When shipping estimates for the Apple Watch fell to June in only a matter of minutes, many preorder customers were left frustrated and in despair.
But there’s hope yet: Apple is already preparing to ship Watch orders that originally weren’t slated to arrive for over a month.
“We’re happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected,” Apple told BuzzFeed News in a statement. “Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received. We know many customers are still facing long lead times and we appreciate their patience.”
The confirmation comes after some customers with shipping estimates well into May or June started seeing their order statuses change from “processing” to “preparing for shipment” today.
The first wave of Apple Watch preorders will start arriving Friday, April 24th and run through the next couple of weeks. Apple hasn’t said when the Watch will be available for purchase in stores, but supply constraints indicate that there won’t be general retail availability until at least June.
A lack of in-store availability will dispel the need for long lines outside Apple stores come Friday — a change retail chief Angela Ahrendts is perfectly fine with. In a recent video message sent to Apple retail employees, Ahrendts reiterated that choosing to sell online-only was the best decision to make given supply constraints and demand for the product.
“We love our iconic blockbuster launches that we do in the stores,” she said. “Have absolutely no fear, you will see those. This is just a very unique situation.”
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
7 responses to “Your Apple Watch may arrive earlier than expected”
Don’t count on it. Ordered right away and still says processing.
|
ordered mine at 3:15 Eastern and got 13-27 may timeframe, but still no change in my order status. oooooh well.
Well, mine said June but now it’s processing, they’ve charged my account and I can’t cancel it.
Processing. Delivery May 13-May 27. Still the same from when I preordered at 3:05am.
Mine is preparing to ship.
Mine says preparing to ship.