Apple gives devs chance to own Apple Watch before everyone else

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Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

If you’re an iOS developer itching to get your hands on an Apple Watch, it might be your lucky day.

Apple is giving registered developers a chance to get an Apple Watch delivered by next week, which is much better than the June shipping estimate for everyone else.

Today devs started getting emails from Apple asking them to “register for a special opportunity.”

“We want to help give Apple developers the opportunity to test their WatchKit apps on Apple Watch as soon as it is available,” reads the email. Select App Store devs like Facebook and Instagram have been given the chance to test their apps on actual hardware at Apple’s secretive WatchKit labs in California. It’s clear the company wants as many apps for the Watch as possible.

Apple is letting each dev register to get a sliver 42mm Apple Watch Sport by April 28th, which is exactly a week from today. Like WWDC tickets, the process is based on a lottery system and requires registration by 10 am Pacific on April 23rd.

The first batch of Apple Watch preorders start shipping this Friday, April 24th through May 8th.

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