Buying an Apple Watch isn’t as simple as you may think

TORONTO – So, you’ve made the decision to shell out for an Apple Watch. That means you’ll be able to walk into your local Apple Store, hand over your credit card and leave with your new device on your wrist, right? Wrong.

Apple will forgo its usual lineup-inducing protocols for the launch of its first wearable device.

Prospective Apple Watch buyers will have to book an appointment to try on the device in store and then place an online order for the device. There will be no walking in and walking out with a watch.

READ MORE: Apple Watch review roundup – The best, most expensive smartwatch you don’t need

Here’s how it works:

Starting Friday, Apple stores across Canada will begin accepting reservations for customers to come in and meet with a sales specialist who will help you try on the model you are thinking of buying and walk you through some of the features. The appointments will be 15 minutes long.

However, once you chose your model, you’ll still need to place your order online and have it shipped to you. That’s right, Apple won’t have any stock in store.

“Based on the tremendous interest from people visiting our stores, as well as the number of customers who have gone to the Apple Online Store to mark their favourite Apple Watch ahead of availability, we expect that strong customer demand will exceed our supply at launch,” said Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of retail, in a press release.

“To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "To provide the best experience and selection to as many customers as we can, we will be taking orders for Apple Watch exclusively online during the initial launch period."

Once your device ships, you will also have the option to return to the Apple Store to go through what the company describes as a “Personal Setup,” where a representative will walk you through the setup of the watch and answer any questions you may have.

READ MORE: How much will Apple Watch cost and when can I get one?

Apple said everyone who comes into the store is welcome to try the watch, but they encourage making an appointment to cut down on wait times.

Of course, you can skip all of this by ordering your device online, if you know exactly what configuration you want – keeping in mind there are 54 possible configurations in all.

You can pre-order the device online starting Friday at 3:01 a.m. EDT – but it won’t ship until April 24.

Be prepared to place your order as soon as possible – popular models may sell out quickly.

Here’s a reminder of the prices:

• Apple Watch Sport: $449 for the 38 mm version, $519 for the 42 mm version
• Apple Watch: $699 to $1,459, depending on your choice of band
• Apple Watch Edition: Starting at $13,000