Unless you've had your head in the sand for the last few weeks, you'd have gathered that the Apple Watch launch was drawing ever closer. The volume of attention and coverage the Cupertino smartwatch has received has been staggering, especially given its a device in a tech genre that's somewhat of a slow-burner for mainstream adoption.
As the Apple Watch D-Day has finally arrived, we thought we'd make it easy for you to catch up with all the launch hype..
First deliveries
Pre-orders opened on 10 April and, if you acted quick enough, you could see your chosen Apple Watch (there are 38 different models, don't forget) landing in your mailbox from today.
However, if you've not already pre-ordered don't expect to be getting in on the Apple Watch action anytime soon. If you order the Apple Watch Sport, right now, you'll have to wait until June to have your order shipped. The standard Apple Watch currently has a wait time of 4 to 6 weeks.
However, there's hope that Apple is getting through orders quicker than expected. The company confirmed:
"We're happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected. Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received. We know many customers are still facing long lead times and we appreciate their patience."
When it does land, it's the usual, minimalist Apple packaging affair. Here's a quick unboxing from the wearable tech site Wareable, showing off what you can expect:
You can still buy in-store...sort of
It's been confirmed that some fashion boutiques will be stocking the smartwatch on launch day.
The in-store stocks, as listed by the New York Times, are Dover Street Market in Tokyo and London, Maxfield in Los Angeles, Colette in Paris, the Corner in Berlin and 10 Corso Como in Milan.
Hardware details revealed
Tech teardown specialists iFixit has taken delivery of its Apple Watch and, true to form, has destroyed it already. In the name of research, you understand.
Its teardown has revealed a few Apple Watch hardware secrets - most notably that the device won't be easily upgradeable and that the battery is a 205mAh one - which is much less than we're used to seeing with Android Wear smartwatches.
Apps galore
Apple promised that there would be over 1,000 apps for launch (or Watch-friendly iPhone app extensions, at least) and it wasn't lying.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the newly opened Watch arm of the App Store will be boasting some 3,000 apps for people to download on day one. Check out our pick of the must-have ones.
Early opinions
A few early review have already hit the web. We've had our abacus out and, based on the 8 highest profile reviews we can find, the Apple Watch is scoring well, if not spectacularly; averaging 7.9 out of 10.
Stuff.tv gave the Apple Watch maximum marks, saying:
In some ways it’s the ultimate gadget. A device that no-one needs but that oozes desirability, that doesn't change any aspect of life in a substantial way but makes a number of subtle improvements that you wouldn't want to give up.
Cnet were more balanced, awarding 3.5 out of a possible 5 stars:
The Apple Watch is the most ambitious, well-constructed smartwatch ever seen, but first-gen shortfalls make it feel more like a fashionable toy than a necessary tool.
The Verge, which has the most in-depth review so far, highlights the drawbacks of an emerging tech genre:
For all of its technological marvel, the Apple Watch is still a smartwatch, and it’s not clear that anyone’s yet figured out what smartwatches are actually for.
With first week sales figures estimated to be as high as 2.3 million, the Apple Watch is set to dominate the tech press for weeks, if not months to come.
Will you be buying one? Let us know by leaving a comment.
