Apple Watch Release Underwhelms Critics, Shows Early Signs of Trouble

Apple Watch Release Underwhelms Critics, Shows Early Signs of Trouble

CUPERTINO, Calif., April 25 (UPI) — Apple officially launched their Apple Watch on Friday, but customers won’t be able to visit a store to pick one up. Only a handful of high-end boutiques and department stores around the world are displaying the watch on their shelves, while Apple urges everyone else to order theirs online.

An estimated 957,000 people in the U.S. alone pre-ordered the Apple Watch when its sales portal opened on April 10. Most customers are expected to have bought more than one.

The watch comes in 38 designs in materials ranging from stainless steel to solid gold. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated an a research report obtained by Apple Insider that about 85 percent of people chose the cheaper Apple Watch Sport ($349) over its $10,000 golden counterpart, the Apple Watch Edition.

Although the Apple Watch is expected to be a wearable tech frontrunner, critics have already noticed flaws in its software. USA Today reports thousands of ready-made applications for the watch are running slowly and only a few choice apps are useful so far.

Apple reportedly did not send test watches to app developers before their release, limiting their abilities to create effective products. The company is said to have a reputation of withholding new merchandise from developers in the past.

So far many of the apps have glitches that require the iPhone’s help. In fact, Apple Watch users must have an iPhone with the most recent software update installed in order for their new wearable tech to be worthwhile.