There is a surprise in store for those aspiring to own the upcoming Apple iWatch - the company has resorted to a strict reservation policy for retailing the device.
That is quite unlike Apple whose product launches are usually preceded with much hype and hoopla. Add to that the serpentine queues that often would wait for days on end outside Apple stores to buy its devices such as the iPad or iPhone. The iWatch is set to be available from Apr. 24 with the pre-order process starting Apr. 10.
Apple has not stated any official reason to explain the adoption of the prior reservation policy. Experts though claimed that it is an attempt on part of the company to ensure complete consumer satisfaction with the device, more so when particular models of the device are priced as high as $17,000. The cheapest of the lot is the sports edition priced at $349. No doubt special care is to be accorded to the marketing of a product that spans so wide a price band.
Furthermore, Apple said that the iWatch is the most personal thing the company has ever launched, one that is not carried in person but is actually worn around. That also makes it akin to a piece of jewellery though of the digital kind. This should also explain the personal care Apple is taking to ensure a smooth and hassle free ownership experience of such a device, mentions CNet.
So apart from making a reservation for the iWatch via the Apple official site, prospective buyers will also have to make prior appointment in an Apple store to sort out fitting issues. Or they might have to be on the lookout for a scope when the stores are less crowded and the representatives free enough to entertain direct walk-in customers, states STGIST.
Apple also has an online app to facilitate online retailing of the device. Buyers will be able to place orders for the particular watch brand and customize it as per their taste which goes for the trim level or the band. The iWatch will then be delivered right to their homes. There are three different categories of the iWatch which spawns 38 different variants.