Skip to main content

Apple launching in-store ‘Apple Watch Basics’ workshops to show new owners how to use it

Apple Watch
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Apple looks set to offer special workshops at some of its brick-and-mortar stores to explain to new owners of the Apple Watch how to use it and what it’s good for. Called ‘Apple Watch Basics,’ appointment openings for classes are showing now on a number of its retail store websites, as well as in the Stores section of the Apple Store app.

Apple Watch workshops kick off on April 24, which is when many of the early buyers will be receiving their device. It’s not clear how many people will be in each group, though it seems each of the sessions, which will take place several times a day throughout the week, could last anywhere between 45 and 75 minutes.

It looks as if you have to own the Watch to gain access to a session, so if you’re one of those in two minds about buying the device but want to learn more about it, an informal chat with a blue-shirted member of staff will have to suffice.

Apple says on its website: “Bring your Apple Watch — along with your iPhone — and get familiar with your most personal device yet. We’ll show you how to get started using Glances, gestures, watch faces, and more.”

While some might suggest Apple’s roll out of classes for the Apple Watch shows the device has a user interface that some may find difficult to master without special guidance, it should be noted that the company already offers a variety of in-store sessions for other products, including the iPhone, its Mac computers, and iCloud. Some stores even offer an ‘iPad for Seniors’ class.

But with the smartwatch still a relatively new concept for many consumers, such classes are likely to prove popular for those buying the device for the very first time. Like the appointment-only sales approach for the Watch, it’s another way Apple is introducing wearable technology and its benefits to the masses.

Apple’s first wrist-based gadget appeared to get off to a good start when pre-orders began a week ago. The initial batch apparently sold out in 30 minutes, while analytics firm Slice Intelligence put first-day pre-orders at nearly a million units in the U.S. alone.

[Via MacRumors]

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
5 features I want in the Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 laying on the ground, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

When Apple debuted the Apple Watch Ultra in 2022, it was one of the company’s best new products that year. After years of rumors and speculation, it finally arrived and exceeded expectations with the best battery life for an Apple Watch, incredibly useful new features like the Action button, a super-bright and large display, and more.

A year later, Apple launched the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Though still a great smartwatch, it felt a bit more like an iterative upgrade than something big. It had a new S9 processor that allowed for the Double Tap gesture and localized Siri requests, and an even brighter display. But otherwise, it looked identical to the original Apple Watch Ultra.

Read more
Apple Watch X: The 9 biggest things I want to see
watchOS 10 running on an Apple Watch Ultra.

The original Apple Watch was announced in September 2014, with Apple's first smartwatch released in April 2015. Lat year, we got the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, both of which were relatively iterative upgrades. Now, we should focus on what Apple could be doing for the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, similar to what the company did with the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, which gave us the iPhone X.

Rumors suggest that this anniversary smartwatch could be called the “Apple Watch X," and we could see it later this year or, more likely, in 2025.

Read more
I love my Apple Watch, but it pisses me off every single day
Someone wearing an Apple Watch Series 5 on their wrist.

I’m in a dysfunctional relationship with my Apple Watch, and it’s only getting worse.

I love that it gives me quick access to Siri. I love that I’ve almost never missed a phone call since I started wearing it. I love being able to glance at a text message and know if I need to respond quickly or if I can ignore it (like I do with its constant reminders to stand up).

Read more