Apple will finally announce in-store availability of the in-demand Apple Watch, during its WWDC keynote address, according to reports on Thursday.
The firm will allocate a segment of the annual address to confirm the Apple Watch will be available from brick and mortar outlets from June 8.
According to Chinese website Feng (via TechnoBuffalo), which claims to have sources “familiar with Apple’s retail business,” the firm will save the announcement until the end of Monday’s show.
The purported retail launch would come almost a full two months after the company put its first wearable up for grabs through online-only pre-orders.
Apple has been allowing users to try on the watch and even play with it at its plush retail stores, but consumers wishing to buy one have been directed to join the lengthy online queue.
Read more: WWDC 2015: What to expect
Today’s update comes following reports suggesting the firm’s in-the-news retail chief Angels Ahrendts has been preparing retail stores for the arrival of the Apple Watch by sending around a new internal training video.
June has long thought to be the in-store launch date for the watch, so we can imagine lengthy queues forming at Apple Stores around the globe following Tim Cook’s keynote on Monday evening.
Elsewhere during WWDC, Apple is thought to be announcing iOS 9, Mac OS X 10.11 and a brand new Apple TV set top box that will introduce the HomeKit platform.
Will you be prepping to visit the local Apple Store if the company does announce in-store availability on Monday? Let us know your thoughts below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.