The Apple Watch rollout was unique, to say the least. In stark contrast to typical Apple product launches which often involve long lines of eager buyers, the Apple Watch launch was much more muted.
Individuals interested in purchasing an Apple Watch could only do so by placing an order online and having it delivered to their home or workplace. Buyers interested in casually walking in and out of an Apple retail store with an Apple Watch in hand were out of luck.
But that may be changing soon enough.
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According to comments made by Tim Cook during a recent visit to China, the Apple CEO explained that the Apple Watch will be available for in-store purchase and pickup beginning sometime in June. Cook’s statements on the Apple Watch were first reported by 9to5Mac.
This news corroborates a previous report from earlier in the month which detailed how the Apple Watch order page had begun presenting Apple Watch buyers with a ‘pick-up in Apple Store’ option.
As for why the Apple Watch launch was subject to such stringent ordering rules, we previously highlighted comments from Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts who explained why Apple opted to debut its new wearable as an online exclusive.
“[The Apple Watch] is much more personal, with all of the different options,” Ahrendts explained, “and we really wanted the customer to work with you, so you could guide them, take the time to get the one they wanted. And by doing it online, we can make sure that we get them the best service and the one that they want most efficiently.”
As for other points of interest from Cook’s recent trip to China, the Apple CEO said that he hopes Apple Pay launches in China sometime soon.
