Target Says Apple Watch Series 2 Orders Will be Delayed, Offers $50 Gift Card to Affected Customers

target_logoFollowing in the footsteps of Best Buy, Target has emailed customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch Series 2 today to inform them that orders may not be delivered by the original date promised upon checkout.

Target said it is experiencing delays in receiving Apple Watch Series 2 models from Apple, adding that it will expedite all orders as inventory becomes available to get customers their new Apple Watches as soon as possible.

No updated date was provided for when orders will begin. Target will be emailing a complimentary $50 gift card to affected customers in the next 24 hours to help assuage any inconvenience or frustration the delay may have caused.

Apple Watch Series 2 launched today in the U.S. and select other countries, including pre-order deliveries and limited in-store availability at Apple and authorized resellers. The second-generation models feature improved water resistance up to 50 meters, a built-in GPS, a two-times brighter display, and a faster dual-core S2 chip.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Tag: Target
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

now i see it Avatar
123 months ago
this September's product launch is looking to be well planned and nicely executed.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
123 months ago
I'm confused by both Target's and Best Buy's announcements... does Apple not tell them in advance how many units they'll be receiving and on what days?

If Apple said they'd deliver some quantity and then they don't, it seems like Target and Best Buy should each be pointing their fingers at Apple, and then not giving gift cards to consumers - any customer backlash would be Apple's and Apple's alone to recover from.

The fact they're giving giftcards seems to be them admitting guilt... what are they guilty of? Did they know they'd have no stock?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
123 months ago
Does Apple have anything to sell? No wonder they didn't want to play the numbers game last weekend.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
123 months ago
Multiple products launch. Higher demand due to Samsung Note recall.
Yeah, that's it. All the hundreds of millions of Note 7 owners that bought their phone because they wanted a stylus decided to buy an iPhone instead since there were no other Android stylus phones around.

Then they decided to buy a Series 1 AW and a Series 2 as well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
123 months ago
The entire world economy is suddenly shifting, entirely due to all the gift cards given to impatient iPhone buyers.

(P.S. I hope Apple doesn't prioritize shipments to MY Target: they don't know a THING about Apple products. They don't even know what they carry, or what shelf 6 feet away from them it's on. Hint: way down by foot level. My Target hates selling Apple products and avoids it when they can.)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kilcher Avatar
123 months ago
Following in the footsteps of Best Buy ('https://www.geekwebguides.com/2016/09/14/best-buy-apple-watch-series-2-delay/'), Target has emailed customers that pre-ordered the Apple Watch Series 2 today to inform them that orders may not be delivered by the original date promised upon checkout.
Not JUST the date promised during checkout - when I went to bed last night at 10pm my account STILL said the watch would be delivered today. They obviously knew at 10pm last night that my order hadn't shipped. That's what ticks me off more than anything.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)