9to5Mac reports that customers expecting the first Apple Watch Series 7 deliveries (those scheduled for delivery this coming Friday) are now beginning to receive shipping notices. Earlier those statuses had shown as “preparing to ship.”
Apple’s delivery process is split into two stages:
Products are first handed over to a delivery company with instructions not to deliver them until the correct date. This early handover helps ensure that courier companies will get the packages to local distribution centers ahead of time, to help assure the chances of timely delivery.
Then, the products are released for delivery to customers on the scheduled day – this coming Friday, in this case.
New features of the Apple Watch Series 7 include:
Apple also advertised some smaller design changes, new faces, and more.
The design of Apple Watch Series 7 is refined with softer, more rounded corners, and the display has a unique refractive edge that makes full-screen watch faces and apps appear to seamlessly connect with the curvature of the case.
At just 1.7 mm thin, the narrower borders of Apple Watch Series 7 maximize the screen area of the display while minimally changing the dimensions of the watch itself. Apple Watch Series 7 also features a user interface optimized for the larger display, a new QWERTY keyboard, plus two unique watch faces — Contour and Modular Duo — designed specifically for the new device. Users benefit from the same all-day 18-hour battery life, now complemented by 33 percent faster charging.
Available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, Apple Watch Series 7 is the most durable Apple Watch ever, with a stronger, more crack-resistant front crystal. It is the first Apple Watch to have an IP6X certification for resistance to dust, and maintains a WR50 water resistance rating.
Apple Watch Series 7 introduces five beautiful new aluminum case finishes, including midnight, starlight, green, and a new blue and (PRODUCT)RED, along with a range of new band colors and styles. Stainless steel models are available in silver, graphite, and gold stainless steel, along with Apple Watch Edition in titanium and space black titanium.