Some consumers who have pre-ordered an Apple Watch could be getting their order sooner than originally expected.The lead-up to the Apple Watch’s release has been dominated by speculation over its availability, with Apple’s first foray into the smartwatch market for the time being only available for order online.
The Apple Watch officially launches on April 24, however it has been reported that it will not be available in-store until June.
Now, as reported by 9to5Mac, customers who have purchased the Apple Watch have been reporting seeing their order status change from “processing” to “preparing for shipment”, with customers seeing these status changes also reporting seeing charges for the Apple Watch purchase.
Apple has confirmed early shipment of Apple Watch orders to BuzzFeed News.
“We’re happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected,” BuzzFeed reported an Apple spokeswoman as stating.
“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.”
Research firm Slice
Intelligence estimated that 957,000 people in the US pre-ordered
an Apple Watch on the first day of pre-orders, while, as reported by 9to5Mac, KGI
analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has estimated that global pre-orders will top
2.3 million units through May.
