How to Schedule an Apple Watch Try-On Appointment [iOS Blog]

As of 12:01 A.M. today, you can make an appointment to try on Apple Watch. You can set up an appointment at your local Apple Retail Store via the company’s concierge service. It takes just a few minutes.

1. Navigate to the Apple Watch section on the Apple Online Store.
2. Scroll down to the section that reads, “Pick your favorite Apple Watch models. And try them on.” Or, go directly to the concierge page.
3. Click on “schedule a try-on appointment.”
4. Select a state.
5. Select a store.
6. From the available list, find a store near you and click on “View available times.” You can choose from Sport and Watch appointments, or Edition appointments.
7. Sign in using your Apple ID and password.
8. Find an available time that fits your schedule (as of 7:00 A.M., there were no available appointments at my local Apple Retail Store for launch day).
9. After you select the time you want, click “Make Appointment.”

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BandSwapper Will Allow Apple Watch Sport Band Owners to Trade Out Duplicate Bands [Updated] [iOS Blog]

As the Apple Watch pre-orders continue to build this morning, it’s worth noting a few third-party websites who plan to provide services to early adopters of Apple’s new wearable device. One of those sites is BandSwapper, which will let users swap out their unused Apple Watch Sport Band for another size and color.

As was discovered closely following Apple’s big “Spring Forward” event last month, every model of the Apple Watch that ships with a Sport Band – meaning both aluminum and stainless steel – comes in two sizes for both the 38mm and 42mm casing sizes. The smaller 38mm case covers 130-200mm wrists in both S/M and M/L bands, while the larger 42mm option ranges between 140-210mm wrists in S/M and M/L bands.

BandSwapper plans to fix the extraneous multi-band option by allowing Sport Band users to swap the band they won’t use, for a completely different size and color band that they will. As the website claims on its currently sparse homepage, “It takes 5 minutes and costs only $6.”

Here’s How it Works:
1. Tell us which band you have and which one you want.
2. Send us your unused band with one of our pre-paid shipping labels.
3. We’ll send you back a band in the size and color you want.

Currently, the most users can do to prepare for band swapping is provide the website an email address to remind them when the BandSwapper storefront will be live, which will coincide with the Apple Watch’s official launch on April 24.

As expected, a lot of Apple Watch-related news continues to circulate today as pre-order estimates begin slipping rapidly and more news on the Watch’s warranty surfaces.

Update: As several readers have pointed out, customers do not actually receive two complete sport bands, instead receiving three band pieces that together allow for two different band sizes. As a result, BandSwapper’s service will not allow users to trade for a complete band.

Apple Watch Pre-Orders Hit eBay With Asking Prices Up to $2,000 [iOS Blog]

As Apple Watch pre-orders went live early this morning, it was inevitable that Apple’s first foray into wearable tech would become a mainstay on the eBay scalper circuit. Searching around the popular reseller’s website this morning, MacRumors has seen prices ranging from the expected $1000 range to over $2000 for the more popular models of the Watch.

Specifically, both the 38mm and 42mm Stainless Steel Space Black Link Bracelet option, which retail for $1049 and $1099 respectively, have hit a $4200 combined price point on eBay. Both the Space Black models in the Sport and Watch collections turned out to be popular options for customers, being some of the first to see shipping times slip to June and beyond.

This particular listing is selling both case sizes, meaning the price for each is about $2100, doubling their retail prices. Perhaps most intriguing is that the seller wasn’t even able to get in on the initial estimate of a 4-6 week dispatch time, with the potential buyer not receiving the Watches until June. The listing remains up, however, suggesting demand is likely scant at this price.

Less drastically, but still notable, is a $949 price tag for the Stainless Steel White Sport Band Watch, which cost those up and at-the-ready this morning $599. That premium eBay price tag is for a 4/24-5/8 initial delivery date, which is one of only a few listings actually stating a possible April 24 shipping date.

A 42mm Stainless Steel Milanese Loop is going for $1599, while a 42mm Stainless Steel Link Bracelet is listed for $3200. Both are set for what appears to be a 4-6 week dispatch period.

The Sport models are popping up around the site, too, with about a $200 to $300 premium over their traditional retail price. A handful of the Watches on eBay today have a disconnect between their premium price point and estimated shipping date, so it still remains most sensible to pre-order from the Apple Online Store as soon as possible for those who have yet to do so. While the models listed here are some of the more extreme cases, even the lowest cost eBay listings are easily a few hundred dollars over Apple’s retail price. And many of these are also listing prices, not actual bids, meaning demand may not meet these sellers’ hopes.