“Apple Inc. sold twice as many Watches as iPhones in each device’s debut year,” Daisuke Wakabayashi reports for The wall Street Journal.
“Apple doesn’t disclose sales, but analysts estimate about 12 million Watches were sold in year one,” Wakabayashi reports. “At an estimated average price of $500, that is a $6 billion business—three times the annual revenue of activity tracker Fitbit Inc.”
“By comparison, Apple sold roughly six million iPhones in its first year,” Wakabayashi reports. “As a new entrant, the Watch accounted for about 61% of global smartwatch sales last year, according to researcher IDC.”
“‘It’s become a part of my day,’ said Dana Strom, a 31-year-old video editor from Santa Monica, Calif., who received the Watch as a gift from his wife in November. ‘I miss it when I don’t have it,'” Wakabayashi reports. “Adam Grossman, a creator of Dark Sky, a popular weather app for the iPhone… sees parallels with the first iPod, released in 2001. Many consumers complained that the initial music player was too expensive, too bulky and had limited storage. However, as Apple delivered hardware improvements and lowered the price, the iPod became a must-have device. ‘Most of the greatness that is going to come through the Apple Watch is coming in the future,” Mr. Grossman said. “Six years from now, it’s going to be weird not to have a smartwatch.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote in August 2014, two weeks before Apple Watch was unveiled:
Soon, as with iPhone, we will look back and see two very distinct eras: pre-iWatch and post-iWatch.
SEE ALSO:Apple Watch predicted to capture 50% market share in 2016 – March 17, 2016
Thanks to Apple Watch, smartwatches are now more popular than Swiss watches – February 19, 2016
Canalys: Apple shipped over 12 million Apple Watches in 2015, two-thirds of all smartwatches shipped in 2015 – February 5, 2016
Apple Watch kickstarted interest in wearable devices; sales of fitness trackers and VR headsets are set for rapid growth – February 2, 2016
Apple Watch beats Rolex in luxury brands ranking – January 29, 2016
Apple Watch revenues expected to be $8.4 billion for first year – January 26, 2016
Juniper: Apple Watch has already cornered the smartwatch market – January 12, 2016
Apple COO: ‘Apple Watch marks the end of single-function wrist devices’ – January 7, 2016
Fitbit either doesn’t understand Apple Watch or hopes consumers won’t; neither is good for the company – January 6, 2016
Fitbit exec calls Apple Watch a ‘toy,’ Fitbit shares crater more than 13% after unveiling Apple Watch Sport knockoff – January 5, 2016
It’s official: The Apple Watch is destroying the so-called competition – November 20, 2015
As Apple Watch sales ramp, Swiss watch makers suffer biggest slump in six years – November 19, 2015
Apple Watch models take top four spots on 10 most-wanted smartwatches list – November 18, 2015
Apple Watch is 2016’s hottest holiday gift – November 18, 2015
Apple has already sold more than $1.7 billion worth of Apple Watches – October 29, 2015
Strategy Analytics: Apple Watch sells 4.5 million units in Q315, takes 74% global smartwatch market share – October 28, 2015
Apple Watch users are abandoning traditional watches – September 15, 2015
Over 1 million Apple Watches already sold in China – September 3, 2015
Apple Watch already dominates smart-wearables market, says IDC – August 28, 2015
IDC estimates Apple sold 3.6 million Apple Watch units in Q2 – August 27, 2015
Best Buy CEO: Apple Watch demand is ‘so strong’ that we’re expanding sales to all 1,050 stores – August 25, 2015
Swiss watch exports decline most since 2009 – August 20, 2015
Apple Watch takes 88% of total smartwatch revenue – August 14, 2015
Apple Watch kills a entire industry in three months – August 12, 2015
U.S. wristwatch sales post biggest drop in seven years after Apple Watch debut – August 7, 2015
Apple Watch dominates smartwatches with 75% market share – July 28, 2015
Juniper Research: Apple is world’s #1 smartwatch maker – July 23, 2015
Canalys: Apple ships 4.2 million Apple Watches in Q2 to become world’s top wearables vendor – July 21, 2015
Apple Watch satisfaction is unprecedented at 97%; beats original iPhone and iPad – July 20, 2015
Non-techies love their Apple Watches even more than tech users – July 20, 2015
Apple Watch is Apple’s most successful product debut ever – June 1, 2015
But, but… it’s a flop!!! (cause I said so)
I like mine fine by the way – looking forward to future improvements!
This is a total BS comparison. The first iPhone was severly constrained in terms of the number pf countries it was available. Ot was MONTHS before the phone was even available outside the US. The Apple Watch saw a global launch available in many countries effectively from day 1.
You are correct. Also, the original iPhone was offered on AT&T only.
But MDN doesn’t let facts get in the way of it’s narrative that the clumsy Apple Watch is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The flip side is that everyone used a mobile phone and wanted the features the iPhone offered.
No one uses a smartwatch, or knows quite what to do with one. So it is amazing Apple has sold do many.
Big things in store for Apple in this category.
It was a no brainer for Apple to start with wearable tech on the wrist. Now R&D is cycling.
Where else could we see it? Those VR goggles? Ya right! Especially those that are still wired to your computer.
Now that’s wearable tech… Chained to a PC… My kind of futur…
When people say new Apple products like the iPad Pro and Apple Watch are failures they always compare it to the number or amount of money iPhones make today.
the problem with that is that the iPhone is the MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCT IN THE WORLD.
it makes more money by itself than Google, or Microsoft, or Facebook, it makes more than Ford (all vehicles combined !) etc.
So if a product is a ‘failure’ because it ‘can’t beat iPhone’ than all the products made and sold around the world are ‘failures’ as no single product : car , truck, plane, teacup, radio, etc makes more money than iPhone.
I would argue that this slowed iPhone sales. Once you combine this with a compatible iPhone it is like having a new phone.
Most articles I’ve seen say AppleWatch is a flop. Go figure. Apple has very poor press surrounding its products and services. It seems to me, Apple has a seriously bad problem with the news media.