Sorry, Apple fans! The Apple Watch will be sold exclusively online at launch

By Christian Brazil Bautista April 9, 2015

apple watch sold online only at launch edition — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Apple Watch is shaping up to be a difficult thing to blow your money on. The smartwatch, which Apple calls its “most personal device yet,” will be available for previews and preorders tomorrow. However, purchasing the device requires a more roundabout process, one that is more complex than a simple exchange of currency and goods.

In a press release, Apple announced that the smartwatch cannot be purchased in stores for the initial launch period. To keep up with demand, and perhaps to eliminate the less dedicated, Apple is taking orders exclusively online during launch. This means that to get an Apple Watch that is exactly your size, you would have to make an appointment for a “personalized session with a stylist” at an Apple Store, find the perfect fit within your 15 minutes of allotted time, and then order the device online, which will be delivered about two weeks later on April 24.

While the process sounds like a hassle, the masses of Apple early adopters have a history of not caring. So long lines and hysteria are on the docket in countries and territories where the Apple Watch will initially launch, namely the U.S., the U.K., China, Australia, France, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and Germany.

“Based on the tremendous interest from people visiting our stores, as well as the number of customers who have gone to the Apple Online Store to mark their favorite Apple Watch ahead of availability, we expect that strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch,” Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and Online Stores, said in a statement.

“To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period.”

Apple will start selling the smartwatch in the brick-and-mortar sense by April 24, but it won’t be in every store. The device will be available in famous retail establishments such as colette in Paris and Dover Street Market in London.

Editors' Recommendations

Apple rejects Hong Kong protest map from App Store, relents under pressure

Topics

Christian Brazil Bautista

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Christian Brazil Bautista is an experienced journalist who has been writing about technology and music for the past decade…

Mobile

This $4,000 titanium beauty is the ultimate square G-Shock

The G-Shock MRG-B5000B.

Do you want the very best Casio offers in manufacturing, design, and technology from your new G-Shock, all wrapped up in that highly recognizable square case? In other words, the ultimate version of a truly classic G-Shock watch? If so, the new MRG-B5000B is exactly the model you will want, provided cost is no object. We’ve been wearing it.
What makes MR-G so special?
Although Casio is best known for tough watches that won’t break the bank, Casio also has decades of watchmaking experience, and it showcases its talents most effectively in its highly exclusive MR-G family of watches. These models, its most luxurious, are assembled by hand on Casio’s Premium Production Line located in the Yamagata factory in Japan, where only the company’s most experienced, specially certified technicians work on the top MT-G and MR-G models.

The square G-Shock is one of the most popular models, having been around since the G-Shock brand first started in the early 1980s, and bringing it to the luxury MR-G range is going to see a lot of people reaching for their wallets. What makes it so special? It’s the first time the classic, beloved square G-Shock has been given the MR-G treatment, with most other MR-G models over the past few years featuring an analog dial. There's a huge section of an already large fan base waiting for this.

Mobile

Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatch after several burn reports

best walmart deals on apple watch garmin and fitbit ionic smartwatch adidas edition ice gray silver

Fitbit Ionic smartwatch users need to stop using their devices right now. The company has recalled its Ionic wearable after over 150 reports of the watch’s lithium-ion battery overheating, and 78 reports of burn injuries to the users. It will offer a refund of $299 to the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch users who return the device.

Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States and over 50 reports internationally about the Ionic smartwatch's battery overheating. It is recalling the device as there are two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns out of the 78 total burn injuries report.

Deals

Razer Anzu smart glasses deal knocks $140 off the price tag

The Razer Anzu smart glasses placed on top of an open book.

While smartwatch deals have slowly claimed their place in the mainstream, smart glasses haven't turned out to be as popular. Gaming-focused brand Razer, however, is trying to renew interest in smart glasses with the Razer Anzu, which you can currently purchase from Best Buy at $140 off. If you'd like to give them a try, they're available for just $60, less than half their original price of $200.

There have been failures like the Google Glass and Snap Spectacles, and hopeful attempts like Oppo's Air Glass and Apple's secretive project, but the Razer Anzu smart glasses take a different spin on the wearable device by designing them for indoors. While they come with polarized sunglass lenses, their clear lenses are more useful with their blue light filter, which protects your eyes from screen glare to prevent discomfort even after hours of playing video games or working from home. The smart glasses, which also have a built-in omnidirectional microphone and speakers, may also be more comfortable to wear for an extended period of time compared to headsets and headphones. You'll enjoy smooth, stutter-free sound with the Razer Anzu's low latency audio with a 60ms Bluetooth connection.