Apple has made it very clear that getting your hands on an Apple Watch at launch won’t be as easy as walking into the store. At least during the initial launch period, people wanting to get their hands on the smartwatch will have to pre-order it either through the Apple Store app or through Apple’s official website.
Apple Watch buyers will have to queue virtually in order to buy the device, at least initially. A press release this morning from the company reveals that the first batch of Apple Watch orders will only be collected via the Apple Store application for iOS devices and the online Apple store site. Apple head of retail Angela Ahrendts confirmed this plan in the press release announcing pre-sales of the Apple Watch, which begin April 10 along with in-store try-ons and demos ahead of the April 24 official store date. In a statement included in the release, Ahrendts expressed it thusly: “To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period.”