The big wait for the launch of the super hyped Apple Watch was originally going to be over by next Friday. Now most eager purchasers may be lucky to strap one on by the end of summer.

Apple has apparently fumbled the launch of the Apple Watch, which is already in stores for previews and online for preorder -- and originally scheduled to be available by April 24. That's no longer the case, according to 9to5Mac, which recently got its hands on an internal memo from Angela Ahrendts, the company's retail chief, to Apple Store retail staff.

In the memo, Ahrendts defended Apple's labyrinthine purchase process for the Watch, which involves registering online, going to the store by appointment to try it out -- and coming soon, according to Time, take an optional in-store class on how to use the thing -- then order it online, and finally go home empty-handed (or is that empty-wristed?) and wait for your Watch to finally ship to you. 

Ahrendts argued the retail obstacle course was necessary as the "Apple Watch is not just a new product but an entirely new category for us," according to the leaked memo. She continued, noting, "There's never been anything quite like it" -- notwithstanding the array of Android smartwatches available for purchase in retail stores for the last couple of years.

The memo also details that "due to high global interest combined with our initial supply," which obviously hasn't been able to meet demand, "we are only taking orders online right now." It's a situation that's expected to continue "through the month of May," as Ahrendts put it, with no solid information offered so far on when Apple Stores will actually carry the device for the purpose of selling it to the customers who just walk in wanting a Watch.

As 9to5Mac noticed, however, Apple quietly took down the "4.24.15" shipping date from its website this week.

Despite the complicated appointment-only preview and online purchase process, the launch delay, and the early mixed reviews from tech critics -- it's hard to tell if Apple's fumble will ultimately be seen as an early indicator of the Watch's runaway success, or just another misstep in a long-running series of supply-based launch blunders.

Though the company isn't commenting, a recent KGI estimate put pre-orders at an incredible 2.3 million, so perhaps it's the former. But even with that figure, it's too early to tell if the Watch will ultimately take off with consumers -- especially since and no one can just buy a Watch in stores until at least the summer, and most of those purported 2.3 million who pre-ordered haven't even gotten the product yet, and will likely have to wait longer than they thought.

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