Tim Cook: Apple Watch In Stores "By June"
Regarding the Apple Watch, Cook began by telling the employees that “the Watch could not be going better, we’re working really hard on making more.” Cook joked that Apple wishes it had more operations staff and engineers to make the launch go even smoother, according to the sources. Notably, Cook promised that Apple Stores will begin carrying Apple Watch stock “by June.” This indicates that comments from Angela Ahrendts in April are still on track. For the first time, Cook also confirmed that the upcoming June in-store launch will include the company’s stores in China.
To me, retail might be Apple’s greatest asset when it comes the long-term adoption of Apple Watch. If someone tries one on and likes it, the next thing they want to be able to do is buy it. Having to order online and then wait a month or two is not the ideal experience.
For those whose Watches are still showing shipping estimates for late June, don’t feel slighted. Instead, bear in mind a couple of things: One, those estimates are heavily padded, and as Apple catches up on orders, you’ll likely see your Watch ship out several weeks early. Two, even when Apple Watch is available on store shelves, not every model and Band combination will be. If you’ve ordered anything other than the most popular couple of sets, chances are that ordering online will still be the better bet. Worst case scenario: You walking into an Apple Store sometime next month, buy the model you want, and cancel your pre-order.