Apple iWatch Release Date: Special Training For Employees Ahead of April 2015 Launch
Apple has reportedly begun training its employees at Apple Stores around the world in preparation for the launch of the tech giant's new smartwatch this coming April.
The iPhone and iPad maker has been giving hands-on training that will help its select employees to sell the part-tech, part-timepiece item in a different manner, PhoneArena.com reported.
"Since Apple is considering the timepiece to be part jewelry in addition to being part technology, it needs to be sold in a different manner than other Apple devices, especially the high-end watches," the tech site explained.
It also bared plans to put up Apple's smartwatch on glass displays to ensure security.
The section of the Apple Store that sells the more expensive gold edition of the Apple Watch will probably resemble a jewelry store more than the traditional Apple Store, it noted.
PhoneArena said Apple has added a large safe, where the gold versions of the Apple Watch will be stored equipped with Apple's MagSafe chargers, in each of the Apple Stores worldwide.
"The watches will be all powered up and ready to be shown to customers the next day," PhoneArena.com said.
The smartwatch is going to be Apple's first attempt to enter the world of wearables – a first new product category since it launched the iPad in 2010.
"Officially unveiled at Apple's fall 2014 media event in Cupertino, California, alongside the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the Apple Watch may well have been one of the most anticipated products of recent years," CNET said.
"It's made its presence known for months, and a software development kit has been released so that developers can create Apple Watch apps in advance of the product launch," it added.
But not everyone will be buying into the hype and buzz that the Apple Watch has been making. In fact, CNN Money reported that even Apple knows the new product might be a flop.
In a report, CNN Money's David Goldman said the $350 tag price on the Apple Watch is too much to purchase a device "that adds a slight bit of convenience," which "doesn't do anything more than what the iPhone does."
"It just allows you to do some iPhone functions on your wrist... Wearable devices haven't taken off for that reason: The functionality doesn't justify their price," Goldman explained.
While the Apple Watch Sport will be priced at $349, other models are expected to be priced in the thousands.
Fred Wilson, a serial tech investor, agreed that not everyone would want to wear a computer on their wrist that would make wearables as another market where the reality will not live up to the hype.
"The Apple Watch won't be a home-run product that iPod, iPhone, and iPad have been," Goldman added.
CNN Money also reported that Apple Watch's battery life is also going to be awful considering earlier reports of 10-hour battery life.
The fact that there are actually better-looking smartwatches already sold in the market, makes competition harder for the Apple's smartwatch to break into.
"Not everyone thinks it's as beautiful as Tim Cook does. When he unveiled the Apple Watch last fall, Tim Cook fawned over the beautiful design elements of the Apple Watch," Goldman said.
"There's no mistaking the Apple Watch -- it's boxy, fat and, compared to Apple's other products, it's ugly," he added.
But while Goldman said the Apple might not be a hit, he clarified that it is going to be a flop in Apple terms anyway.
With its millions of fans, Apple Watch is still expected to sell a lot of units. It only needs to sell just 3 million Apple Watches to reach $1 billion in sales.