“Apple Watch comes with a choice of watch case, band and size — there are 54 possible configurations in all,” Anick Jesdanun reports for The Associated Press.
“Most models come in two sizes, 38 millimeters and 42 millimeters,” Jesdanun reports. “The larger one costs $50 more in most cases. For a few of the bands, only one size is available.”
“Apple is also selling bands separately for those who like to swap designs. Prices range from $49 for the basic sport band to $449 for a link bracelet,” Jesdanun reports. “To help you choose, Apple has plenty of videos on its website and Apple Store and Apple Watch apps. The Apple Store app also has sizing guides, images of the watch cases in actual size and animation of buckles and clasps, which you can open and close by pinching in and out.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Our preferred combination (42mm Silver Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band) is not among those offered in Apple’s canned preorder configurations, so – in the interest of speed during preordering – we might have to buy the correct Watch case and size and hope we can quickly change the bands during the preorder process. If not, we’ll have to purchase the bands separately and change it out later. We’re loathe to risk slowing down the process during preordering, so we’d do that later after locking in our Watch preorders.
In a chat with an Apple Specialist, we were told: “I would recommend bookmarking the Apple Watch model of your choice so you can easily jump to it during the preorder. If you can switch the bands to different combinations than currently shown, it would be available on the preorder.”
This is likely why there was a “retail store revamp”. It’s logistically impossible to stock 400+ stores with 54 combinations of watches. They would continually be “sold out” while having tons of inventory that didn’t match up with user needs. You’d having to ship watches between stores when learning which areas prefer which combinations of features. This way, you register what you want, they overnight it in and you come pick it up. It’s not some radical new plan. It fits with the product.
Most of the combinations involve different bands. So I do not believe that it would be overly difficult to stock a wide selection of the 38mm and 42mm Sport and SS watches if the bands were packaged separately.
What I heard from local smart watch factory guy today: “Selling a watch with many wristband options is absurd idea. The whole point is to sell the customer a brand new watch in a unopened box with a warranty seal in place, first get the money then open the box for use or quick test. If you sell them separately the whole prosses will end up in chaos, now watch maker does it and for a good reason, keep it simple”
I thought about that and true enough, visiting a local Swatch store proved it. But I don’t like it, I prefer buying the wristband separately, but then that’s the trick of selling wrist watches.
I’m confused already, they sell the band you want but not with the actual watch.
I don’t know where “54” comes from… There are 38, based on the online Apple Store:
10 sport
20 steel
8 gold
No thanks.. I love my iphone, ipad and MBP doesnt mean I will waste money just because it is an Apple product.