Apple Orders Initial Production Run of 5 Million Apple Watches

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Posted February 17, 2015 at 3:27pm by iClarified

Apple has ordered the production of five to six million Apple Watch units during the first quarter of 2015, reports the WSJ. Half of the units are entry-level Apple Watch Sport models, while one third of the units are said to be mid-level models.

Orders for Apple Watch Edition – the high-end model featuring 18-karat gold casing – are relatively small in the first quarter but Apple plans to start producing more than one million units per month in the second quarter, the person said. Analysts expect demand for the high-end watches to be strong in China where Apple’s sales are booming.

The Apple Watch Sport will start at $349 but the company hasn't announced pricing for other models. The gold Apple Watch Edition could be priced as high as $4999-$9999, according to recent reports.

The WSJ notes that production levels of the Apple Watch are similar to when Apple launched the iPad. The company sold 7.5 million iPads in the six months after it launched in April 2010.

To get ready for the April launch, thousands of Chinese workers will reportedly work around the clock and throughout the Chinese New Year holidays at Quanta’s factory in Changshu, China.

There are 34 Apple Watch models that customers will be able to choose from you can check them out here.

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Apple Orders Initial Production Run of 5 Million Apple Watches

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Bigjiba - February 19, 2015 at 3:44am

I will be buying a sport one for sports. This cannot replace any luxury watches so I am not interested in the other models. I hope they actually reduce the price because it is expensive for what it is. But still I'm willing to pay the "apple tax" to have something that works with ios. I don't care about the battery. The watch firmware can be updated. Battery technology will not improve for years or decades so I'm not gonna wait for Version 2. They need to make sure the charging rate is fast. I'm actually more interested in knowing what pebble is coming out with. They have something new in the works. I would consider their watch if they add a heart rate monitor.

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gamerscul9870 - February 19, 2015 at 3:55am

Airplane mode makes it instantly fast. The best part is we are near the era of portable motion powered chargers yet some companies are trying to push wireless charging.

iProService - February 17, 2015 at 10:18pm

The button and crown placement still seem very odd to me. I am sure they obviously thought it through however and placed them ergonomically. Will have to wait and see. $349 is cheap for a watch however $5-10k is Rolex money and frankly for $5k, I would rather have the timeless style and quality of a genuine timepiece.

SimonSays - February 17, 2015 at 11:10pm

Lol. Rolex? What are you 65? For 5-10k there are better watches out there than Rolex.

iProService - February 17, 2015 at 11:53pm

I was just using the most commonly recognised or benchmark name of $5k watches but since you mention it, it's still a very accepted timepiece its self amongst the late twenty to early thirties demographic of educated and employed. Often a gift for getting an MBA or passing the Bar. No way to know for sure but amongst my colleagues and friends who wear nicer timepieces, I'd say half are Rolex, while the other half are randomly distributed amongst any number of makes including Heuer, Omega, Breitling, etc. regardless the point was not Rolex but rather the difference between wearing a trendy $5k wearable piece of technology versus wearing a $5k finely crafted timepiece of timeless fashion and financial value. So it will be interesting to see how the Apple Watch will be accepted into the fashionable world.

SimonSays - February 17, 2015 at 4:23pm

If they haven't figured out a way to improve battery life, then I'm out. I'll wait a couple years for ver 2. I highly doubt Apple is going to do a refresh on these any earlier than every 2 years. Their gold watch customers will be pissed off otherwise.

TechnoGeek - February 17, 2015 at 6:40pm

The testing shows a higher battery life than others smart watches, how is this not better?

Peter S - February 17, 2015 at 9:29pm

What testing and by whom? Since it has not been released.

gamerscul9870 - February 17, 2015 at 9:29pm

then carry a motion powered charger. It is little work to wear it while charging it.

SimonSays - February 19, 2015 at 2:23pm

1-2 days charge is no Bueno for me. 1 week minimum is a must imho. I'll wait till they integrate a solar cell into the screen on version 2 or 3

gamerscul9870 - February 17, 2015 at 4:20pm

You must be a samhseep then.

justabrake - February 17, 2015 at 4:03pm

If I ever wore a watch I might be interested but I don't and can't stand jewelry either, So no go for me ! Can't believe I anyone would spend that kind of money for a gold watch MADE BY APPLE ! LOL

Dommm - February 17, 2015 at 8:33pm

Any extra features on the gold apple watch?

Vic - February 17, 2015 at 3:42pm

I'll be waiting in line for mine, nothing better than waiting in an Apple line. Free food and positive vibes

dk2013 - February 17, 2015 at 5:17pm

Here's one thing that's better than standing in an Apple line: being at home in bed with a woman. Just saying.

Vic - February 17, 2015 at 6:22pm

Ya, but I'll be there with my woman. It's all about exchanging heartbeats with eachother. When I told her that she was sold lol. Then we'll be in bed after buddy ;)

I'll be one of those people