eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Apple unveiled several weeks ago that preorders would begin for the upcoming Apple Watch on April 10, but now the company is filling in the blanks with more information, such as the newly announced 3:01 a.m. EDT start time for when the first customer orders will be taken.
Apple announced the additional details on its Website recently, while also advising customers that they can configure their Apple Watch models, colors, bands and other details ahead of time and save them in online Apple accounts so that buyers can place their preorders more easily when the process begins.
Customers will be able to choose their new Apple Watch online as well as make a reservation to buy it and pick it up inside an Apple Store, the company announced.
As previously announced, customers will also be able to sign up for appointments beginning April 10 inside an Apple Store so they can see the devices, try them on, and test out their functions and features.
Customers will not, however, be able to peruse an Apple Watch on the spot in a store once the smartwatches go on sale on April 24 unless they have a reservation first, according to reports. Customers will be able to order a Watch in-store and have it shipped to their homes, the reports said.
In the meantime, customers will be able to prepare for the availability of their Apple Watch by updating their iPhones (only iPhone 5 or later) to the latest version of iOS, which introduces the necessary Apple Watch app, according to Apple. Customers can also find out more about the Apple Watch by speaking with an Apple specialist at (800) MY-APPLE.
Late in March, Apple announced some fairly rigid marketing steps for customers who want to review and buy an Apple Watch, according to an earlier eWEEK report.
Apple plans on having an assortment of some 18 combinations of watches and watchbands on display in each store, but customers won’t have the opportunity to try combinations of watches and bands that are not on display, according to earlier reports.
Apple is also planning on setting up special tables and displays where customers can examine the new watches. Speed will be important as customers peruse the gadgets because the appointments are scheduled for only to five to 15 minutes each.
Standard Apple Watches will start at $549 for a 38mm-wide version or $599 for a 42mm-wide model. Prices for the 38mm version can rise up to $1,049, while prices for the 42mm model can rise up to $1,099, depending on the watchband selected. The regular Apple Watch can be purchased with a fluoroelastomer band or one of three different leather bands.
The Apple Watch Sport version, which will start at $349, is available with a silver or space gray aluminum body and with wristbands in many colors.
The company’s luxury versions of the Apple Watch, called the Apple Watch Edition, with a price tag of $10,000, will only be shown to customers through private appointments, while lines for that option could be up to one hour long.
The most expensive version of the Apple Watch, the 18-karat gold Edition version, is priced at $17,000 and will not even be available in Apple stores. Instead, these will be sold through select luxury retailers. Customers buying those expensive Apple Watches will have more personalized services, including an eight-step process that can take as long as an hour to help them better understand the included features while experiencing the watches as a “unique style choice.”
The first Apple Watches will be sold in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Kingdom, with sales in more nations expected in the future.
The new watches are accurate to within 50 milliseconds of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) standard, placing them among the world’s most accurate time pieces. The Apple Watch can be customized by users with a wide range of watch faces, from formal to modern to digital and even to Mickey Mouse images.
Users can then add the features they desire on the watch faces, including the date, a stopwatch, upcoming meetings and more. Also part of the Apple Watch is a feature called “glances,” which brings the information that users want to check often and quickly right to the watch face, so they can see what’s needed at just the right time, including music, heart rate, messages and more. In fact, the Apple Watch will be equipped to receive messages right on the user’s wrist and allow them to respond using a tap. The built-in speaker and microphone on the Apple Watch will also allow them to receive calls.