By , ,
Published May 03, 2016
While Apple stores won’t be carrying the Apple Watch on Friday, a handful of select boutique stores are.
That includes Maxfield of Los Angeles where about 50 people were lined up Thursday night to buy the watch. And the line continued to grow during the night. Maxfield will open Friday at 9 A.M.
Other stores include Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market (London and Tokyo), and Corner in Berlin.
Also, some large electronics retailers in Tokyo are reportedly selling the watch.
Apple is officially releasing the watch on Friday for sale. In most cases that means consumers who preordered the watch early — those orders began on April 10 — will begin to take delivery of the watch.
The sale of the watch at high-end fashion stores like Maxfield and Dover Street is a departure from the typical product rollout where throngs gather outside Apple stores and lines snake around the block. Apple – at least initially – will not be selling the watch in its own physical stores. The watch can be purchased from Apple via its online store only.
As of early Friday morning, the Apple online store is showing June delivery dates for watches ordered on Friday.
The Apple Watch is available in 20 models, the Watch Sport in 10 models, and the high-end Apple Watch Edition in 8 models. The watches come in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, which is the vertical measurement of the case.
Pricing begins at $349 the Watch Sport, $549 for the Apple Watch, and $10,000 for the Watch Edition (the latter tops off at $17,000).
In related news, the Apple Watch app store launched on Thursday. Currently the store is showing dozen of apps with hundreds more expected. Some of the more prominent ones include:
--Instagram and Twitter have apps for the Watch.
-- Shazam: Tells you what song is playing and who the singer is. A tap on the app icon prompts your iPhone to listen to what’s playing. Then, the Apple Watch displays the name of the song, the artist, and the lyrics.
--American Airlines: App provides check-in and flight status updates. And a map tracks progress during the flight.
--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide: See reservation details, get directions to the hotel, and use keyless technology to check in and unlock the room door.
--Sky Guide: See a calendar of upcoming astronomical events – the full moon, meteor showers, eclipses, and more. Sky Guide can send you a notification when an event is about to happen in the skies above your location.
--Nike+ Running: Tracks runs and assists in reaching goals.
--Evernote: The iPhone and Apple Watch versions of Evernote work together. “Dictate notes, perform searches, and see recent content on your watch when you need it. Set reminders and check items off your list without ever taking out your phone.”
-- Redfin: Find nearby real estate listings. View photos of homes and map their locations. Get prices, number of bedrooms, square footage, and days on the market. Use dictation to record your thoughts.
-- Apple apps: Apple includes built-in Apple Watch software. One app allows you to respond to messages with your voice or dictate a text message. Another app allows you to get phone calls – independent of the iPhone as long as you have Wi-Fi access.
Others include:
Photos: uses the Digital Crown to zoom in on individual images, or swipe to browse through them one at a time. Music: Controls the music on your iPhone and allows you to leave your iPhone at home and listen to a synced playlist from Apple Watch.
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/surprise-apple-watch-is-being-sold-in-stores-just-not-apple-stores