You probably already know if you're going to shell out $10,000 or more for the Apple Watch Edition—aside from being made of gold, it isn't going to do anything that the $349 Apple Watch Sport or the $549 Apple Watch can't do. However, buying and getting support for the five-figure watches will apparently be substantially different, according to a report from 9to5Mac.
It begins with the buying experience itself. The cheaper Apple Watches will reportedly be sold using five- to ten-minute demo sessions at tables set up throughout Apple Stores, but the Apple Watch Edition will be demoed in private one-on-one sessions that can last up to an hour. Accessories and alternate bands will apparently be offered after customers have been allowed to try on the watches.
Once you've bought your five-figure smart watch, you can elect to have it set up in the store, or you can take it home and go through a "Virtual Personal Setup" video chat with an employee. The Personal Setup feature will reportedly be available to stainless steel Apple Watch wearers, too, but only Edition buyers will get "an exclusive, dedicated Apple Watch Edition phone line for two years of 24/7 technical support." An AppleCare+ purchase extends your watch hotline privileges to three years.
Finally, if you live near an Apple Store that doesn't usually stock Apple Watch Editions, Apple will send some over via courier so you can still get the in-store try-on experience. Alternatively, the Apple Store employees can direct you to a nearby store that stocks the Apple Watch Edition.
All three Apple Watches will be available for pre-order on April 10, at which point you'll be able to go to Apple Stores and try them on. Rumors suggest that appointments and preorders will be necessary to get any of the Apple Watch variants at launch, since stock will apparently be too low to allow for walk-in sales. In-store or online pre-orders can be shipped directly to you or picked up at an Apple Store near you. All watches actually go on sale April 24.
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