Target Says Apple Watch Series 2 Orders Will be Delayed, Offers $50 Gift Card to Affected Customers - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Target Says Apple Watch Series 2 Orders Will be Delayed, Offers $50 Gift Card to Affected Customers

target_logoFollowing in the footsteps of Best Buy, Target has emailed customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch Series 2 today to inform them that orders may not be delivered by the original date promised upon checkout.

Target said it is experiencing delays in receiving Apple Watch Series 2 models from Apple, adding that it will expedite all orders as inventory becomes available to get customers their new Apple Watches as soon as possible.

No updated date was provided for when orders will begin. Target will be emailing a complimentary $50 gift card to affected customers in the next 24 hours to help assuage any inconvenience or frustration the delay may have caused.

Apple Watch Series 2 launched today in the U.S. and select other countries, including pre-order deliveries and limited in-store availability at Apple and authorized resellers. The second-generation models feature improved water resistance up to 50 meters, a built-in GPS, a two-times brighter display, and a faster dual-core S2 chip.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Tag: Target
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra 3 1

Apple Now Requires UNiDAYS Verification for Education Discounts in U.S. and Canada, Adds Apple Watch

Friday May 8, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Starting today, Apple will require customers in the U.S., Canada, and Chile to verify their status as a student or educator to get educational discounts. Apple is adopting the UNiDAYS verification system that it uses in other countries, with a new process to accommodate homeschool families. Apple is also adding the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to its...
Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black Touch ID

Apple Watch Series 12 and watchOS 27: What to Expect Later This Year

Friday May 8, 2026 2:07 pm PDT by
While not too much has been reported about the next Apple Watch models, there are a few rumors about potential design changes and watchOS 27 features. Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 models are expected to be released in September, and we have outlined some of the key rumored hardware and software changes below. A new Apple Watch SE is not expected this year, as that model was...
Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black Touch ID

Next Apple Watch Models Unlikely to Add Touch ID, Focus on Battery Life

Monday May 11, 2026 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is prioritizing larger batteries and more advanced health sensors over fingerprint authentication for the Apple Watch, according to a new claim from a prominent Chinese leaker. In a new Weibo post, Instant Digital pushed back on recent speculation about biometric recognition coming to Apple's wearable lineup, claiming instead that the company remains content to let users unlock their...

Top Rated Comments

127 months ago
this September's product launch is looking to be well planned and nicely executed.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
127 months ago
I'm confused by both Target's and Best Buy's announcements... does Apple not tell them in advance how many units they'll be receiving and on what days?

If Apple said they'd deliver some quantity and then they don't, it seems like Target and Best Buy should each be pointing their fingers at Apple, and then not giving gift cards to consumers - any customer backlash would be Apple's and Apple's alone to recover from.

The fact they're giving giftcards seems to be them admitting guilt... what are they guilty of? Did they know they'd have no stock?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
127 months ago
Multiple products launch. Higher demand due to Samsung Note recall.
Yeah, that's it. All the hundreds of millions of Note 7 owners that bought their phone because they wanted a stylus decided to buy an iPhone instead since there were no other Android stylus phones around.

Then they decided to buy a Series 1 AW and a Series 2 as well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
127 months ago
Does Apple have anything to sell? No wonder they didn't want to play the numbers game last weekend.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kilcher Avatar
127 months ago
Following in the footsteps of Best Buy ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/14/best-buy-apple-watch-series-2-delay/'), Target has emailed customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch Series 2 today to inform them that orders may not be delivered by the original date promised upon checkout.
Not JUST the date promised during checkout - when I went to bed last night at 10pm my account STILL said the watch would be delivered today. They obviously knew at 10pm last night that my order hadn't shipped. That's what ticks me off more than anything.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
127 months ago
The entire world economy is suddenly shifting, entirely due to all the gift cards given to impatient iPhone buyers.

(P.S. I hope Apple doesn't prioritize shipments to MY Target: they don't know a THING about Apple products. They don't even know what they carry, or what shelf 6 feet away from them it's on. Hint: way down by foot level. My Target hates selling Apple products and avoids it when they can.)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)