I want to buy it. Probably because I do not have a wrist watch at all. But I'll wait what they have.

    And do you think once AppleWatch is there, Tim Cook, Jony Ive and all the others will constantly wear AppleWatch? (Beside public events?)


    One thing about Apple Watch: it allows older iPhone to use Apple Pay and that's a big selling point. People love Apple Pay. I was in my company cafeteria today and I used Apple Pay to pay for my lunch because I saw NFC sign on the POS which even the clerk didn't know. The clerk saw it and asked me about my iPhone 6+ Apple Pay after then transaction. The she said she would dump her Note 3 to go for iPhone 6+ because she just loved the Apple Pay which was a lot easier at checkout: 3 seconds and done, thank you...no changes, no paper to sign and no swipe.

  • Reply 11 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Fuzzypaws View Post

     
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     

    Why don't they just sell it earlier like right before Valentine day. It's going to be huge since Lunar New Year is the following week right after Valentine on Feb 19? Chinese and Vietnamese people give a lot of gifts during Lunar New Year to their loved ones.


     

    It does seem like missing the boat, twice over between Christmas and Valentine's/LNW. The next major opportunities for this sort of product aren't until Mother's and Father's Day in the US, or White Day in east Asia.


     

     

    I wouldn't worry.

     

    The sales volume will be so low as to make no difference what time of year they sell it.

  • Reply 12 of 73
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Fuzzypaws View Post

     

     

    It does seem like missing the boat, twice over between Christmas and Valentine's/LNW. The next major opportunities for this sort of product aren't until Mother's and Father's Day in the US, or White Day in east Asia.


    Mothers and Fathers are too old for Apple Watch...they can barely use iPhone sync...lol. I don't think Apple Watch will be a great gift on Father/Mother's day.

  • Reply 13 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fuzzypaws View Post

     

     

    It does seem like missing the boat, twice over between Christmas and Valentine's/LNW. The next major opportunities for this sort of product aren't until Mother's and Father's Day in the US, or White Day in east Asia.


    Mothers and Fathers are too old for Apple Watch...they can barely use iPhone sync...lol. I don't think Apple Watch will be a great gift on Father/Mother's day.


     

     

    Quite.

     

    At the end of the day, this is a glorified calculator watch. When is their day?

  • Reply 14 of 73
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post

     

     

     

    I wouldn't worry.

     

    The sales volume will be so low as to make no difference what time of year they sell it.


    Define "low". Apple will just need to sell 10 million of this device to call a success this year. It's $5 billions right there for a gadget and still beat every other smart watch out there. I can place my bet that Apple will sell over 15 millions units by the year end.

  • Reply 15 of 73
    pistispistis Posts: 247member
    Troll alert
    Quite.

    At the end of the day, this is a glorified calculator watch. When is their day?
  • Reply 16 of 73

    It's going to sell a shitload and you know it. 30m+ in its first year on the market.

  • Reply 17 of 73
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    A guy I know is friends with a supply chain guy in Turkmenistan who said that Apple plans to build Apple Watch Kiosks, separate from the Apple Store. These would be located inside airport terminals, posh fashion areas in major cities, and also one in Omaha, Nebraska.
  • Reply 18 of 73
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    fuzzypaws wrote: »
    It does seem like missing the boat, twice over between Christmas and Valentine's/LNW. The next major opportunities for this sort of product aren't until Mother's and Father's Day in the US, or White Day in east Asia.

    So people will only buy this product on major holidays?
  • Reply 19 of 73
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member

    March is a great time. Feb would be too early, not enough padding from the Holiday season. March is typically dead and is an ideal time for Apple Watch updates. This product is going to be huge, and the cynical, myopic stupidity of some won't change that. The possibilities are endless, and nothing released thus far seems like a threat. The software is what will define it. 

  • Reply 20 of 73
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post

     

     

     

    I wouldn't worry.

     

    The sales volume will be so low as to make no difference what time of year they sell it.


    Define "low". Apple will just need to sell 10 million of this device to call a success this year. It's $5 billions right there for a gadget and still beat every other smart watch out there. I can place my bet that Apple will sell over 15 millions units by the year end.


     

     

    15 million for success, not 10 million, in my opinion. 20 million for a great success.

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