Apple’s newest device, the Apple Watch, will be available at Best Buy from August 7.
Best Buy will be the first electronics retailer to stock the watch apart from Apple and a selection of high end stores.
Apple confirmed the watch will be sold in 100 Best Buy outlets in the United States initially, and will eventually roll the product out to over 300 stores across the winter season, which is when Apple are hoping to see a boost in sales.
Sales of the Apple Watch have been reportedly hit by supply issues and low stock in stores , making it difficult for customers to buy the watch. Although store sales were limited to ensure all pre-orders were fulfilled, the same issue occurred for the iPad and iPhone on debut launch. With Inquisitr breaking news of the iPhone 7’s imminent release , the option to put the Apple Watch in more stores seems like a financially sound, and very popular, business decision.
Speaking to The Independent , CEO of Apple Inc. Tim Cook said that, despite initial issues, sales have exceeded expectations.
“Our objective of the quarter wasn’t primarily sales but also how we position the product in the long term because we are starting a new product category.”
The Apple Watch has only been available in Apple stores since mid-June, but has still managed to ship 4.2 million units in Q2 of 2015, easily outselling competitors like FitBit, Xiaomi and other smartwatch vendors. It also fared better than both the iPhone and iPad over a similar period of time.
The decision to sell the watch at Best Buy, which is the largest electronics retailer in the US, is likely part of Apple’s Christmas sales strategy. Best Buy will stock the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models, as well as chargers, accessories, screen shields, and watch straps, but they will not sell the gold-cased model which costs in the region of $10,000. The watches will also be available on BestBuy.com .
In a statement, Jason Bonfig, senior category officer at Best Buy confirmed the following.
“The Apple Watch is a big addition to our stores and website, and we know our customers want it. We are excited to bring the Apple Watch to more customers, especially with the holidays coming up.”
The Apple Watch can be used in connection with a Bluetooth signal to an iPhone 5 or above. Apple Watch’s default apps are designed to interact with their iPhone counterparts, such as e-mail, phone, Calendar, Messages, Maps, Music, Photo, Remote (which controls iTunes and Apple TV) and Wallet.
The Apple Watch is available now from Apple.
[Images: NYpost.com and CNet.com]
