Apple has confirmed some pre-orders for the Apple Watch will be dispatched earlier than expected despite some customers being told they would not receive their new wearable until June.
Pre-orders for the Apple Watch officially started on Friday 10 April, but the company later said the device would not be available for sale in its stores “throughout May”, raising questions over inventory levels for the new device.
Apple seems to be carefully controlling the supply of the new Watch. Data from analyst firm Slice Intelligence revealed that 957,000 people in the US had pre-ordered the device, which has a release date of 24 April.
“Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received,” Apple was quoted as saying in a statement by Reuters.
The Apple spokesman reportedly declined to say how soon the company would ship the watches or how many customers would be affected. Apple has so far not revealed how many watches have been pre-ordered by customers, but has predicted that demand would exceed supply.
Potential customers can still of course head over to an Apple store to fondle the Watch. The Watch is also being sold in London’s famous Selfridges store (although reportedly customers only have 15 minutes each to play with it).
The Apple Watch was first revealed to the world last September, and is Apple’s first new product category since the iPad, and the first since the death of Steve Jobs. It is also the first device totally designed by Sir Jony Ive.
There are three different versions (or collections) of Watch, each available in two sizes and two colours, and a variety of bracelet options. Prices start from £299 but rise to £13,000 for the most premium models.
The Apple Watch Sport, available in silver and space grey, features an aluminium build. The Apple Watch Regular is available in stainless steel finish or space black. And lastly, the Apple Watch Edition is the very high-end option and is crafted from 18-carat gold and only available in limited numbers and from selected retailers.
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