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Apple Will Be 'Lucky' to Ship Apple Watch by Valentine's Day

Wednesday September 24, 2014 10:44 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple may not be planning to launch the new Apple Watch until February 2015 or later, according to a new report from The Information (via Business Insider). When the Apple Watch was introduced earlier this month, Apple gave a non-specific "early 2015" timeline for its release, with no additional information on when we might expect to see the device.
One person briefed by the Apple department involved in shipping the watch quipped that Apple would be "lucky to ship it by Valentine's Day." Apple has said only that the watch would ship in early 2015, and a spokeswoman did not comment for this article.
According to the report, Apple initially planned to have the watch ready to ship in time for the 2014 holiday season, but had problems finishing software development in time. Hints of a delay on the software side first surfaced shortly after the keynote, as members of the press who were invited to spend some hands-on time with the devices noted that none of the display units were running the actual operating system, Watch OS.

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Instead, the devices displayed only screenshots of various functions and while some Apple employees gave demos of functional units, reporters were not able to explore the software themselves. Apple has also opted not to divulge the battery life of the device, possibly because it is continuing to tweak the Watch OS software for the best results. Concrete information on battery life likely can't be determined until software development is finished.

Apple Watch includes several new cutting edge technologies that have not been incorporated into previous devices, including the pressure-sensitive Force Touch that can determine the difference between a tap and a press, and the Taptic Engine, Apple's unique haptic feedback vibration engine designed to deliver alerts in a subtle way.

When it goes on sale in early 2015, the Apple Watch will be available in an array of materials and with several different band options, with pricing starting at $349.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
[ 96 comments ]


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gugy
55 months ago
Well, that's fine. Better take the time and get it right than send it early with many issues.
Rating: 13 Votes
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troop231
55 months ago
Hopefully the  Watch won't bend when we tighten the band up :p
Rating: 12 Votes
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a2rob1
55 months ago
Haters will find a way to bend this watch....JS
Rating: 10 Votes
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AppleScruff1
55 months ago

Hopefully the  Watch won't bend when we tighten the band up :p


There will be no worries about bending until versions 2 or 3 when the thinness obsession takes full effect. :D
Rating: 7 Votes
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Z400Racer37
55 months ago
I'd like to know why they would unveil something that would be lucky to ship within 5 months... have a special event or something..
Rating: 3 Votes
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croooow
55 months ago
Which means I will be getting one in Feb/Mar 2016 (going to wait for second generation)
Rating: 3 Votes
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iSteve-O
55 months ago
Meh...gonna wait for the Watch2.

Apple's first gen devices are always subpar i.e. iPod1...iPhone...iPad1.
Rating: 3 Votes
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miamialley
55 months ago
That thing is going to flop no matter when they release it, I'm afraid.
Rating: 3 Votes
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redscull
55 months ago

Every generation is subpar when compared to the generation that follows it.

I don't personally find this true. The iPad 2 was a great upgrade from the iPad 1, but the first compelling upgrade from the iPad 2 was the iPad Air. The iPad 3 and 4 were simply not overall superior to the 2, not in a way that a 2 buyer would've felt like he should have waited (iPad 2 longevity shows this to be true, too).

The iPod Shuffles had some back-and-forths where Apple couldn't decide if they wanted physical buttons or not. The Nanos had a similar identity crisis with overall size and some other features.

Even iPhones are debated due to screen size increases and users who actually like smaller screens.
Rating: 3 Votes
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69Mustang
55 months ago


Instead, the devices displayed only screenshots of various functions and while some Apple employees gave demos of functional units, reporters were not able to explore the software themselves.


Kind of reminds me of the smoke and mirrors with the original iPhone.
Rating: 3 Votes

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