Those outside of the nine countries where the Apple Watch is due for launch tomorrow, never fear. Sources from Italy suggest that a second wave of launch countries could open their arms to the new wearable as soon as May 8.
There is no official word on which other countries are due for inclusion in the next stages, but if last year’s iPhone 6 launch is anything to go by, the rollout could include the likes of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
That’s 22 new countries to add to the nine for whom preorders launched on April 10.
Of course, with demand so high and the preorder delivery schedule slipping, customers in these countries aren’t likely to physically get their hands on the Apple Watch until at least June. The May 8 date – incidentally marking the end of the initial delivery estimates for first-wave preorders – would allow the second-wave countries to preorder online, and to view the watches in person at Apple retail stores.
Apple’s latest product hit almost 1 million preorders in the first 24 hours, in the US alone. In terms of demand, the watch has been a great success so far and we should expect that trend to continue once more of the world is able to check them out in person.
Further reading: The reviews are in! Apple Watch first impressions