Apple Watch Launching in 'Spring' According to Apple Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts

In a video message sent out to retail employees, Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts revealed that the Apple Watch will be launching in the Spring of next year, reports 9To5Mac. The timeframe given is slightly more specific than Apple's own launch projection of "early next year", which was shared during its initial unveil of the Apple Watch back in September.

apple_watch_blue

"So, again, we do - you guys were hired because you're the best people in the world. And you know how to service customers, but we are sprinting a marathon and it's not going to stop. Right? We're going into the holidays, we'll go into Chinese New Year, and then we've got a new watch launch coming in the spring."

The report also notes that Apple will be training its retail employees on how to introduce customers to the Apple Watch. Apple Retail Stores will allow customers to try on the wearable device and experience the different sizes and bands offered. The Apple Watch's presence at the company's retail stores are said to be a big emphasis for Ahrendts, who believes that sales of the device will help deepen relationships with customers.

A source briefed on Apple's plans for the Apple Watch told The Information in September that the company would be "lucky to ship it by Valentine's Day." That report stated that Apple 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 device's unveiling, 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 Watch OS operating system.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

Monday December 22, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
The European Commission today praised the interoperability changes that Apple is introducing in iOS 26.3, once again crediting the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with bringing "new opportunities" to European users and developers. The Digital Markets Act requires Apple to provide third-party accessories with the same capabilities and access to device features that Apple's own products get. In iOS...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
iPhone Chips

Apple Clings to Samsung as RAM Prices Soar

Monday December 22, 2025 6:17 am PST by
Apple is significantly increasing its reliance on Samsung for iPhone memory as component prices surge, according to The Korea Economic Daily. Apple is said to be expanding the share of iPhone memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. The shift is expected to result in Samsung supplying roughly 60% to 70% of the low-power DRAM used in the iPhone 17, compared with a...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
chatgpt year end

ChatGPT Now Has a 2025 Year-End Summary Feature Like Spotify Wrapped

Monday December 22, 2025 4:12 pm PST by
OpenAI added a year-end summary feature to ChatGPT, allowing users to get a personalized overview of their 2025 ChatGPT usage. The summary is similar to year-end wrap-ups from companies like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other services. ChatGPT offers up an overview of themes discussed and chat stats, such as busiest chatting day, number of overall chats, messages sent, and more....

Top Rated Comments

gp101 Avatar
145 months ago
Come on!!

Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
saving107 Avatar
145 months ago
So we just continue to wait some more.

Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
himanshumodi Avatar
145 months ago
I can not imagine what segment of users will buy this. For folks who wear watches as an accessory... they aren't going to move away from their Rolexes. For folks who want health related stuff tracked, there are cheaper options available. There simply can't be a value that the watch will provide being a part of an ecosystem that's worth 350 bucks.

Edit - But then hey... Apple knows what I want better than I do I guess
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
145 months ago
After seeing the iPad Air 2, this style of hardware design feels like a step backwards to me.

Agreed. I very much prefer the superior and equally functional watch you designed. What was it called again? :rolleyes:
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eastamherstbias Avatar
145 months ago
That's disappointing. I was hoping for February. "Spring" could be June 20, but hopefully it is more like April.

By that time, Samsung will have released 25 Galaxy Devices.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jwbrobst Avatar
145 months ago
After seeing the iPad Air 2, this style of hardware design feels like a step backwards to me.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)