New Delhi: Apple has ordered 5 - 6 million Apple watches from its Asian suppliers in preparation for the product's April launch, according to a news report.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting sources familiar with the matter, reported that approximated half of the inventory is reserved for the Apple Watch Sport ($349) and about one-third will be reserved for mid-range models. The rest will comprise the higher-end expensive models, including the Apple Watch with an 18-karat gold case.
The sources cited in the report claim that Apple plans to ramp up the production of the high-end models to more than 1 million units per month in the second quarter of 2015. Even for Apple, this is a tall order; while the company hasn't yet announced the pricing, the most expensive model, Apple Watch Edition, is rumored to start at $4,000.
Apple sets production plans based on its forecast of demand for the new product. But Apple quickly adjusts these plans if sales are different from what it is estimated. Suppliers say that Apple adjusts its so-called “plan of record” more often and more quickly than any other consumer-electronics company.
Apple sold 7.5 million iPads in the six months after it arrived in April 2010.
Apple Watch is the company's first all-new product since the iPad. During development, the company studied a wide range of advanced health features for the Watch before scaling back its ambition for a device that does a little bit of everything.
