Apple Watch preorders exceed expectations
CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple's dedicated fans have come through once again for the company, with more than a million customers snapping up Apple Watches since the devices went on sale Friday, CNET reports.
By comparison, CBS San Francisco notes it took the first iPhone 74 days to hit the one million mark in 2007.
In an investors note Monday, Cowen and Co. estimated that total Apple Watch preorders worldwide reached about 1 million units during the first weekend of availability, ahead of the company's own estimates. It estimated that 85 to 90 percent of customers who made appointments to try out the watch this weekend decided to buy one.
According to Slice Intelligence, 72 percent of those who ordered the watch had also bought another Apple product in the past two years. (In fact, having an iPhone 5 or later is necessary for many Apple Watch functions to work.)
Apple Watch deliveries are scheduled to begin April 24. However, within hours of starting preorder sales, the device's ship dates were pushed back months amid heavy demand. CNET reports many Apple Watch models are now showing ship dates of June or July.
All those preorders add up to serious money for Apple. The entry-level Apple Watch Sport starts at $349; stainless steel models range from $549 to $1,049, depending on the size and band style; and the 18-karat gold luxury edition tops out at $17,000.
Various analysts have predicted Apple could sell anywhere from 8 to 15 or even 20 million of the smartwatches in 2015.