Apple is expected to release its first Apple Watch by the end of March, according to a report from 9to5 Mac. Moreover, Mark Gurman is a trusted source when it comes to offering insights into Apple plans. This gives more weight to the report that the Cupertino, California-based company will release the Watch by late March or early April.
Apple to give training to store employees
Gurman cited sources with knowledge about the firm’s retail plans, noting that the iPhone maker will ask for one or two representatives from each Apple store across the United States to visit the company’s corporate office in California or Texas in the beginning of February. These employees will receive training on how to describe the watch and sell all its features, says the report. After the training, the employees will return to their stores and offer training to rest of the employees before Apple releases its smartwatch.
Gurman stated that, as of now, the watch is scheduled for March release, but there could be some changes due to the unforeseen events in manufacturing and software development. As of now, the company is looking to bring three versions of Apple Watch in the market; Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition, each of which will have unique wristbands. The entry price for the Apple Watch will be around $349, but official pricing has not been announced yet.
Executives hinting the release date
An earlier report from 9to5 Mac, citing Angeline Ahrendts, senior vice president of retail and online stores, indicated spring as the probable smartwatch release date. She said, “We’re going into the holidays, we’ll go into Chinese New Year, and then we’ve got a new watch launch coming in the spring.”
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, showcased the watch during a launch event in September. Although he did not announce the exact date of release, but suggested that it would go on sale early next year. During the launch, Cook talked about the various features of the Apple Watch, but failed to mention battery life.
In an interview with the Bloomberg Business week, Apple’s senior vice president of operations Jeff Williams said that the firm wants to make the best product in the world, adding that one of the Apple’s closest rival is on fourth or fifth attempt, but no one is buying them.
