The 18-carat yellow gold Apple Watch Edition will be kept securely in safes, according to reports
The luxury Apple Watch Edition, available in 18-carat rose or yellow gold, will be kept in safes within Apple stores, sources say
The luxury version of the Apple Watch, made from 18-carat rose or yellow gold, will be kept in safes within stores, according to sources.
The Apple Watch Edition is expected to retail for thousands, and will go on sale with the standard Apple Watch and Apple Watch by April, Tim Cook confirmed last week. In a bid to keep the expensive timepieces secure Apple has begun installing safes in stores, sources told 9to5Mac. UK pricing is yet to be announced, but the Sports model will retail in the US from $349 (£230).
The safes will come equipped with Apple's patented MagSafe magnetic chargers to recharge demo models, as well as boxed stock.
Apple is said to be sending two employees from stores across the US to training sessions in Cupertino, California and Texas from mid-February, and will be developing ways of demonstrating the Watch to customers on the shop floor.
In a video message to retail staff in November last year, senior vice president of retail and online stores Angela Ahrendts told staff to prepare for "a new watch launch coming in the spring" - leading analysts to believe the Apple Watch, announced at the iPhone 6 launch event, would go on sale in the first three months or so of 2015.
Apple had previously said to expect a launch in 'early 2015' when the watch was first unveiled at the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last September.
The Watch will come in three versions - the Apple Watch Sport in grey or silver anodized aluminium, the standard Apple Watch in polished or black stainless steel, and the luxury Watch Edition, available in rose or yellow 18 carat gold developed to be up to twice as hard as standard gold. Each model will be available in two sizes - 38 mm and 42 mm, with sapphire crystal displays.
Apple to borrow '$6.5bn' despite record profits
Apple has revealed plans to borrow billions, despite its recently confirmed status as the most profitable public company in history and its cash reserves of $178bn (£118bn).
The bond sale was revealed in a regulatory submission on Monday. It comes after Apple said last week that soaring sales of the latest iPhone models, especially in China, boosted its quarterly profits to $18bn.
Apple has previously used the proceeds of bond sales to fund share buybacks and appease investors such as the activist Carl Icahn who want to see it return more of its vast wealth to them. It borrowed $17bn in 2013 and sold €2.8bn (£2.1bn) in bonds on the European markets in November last year.
Apple was initially looking to raise $5bn in its new Wall Street bond sale, but boosted this to $6.5bn, Bloomberg reported, citing an anonymous source.
By taking on new debt for buybacks, Apple is able to avoid large US tax bills for repatriating cash. Low interest rates mean corporate debt costs less than under more usual economic conditions, and much less than paying tax.
Apple said it would use the $6.55bn for "general corporate purposes, including repurchases of our common stock and payment of dividends under our program to return capital to shareholders, funding for working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions and repayment of debt."
Apple's policy of hoarding the profits of international sales of iPhone, iPads and Macs offshore has prompted criticism from American politicians.
China is a major source of growth for Apple
A Senate Committee accused the company of trying to find the 'Holy Grail of tax avoidance' via its complex
network of international subsidiaries. Apple's tax arrangement with the Irish government is currently under investigation by European competition watchdogs over allegations it amounts to illegal state aid.