“Something has changed inside Apple Retail stores. On a recent trip to my local Apple Store on a Sunday afternoon, it was actually difficult to get up close to the Apple Watch tables. People were looking at and buying various Apple Watch models and bands. It bought back memories of the early hoopla found when trying out iPad for the first time,” Neil Cybart writes for Above Avalon. “Just two years ago, the lack of crowds around the Apple Watch tables led people to wonder if the Apple Watch was a misfire. Something is changing when it comes to the way people are thinking about Apple Watch.”
“My recent Apple Store observation is not an isolated incident. More people are buying Apple Watches these days. During the three quarters leading up Apple’s FY1Q18, Apple Watch unit sales have been up at least 50 percent year-over-year. From a unit sales perspective, this works out to Apple Watch sales trending at a little less than 20M units on an annual basis,” Cybart writes. “In what will come as a surprise to most people, Apple Watch likely outsold Amazon Echo during the holidays despite Apple Watch selling for nearly 10x more money.”
“Based on unit sales, the Apple Watch business is currently about the size of the Mac business,” Cybart writes. “Why is Apple Watch sales momentum growing? My theory is that consumers are starting to see a place for Apple Watch in their lives. While Apple’s revised Apple Watch marketing campaign around health and fitness has led to a clearer sales pitch, I think the health and fitness messaging ends up being Apple’s way to get its wrist in the door. People aren’t buying and using Apple Watch just for its health and fitness monitoring features. There is something more at play here.”
Tons more in the full article – very highly recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: This is a market that Apple dominates because, as Cybart notes in his full article, Apple is not wedded to platforms that demand attention. Apple Watch works differently. It’s designed to deliver bite-sized bits of information not long periods of user interaction.
As Cybart writes, “For companies with business models based on grabbing as much of our attention as possible, Apple Watch does not represent a preferred revolution. This is likely one reason why Android Wear has failed to amount to much for Google. There just isn’t much incentive for Google to put Android on the wrist.”
But, by the time real augmented reality eyewear arrives (real, as in: salable products that people want to buy and wear), Apple will own the wearables game. The Apple Watch will work in conjunction with Apple Glasses and AirPods. And Apple will face little competition since, by that time, hundreds of millions of Apple Watches will be on users’ wrists worldwide.
Look around. You might be surprised how many Apple Watches you can spot on people’s wrists already!
Apple Watch; my favorite Apple product at the moment and has been from the get go.
But the cellular version just takes it to whole new level.
Love the thing !
Horray .. 86 people down vote My complements for Apple watch being an awesome product..just out of Spite for political differences..
U dont have to like me to like Apple watch..fools !
You libs.. this is what I meant in my previous posts.. you will shoot yourselves in the foot to protect your dogmatic doctrine !
Trump is kicking ass and in one year has done more than your elitist idle did in 8 years.. if he ever did anything other than be a puppet!
Go ahead .. distort opinion pools based on your beliefs and political views rather than subject at hand !!
i was nutral.. and unbiased..
U guys.. in the last few years have managed yto push me away..
Progressive and dogma are oxymoronic!
That is the progressive way
Yo, Jimbo, these anti-Trump leftist commie types SUCK.
My Gen 1 Apple Watch has basically been a good purchase and has mostly done its job for the past 2.5 years. Notifications still aren’t as consistent as they should be though, and the S1 chip is too underpowered. As MDN has said, the Gen 2 Apple Watch should have been what Apple released from the start. I don’t see any features in the newer models besides the faster chips that would move me to upgrade. A slimmer form factor would be nice.
The cellular feature is worth every penny !
The faster chips and bump in RAM and battery make a HUGE difference in the Watch. I jumped from Gen 0 to latest (LTE-which I don’t use). For me latest Watch does its task effortlessly and has 80% or more battery left over at bedtime. I keep it on to track my sleep, and then recharge while I’m getting ready the next morning. This version is leaps and bounds better than the original (and likely Gen 1).
It’s worth considering then, but the idea of dropping $500 on another one in less than 3 years doesn’t quite work for me.
I thought there was no reason to switch from my gen one Watch, until I got a watch 3 for Christmas with cellular. It is a whole new world. Hard to describe, but the speed, the brighter screen, and the cell phone take it to a level that surprised me in a huge way, all positive.
thanks for the insight, something to ponder
My Gen 1 Apple Watch still does the job mostly for me now. But having skipped 2 generations I look forward to buying the 4th.
I chuckle at the pinheads who’ve derided the Apple Watch in the past without even trying it. May they eat plenty of crow now.
Mac sales suck that much?