Leading up to the release of the Apple Watch earlier this year, it seemed that it might not be an easy process to actually get your hands on one. Orders were online only, even if you wanted to buy one in-store, and to actually try one on, you needed an appointment.
Four months out from the initial release of the Apple Watch, the appointment requirement is being dropped, 9to5 Mac reports. Until now, the protocol was that even if a customer walked into an Apple Store, they would need to provide their Apple ID and pick a time to try the Apple Watch on. Now customers can just try one on, the way they would in any other store.
That said, customers will still need to provide an email address, but this is more for the customer’s convenience than it is for Apple’s. This is done to help the customer remember the exact configurations they tried on, allowing them to buy the exact same setup online if they don’t make the purchase while still at the Apple Store.
There is one time that customers will still be encouraged to make an appointment: when an Apple Store’s try-on areas for the Apple Watch are all occupied. Of course, nothing is stopping the customer from simply returning at a different time.
This move shouldn’t come as a surprise. The company has by now had enough time to resolve the initial inventory shortages, and customers aren’t clamoring to see the watch in action the same way they were in April. Apple has been moving this way anyway, allowing customers to make appointments in-store rather than only online.
The appointment requirement may officially be gone starting this week, though many customers are saying they simply walked into an Apple Store and bought an Apple Watch weeks or even months ago without the need for an appointment. Still, if the need for an appointment has put you off until now, this is surely welcome news.
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