Smartwatch preview heralds witching hour for Apple
CONSUMERS flocked to Apple’s stores around the world on Friday to get the first close look at the tech giant’s smartwatch, which it expects will be its next runaway hit.
The Apple Watch, CEO Tim Cook’s first new major product and the group’s first foray into the personalluxury goods market, was available for preorder online and to try out in stores — but not to take home.
On April 24, consumers will be able to buy it online or by appointment in shops including trendy fashion boutiques in Paris, London and Tokyo.
The watch is an untried concept for the company. It straddles a technology market accustomed to rapid obsolescence and luxury goods whose appeal lies in enduring value.
Before the Paris Apple store opened at 9am local time, about 100 people were queuing outside. Staff cheered and applauded the first customers, most of them men aged under 30.
“I have everything from Apple so now I need to get the watch,” said 19- year-old Jeremy Dugue after ordering the stainless steel model at à1 149 (about R14 600).
The Apple Watch sport starts at $349 (about R4 190), whereas the stan- dard version comes in at $549 in the US. High-end “Edition” watches with 18-carat gold alloys are priced from $10 000 and go as high as $17 000.
Within the first hour in Paris, many customers had preordered their watch. High demand means some shoppers in the city will have to wait four to six weeks before the watches arrive.
Earlier on Friday, Apple’s flagship store in Sydney’s financial district was packed with people hoping to get the first peek at the device.
Apple expects demand for the watch, which allows users to check e-mails, listen to music and make phone calls when paired with an iPhone, to exceed availability at launch.
Reviewers this week praised the watch — which also helps users monitor their health and exercise — as “beautiful” and “stylish”, but gave it poor marks for relatively low battery life and slow-loading apps.
Sales estimates for 2015 vary widely. Piper Jaffray predicts eight million units and Global Securities Research forecasts 40 million. By comparison, Apple sold nearly 200 million iPhones last year. —