Shipping dates for 42MM Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport slip to July worldwide – Apple Insider

By Roger Fingas
Friday, May 01, 2015, 08:17 am PT (11:17 am ET)

Apple’s online store in the U.S. — alongside storefronts in Europe and Asia — is now showing July shipping estimates for 42-millimeter stainless steel and aluminum Watch models, checks on Friday revealed.

AppleInsider observed identical delays at Apple’s websites for regions like Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, mainland China, and the United Kingdom. The Australian website is still quoting a June timeframe, but could soon follow suit.

38-millimeter and all Edition Watches typically remain listed as shipping in June, regardless of country. In some places, however, including the UK and Germany, 38-millimeter models can potentially ship as quickly as 2 to 3 weeks.

The discrepancies between 38- and 42-millimeter orders may suggest that the latter is the more popular size overall. Some critics have complained that 38 millimeters is too small, even on skinnier wrists.

Despite the July target, many new Watch orders may still arrive in June. Apple has already shipped a number of orders that were previously quoted as coming in late May or early June, which could mean that Apple is simply being conservative with estimates to avoid disappointing shoppers.

On Wednesday the Wall Street Journal reported that production problems with the Taptic Engine could be responsible for the limited quantity of Watches in circulation. Apple has allegedly instructed some Watch suppliers to slow production until June, which is also when the device might be available directly from Apple Stores and could reach more countries.