Apple has begun shipping their new Watch to Australian consumers who have pre ordered, however those looking to buy one over the counter at an Apple store are still going to have to wait as Apple is struggling to manufacture enough devices.
The Watches that start at $799 and go up to $14,000 are expensive and it appears that they cannot be upgraded. ChannelNews was told in New York last week that Apple is looking to sell their new device via watch retailers as opposed to the likes of Harvey Norman or JB Hi Fi.
Police in both Australia and the USA have warned that they will “nick” people caughty using the new Apple Watch while driving.
A NSW Police Inspector said “Touching the watch face while driving is a breach of the law and users face prosecution or a fine in the same way that a user of a smartphone will be prosecuted”.
A ‘teardown’ of the Apple Watch by electronics repair firm iFixit has revealed that the S1 processor that powers the device is extremely difficult to remove, throwing cold water on rumours that the Watch can be upgraded as new more powerful processors or software becomes available.
iFixit, which regularly takes Apple products to pieces to reveal their inner workings, described removing the processor as a “destructive procedure” that involves ripping out some soldered connectors, leaving “a nasty mess in its wake”.
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The Apple Watch became available for pre-order on April 10, but the first run reportedly sold out within hours, leaving many customers facing shipping delays over a month.
Apple has not revealed how many Watches have been sold, but market researcher Carl Howe from Think Big Analytics predicts that the initial run of watches was more than 3 million units.
While those who got their orders in early enough will be receiving their Watches today, others will have to wait until more devices have been manufactured.
“We’re happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected,” an Apple spokeswoman said yesterday (Sunday).
“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.”
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Many of those who did receive their devices today took to social media to document the ‘”unboxing” process. Mel Firbank from Australia was one of the first to receive an Apple Watch Sport, and posted her picture to her Instragram account.
Some fashion boutiques in Tokyo, London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Milan, and Paris are preparing to launch the device in-store today.
The Watch is an untried concept for Apple. It straddles a technology market accustomed to rapid obsolescence and luxury goods whose appeal lies in their enduring value.
The Apple Watch “Sport” starts at $799 in Australia Vs US$349 in the USA.
