Apple Watch pre-orders backlogged already on first day

Customers preordering Apple Inc's smartwatch on Friday will have to wait at least a month for delivery, an early sign of strong demand for company chief Tim Cook's first new major product.

People flocked to Apple's stores around the world to get a close-up look at the Apple Watch, the tech company's first foray into the personal luxury goods market.

Cook, interviewed on cable television channel CNBC, said initial orders were "great."

Apple predicted on Thursday that demand would exceed supply at product launch.

Apple stores will be showcasing a range of watch cases, bands and sizes for Apple's new watch, with options including crystal displays and cases plated in 18-carat yellow or rose gold.

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Although pre-orders begin today, the product doesn't officially go on sale until April 24.

But soon after online preorders opened on Friday, Apple'swebsite listed shipping times in June for some models of the
watch and four to six weeks for others.

Canadian prices begin at $449 for the smaller, 38-mm model Apple Watch Sport. A standard version will be $699, and the high-end "Edition" model will be priced from $13,000.

The device requires aniPhone5 or later, with at least iOS 8.2, although iOS 8.3 is recommended. The updated operating system released on Wednesday includes moreemojisas well as an Apple Watch character.

The CBC News app will be compatible with the Apple Watchwhen it comes out.Watch users will receive breaking news and be able to browse top headlines.The watch app will also syncwith youriPhone.

Before the Paris Apple store opened at 9 a.m.local time, about 100 people were queuing outside. Staff cheered and applauded the first customers, most of them men aged under 30.

"I have everything from Apple so now I need to get the watch," said 19-year-old Jeremy Dugue wearing an Armani leather jacket after ordering the stainless steel model at 1,149 euros.

Within the first hour in Paris, many customers had pre-ordered their watch, and several went for the entry-level model with a black plastic bracelet. High demand means some shoppers in Paris will have to wait four to sixweeks before their watch arrives.

Meanwhile, in Canada, the Apple Watch is but one of several digital and tech products debuting today.

Here's a look at a few other gadgets and digital services that will be made available to Canadian technophiles:

Macbook

Weighing just two pounds (or 0.92 kilograms) and now simply called "MacBook," Apple's newest laptop is its thinnest (13.1 mm) and lightest yet, even more so than the MacBook Air.

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It includes a newly designed keyboard and a new, pressure-sensitive Force Touch touchpad.

Shoppers have a choice between silver, gold and grey, with basic models retailing for $1,549 in Canada.

Samsung Galaxy S6

Don't forget about the Android phones.

Samsung's Galaxy S6 phones debutin retail stores, ditching a plastic body for a metal and glass casing that adds some style and heft, in an apparent bid to compete in a higher-end market against the iPhone.

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Samsung is expecting to set shipment records for its new Galaxy line. Executives have already projected the company will not be able to meet demand in the near term for the S6 Edge model, which boasts a curved-edge display.

Prices will vary by carrier. A no-term price for the standard Galaxy S5 starts around $699.95 in Canada, while a no-term price for the S6 Edge would be around $829.95.

Television on your Xbox

Attention cord-cutters and cord-nevers you'll be able to watch free live local TV stations like CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS through Microsoft's Xbox One.

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You'll need an $80 dongle that connects your digital TV antenna to the game console's USB port. Shows will show up in the Xbox's TV guide and be integrated into the console's dual-screen "Snap" mode so users can play games and watch TV at the same time.

With the Hauppage WinTV-955Q dongle, gamers can also stream the local feed to a tablet computer and pause live shows.

The feature is rolling out now to Xbox One Preview members in the U.S. and Canada, and will be available to all Xbox gamers there over the next few months.