Apple confirmed that consumers won't be able to purchase the Apple Watch by just simply walking into their stores.
The Cupertino-based tech giant noted that for those looking to buy the highly-anticipated wearable device, they will have to pre-order it or reserve it online, CNET reported.
The Apple Watch is set to debut in Apple Stores on April 24 and will have a wide price range. The basic model, the Apple Watch Sport with a plastic band, can be purchased for $349. As for the device's premium gold edition, its price can fall between $10,000 and $17,000.
But unlike iPads or iPhones, consumers can't purchase and pick-up the device on the same day. Instead, they will have to pre-order the Apple Watch first, which will begin on April 10, at 12:01 am, Pacific Time.
Once customers have reserved the device for them, they can then schedule an appointment with an Apple Store representative to try out and fit the Apple Watch on April 24. On the other hand, instead of fitting the device, they can ask Apple to ship the device straight to their homes after pre-ordering it.
Since Apple previously announced that the high-tech watch will be sold in limited quantities, the move to require a pre-order and online reservation system for consumers is a good way for the company to maintain order inside their stores once the device debuts.
Apple will also be able to avoid disappointing consumers who lined up outside its stores once the stock of the Apple Watch runs out.
One might think that the pre-order system is only applicable for the Apple Watch's launch day and will be eventually scrapped after a couple of weeks. However, Apple maintained that even after its official release, consumers will still have to reserve the Apple Watch online if they want to get their hands on it. This will only change once Apple officially allows walk-in purchases for the device, according to PC Mag.
