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CNET
The midnight launch of the Apple Watch cleared up at least one mystery: how many devices consumers will be able to purchase.
While buyers won’t be able to snap up as many watches as they like, they will be able to purchase twice as many as previously thought — namely two, according to Apple’s online ordering procedure. Rumors circulated earlier this week held that reservations for the Apple Watch would be restricted to one unit per customer.
Apple started taking preorders for its first wearable, which costs from $349 to $17,000, at 12:01 a.m. PT for deliveries that will start on April 24, which is also the date that the smartwatch will officially go on sale.
The larger purchase limit comes despite expected strong demand for the wearable. But you won’t be able to walk into a store on Friday to purchase an Apple Watch like you can with the iPhone and iPad . Instead, all sales will be made through a reservation system.
Apple has acknowledged that supplies will be tight at first, and will be limiting preorders to online customers.
“We expect that strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch,” Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of retail and online stores, said in a statement Thursday. “To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period.”
The Apple Watch, which can sync with several of the company’s products, marks Apple’s first new product category since the iPad in 2010. It’s also the first new push by the company under the leadership of Tim Cook, who has promised for more than a year that Apple would introduce and enter “exciting new product categories” beyond its wildly successful smartphones, tablets and computers.
The Apple Watch comes in two sizes — 42mm or 38mm — and three designs — the aluminum-cased Apple Watch Sport, stainless-steel-cased Apple Watch and the 18-karat-gold-cased Apple Watch Edition. The aluminum comes with silver or space gray options, while the stainless steel comes in its namesake color or a space black version. The gold watch is available in 18-karat yellow gold or 18-karat rose gold.
Other contenders in the smartwatch stakes include Samsung, Sony, Motorola, Huawei and Pebble, while fitness band rivals include devices from the likes of Fitbit and Microsoft.
Apple first announced the Apple Watch in September, calling it a “breakthrough” product. Cook described it as a “comprehensive” health and fitness device, walkie-talkie and remote control for the Apple TV streaming-box.
