“Since the recent launch of Apple Watch, investors have been eagerly watching consumers’ reaction to the new wearable,” Uptin Saiidi reports for CNBC. “For the most lucrative of buyers, interest may be waning.”
“According to a new study by MBLM, a brand intimacy agency, millennials are dissatisfied with the watch. Many reported the original thrill of using it began to dissipate after 30 days, with the watch starting to feel like a weak extension of their iPhone,” Saiidi reports. “Some even reported feeling guilt over wearing the Apple Watch, saying it was an ostentatious symbol of wealth, while others said the watch is simply frivolous.”
“‘The initial demand for the Apple Watch looks lackluster,’ Brian Blair, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities, told CNBC’s ‘Power Lunch’ on Friday,” Saiidi reports. “‘It’s not clear what the killer app is,’ he said. ‘It’s nice to get notifications, but it’s a nonessential product.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: FUD. Anything beyond food, water, and shelter is a “nonessential product.”
Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley reported that consumer interest in Apple Watch is outperforming the original iPhone by 20 percent.
Granted, Apple’s incompetent rollout of a product with no actual product to rollout for 2+ months has negatively impacted the launch of Apple Watch. Where there was once tremendous buzz back in April, it has diminished significantly due to the idiotically long wait for product delivery. Nothing kills momentum like a botched rollout. Hopefully, some measure of excitement can be recaptured. Apple Watch is a great product, but if nobody has one you can’t hope to build upon the momentum generated by early adopters and spread beyond them into the early majority buyers.
The face-glued-to-iPhone folks, judging by the interviews on MBLM’s site, find the watch disruptive to their phone-screen obsession, and they’re not happy about it. Personally, I think that’s one of the best things about the Watch.
Millennials can be made to feel guilty for anything.
“The worst guilt is to accept an unearned guilt.” It is a chain by which opportunists can lead you around.
Congrats Thelonious
Spoken like a true “white” black man.
Or spoken like Ayn Rand.
Whichever.
Guess Thelonious found the millennials.
Git back in yer hole
Millenials are natural whipping boys in a forum frequented by the previous three generations, each of which tediously takes turns ridiculing the others. The most recent generation is the one we all can gang up upon.
Seem to have no guilt wearing a $150 pair of sneakers.
Or $150 sunglasses, or $150 skinny jeans, or $150 coat, or…
No one “needs” the watch. The only ones who may buy it are Apple geeks, fitness nuts. The rest of us have enough screens to look at. The Apple Watch will flop compared to other Apple successes. No one is talking about it and no one is really using one…. enough said. iCal that and see how the Watch is doing in 6 month to a year…
You couldn’t be more wrong if you were right.😜⌚️❤️
BTW, I don’t know what that means either.😆
I am surprised that others aren’t reporting similar experiences to this: My wife called me at work a week ago to tell me that since I’ve been using my Apple Watch, the strangest thing is happening… for two consecutive months my AT&T bill has been $30 lower because I am no longer exceeding our so-called “unlimited internet usage”, imagine that, in a year ( will have recouped the cost of my Apple Watch Sport! What you mean to say is that no one you know is talking about it, but you know … birds of a feather .. etc. Not to mention the MILLIONS already sold without even being in-store, or the fact that Apple recently began shipping to 7 additional countries. Oh Yeah! I love the way you cautiously qualified your statement by couching it this way :
“The Apple Watch will flop compared to other Apple successes”
Fact is, AW is already a resounding success… compared to all other Smart Watches. You can’t compare this category of wearables to phones, laptops, pads, you must compare mmm, Apples to Apples? Not oranges
Wow! That’s an amazing fact you’re revealing here. Never heard about that before. Congrats!👌🏻⌚️😃
Hard for Millennials to buy watches with no jobs. Aluminum model costs no more than a SEIKO or KORS and a lot less than even a stainless Tag Heuer. Most likely market are professionals, not hourly wage workers at fast food joint.
I sorta disagree, i think they’re targeted primarily to the watch wearing aficionado. We buy watches simply because we’re intrigued by them, their timeless utility, and the fact that their basic utility is as endearing as it is enduring, so this to me is just another rather affordable unique timepiece, that happens to be both stylish and unique. It won’t replace my Omega, or my Tags, but I do wear my Seikos and Citizens a lot less.
Interestingly, most watch wearing aficionados DO believe that they are the target for Apple, and that is why they think the product will fail: “it won’t replace my…”
I believe the average iPhone user is the target, someone like me. I haven’t worn a watch for years. I think all those gears and cogs are cool to look at in a watch store or museum, but I don’t want that many potential problems on my wrist. I love something that can do more than just tell time. Alerts tapping me is quite helpful; I have the iPhone muted. In the past, I have gotten messages delayed because of this. Now, I am quietly alerted, can quickly triage to determine if I care.
Millennials have no problem buying $800 phones every six months to a year, so a $400 watch shouldn’t be a problem. It is a matter of priority. I recently attended CPR/AED class, and the instructor apologetically pointed out AEDs were expensive: about $1000. I was startled that everyone doesn’t have one in their home! For slightly more than the cost of a phone, we can have a device that might save a life, either someone we love or ourselves! Priorities.
I’m of the previous generation, but do feel the same way. Granted, I don’t have one.
I felt the same way about the iPhone, though. It was very expensive for what it was, so I did view it as an ostentatious display of wealth in the hands of “early adopters”.
Apple Watch has no “killer app.” Nothing it does that can’t be done almost as easily by the phone you already have.
When the iPhone came out, people said that it didn’t do anything that their feature phones couldn’t do.
When the iPad came out, people said that it didn’t do anything that their iPhones or iPod Touch couldn’t do.
When the MacBook Air came out, people said it didn’t do as much as their laptop did.
When the Apple watch came out, people are saying that it doesn’t do anything that their iPhone could do or that their MacBook Air could do or that their iPad could do or that their MacBook Pro could do.
Why would Apple make all these products that can’t do anything as well as a desktop PC can do? Perhaps there is a reason. Think different.
@Reality Check
Here’s your reality check, the Apple Watch is A PIECE OF SHIT!
OK, now you convinced me. I don’t love my Apple Watch anymore. Would you like mine now that I don’t want it?
What isn’t these days!? But it’s 1 millions of intelligent folks have been willing to shell out real dough, mullah, $$$, for, just like expensive cars that are in the shop 4 times a year, or that TV you just spent $$$ for with nothing worthwhile to watch on it, or the $$ you spend for an internet connection just to spout your vile invectives. But thanx for your opinion.
Crude brains can only think crude thoughts.
I have been wearing an Apple Watch since April 24th. You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
@Inferior thing
Shit stinks and it comes out of an ass.
The Apple watch came from the bowels of Cupertino and guess what, it stinks!
A Freudian analysis of your posts recently, orandy, reveals something of a homophobic streak in your approach to Apple’s governance and product releases. A piece of advice for someone like you, O64: Choose your enemies carefully, for you become them. And that thought must absolutely terrify the likes of you!
Oh, look at the ugly little troll!
wow! you are really funny!!! better get off the computer before mom gets home!!!
Had mine on since Tuesday morning April 28 at the UPS depot.😜 It’s totally false that it isn’t extremely complementary to other Apple devices. I use the Alarm and Timer many times each day. I also use the exercise app every day. There is no way I would ever use the Alarm nor Timer on my iPhone the way I do on my WATCH SPORT – way too inconvenient. My WATCH tells me when to stand every hour. When someone iMessages me I get the message immediately on my wrist and can reply in a flash in a number of different ways including with childish animated emojis.😱
Wednesday my black rubber ActionProof Bumper arrived in the post from Rome Italy. Now my Space Gray 42mm WATCH SPORT is fully protected by the coolest most stealth WATCH cover on the market. Looks awesome.
All this bad mouthing WATCH is totally crazy, mostly written by non- WATCH owners or idiots who have no clue how to use one. I couldn’t be more thrilled every day to have mine being a part of my cybernetic body.😝💥⌚️🚀❤️👻👌🏻👣
Except save you $$$$ while using your phone. Please see my earlier post for explanation.
Anyone who thinks that a $350 watch is an ostentatious symbol of wealth, doesn’t know what wealth is. A Patek Phillipe is a symbol of wealth. A Bugatti Veyron is a symbol of wealth. Owning an NBA basketball team is a symbol of wealth. Owning real estate in New York City is a symbol of wealth. An Apple watch is not.
well said…!!
Anyone care to tell me what a millennial is?
The Millennial Generation or Generation Y are the demographic group following Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.
They entered the work force in the millenium, circa A.D. 2001. Hey, baristas earn wages too.
We’ll know in 30 days what the real numbers are. Wait for the truth and ignore the lies.
What a load of crap! Who commissioned this study? Rosenbluff Insecurities on behalf of Shamsung or Android Wear? If there’s anything that millennials should be guilty of, it’s that a lot of them buy and flaunt these fugly Android phones. Such an egregious assault on the senses.
I’ve had mine for 2 months and liked it so much I went out and got a 2nd one so I would always have 1 available. So what. I’ve been an Apple fan since way before it was cool.
I feel ya brother…. ITs always been tummy to me, back in the crazy days Mac of system 1.0 thru 7.5 and the early days of os x, you an idiot for buying Apple when no one else was, now you’re an idiot for buying Apple cause every one else is… go figure. It’s why i’ve learned to pay no attention to the naysayers… they’re usually wrong.
Spell Checkers!
I feel ya brother…. ITs always been FUNNY to me, back in the crazy days Mac of system 1.0 thru 7.5 and the early days of os x, you an idiot for buying Apple when no one else was, now you’re an idiot for buying Apple cause every one else is… go figure. It’s why i’ve learned to pay no attention to the naysayers… they’re usually wrong.
Like Barbara Mandrell sang “I was Apple when Apple wasnt cool.”
People want something that they can’t have Many many years ago there was a wizard of Id cartoon and his wife saw this ugly vase outside an antique store that had a not for sale sign She went in and argued and argued with the vendor and finally he said okay and turned and walked away. She said where you are you going and he said I’m going to get one from stock. People want what they can’t have. Watches not in store/demand up.
Brian Blair, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities, is deliberately making statements in opposition to actual market studies so far.
But let’s wait and see how this goes. Seeing as the Watch only arrived at the Apple Store this month, there is obviously inadequate data to state much of anything apart from the fact that Apple has been unable to keep up with demand thus far, for a variety of reasons including manufacturing problems.
At the end of July I’ll care what the marketing analysts say.
Manufacturing problems like they can’t expand capacity fast enough to keep up with demand – demand that will rise exponentially in the September-December quarter. Everything regarding WATCH demand and production in mid 2015 is prequel to massive adoption in 2016.🎉⌚️💥😱
It’s been off to a clunky start. But I think you’ve got the hang of it!
I’m a millennial, and I don’t feel one bit of guilt wearing my Apple Watch, that’s absurd. I’m in the 1% in my state, and I’m proud of where I am, and have no sympathy for people who are currently where I started who want to do nothing but complain about it. My parents were just average people with no college education until they retired. I didn’t grow up privileged with connections. Everyone is capable of being successful. People complaining about there not being jobs need to work on developing useful skills and move to an area looking for those skills. I’ve lived in 6 different states for my career, took a lot of risks, and have been down to my last single-digit dollars a few times literally. I started out making $10/hour in my field and got where I am by doing what my field demands, learning things in my down time, and volunteering for what the company needs, not by complaining and doing nothing to improve myself. All this with just an associates degree, which I got about half way through my career while working full time (and at times, overtime). So quit complaining and try actually taking action. It’s like praying to cure a deadly disease instead of seeing a physician. And if you can afford an Apple Watch, stop feeling bad for those who can’t, they’ve likely made poor decisions, lack any motivation to form some kind of personal life plan for themselves, just aren’t the type of people who care about money, or have no interest in technology (not everyone is a nerd).
Oh! And: they feel bad wearing their $349-1099 watch?! A guy in China bought two Editions (two!) for… his… dog! If that doesn’t slap a bum in the face, then I don’t know what does. But wearing a useful piece of technology for a reasonable price surely deserves no guilt. Unless you’re wearing an Edition, but if you can afford an Edition you probably also donate a lot to charity for tax efficiency so it all evens out.
Unless of course the guilt is because they were too slow to preorder before 12:30am Pacific and that’s the reason they don’t have one. 😂
Stupid study. Sample size was 11 people. Not credible in any regard.
They were probably asked a lot of questions that would lead to guilt. The same way you would feel guilty if they showed you pictures of starving children, told you about the filthy water quality in remote places of Africa, and then asked you what you thought about your level of guilt of eating a steak with a glass of wine.
CNBC is the new DigiTimes. This mid-century baby boomer thoroughly enjoys my Apple Watch black stainless steel.
“ostentatious symbol of wealth”????!!! WTF! That’s stupid. I earn my money, and if I choose to spend it on awesome Apple gadgets, I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. These panty wastes can just deal with it.
Actually, an interesting story without a reference to the “study”. The TV broadcast was basically an argument between the Rosenblatt guy and a CNBC anchor about whether the watch was any good.
Looking up the creator of the “study”, we find they “create greater intimacy between people, brands and technology.” So, naturally, without Apple purchasing their marketing skills, Watch will be unsuccessful! Gotta love how there is ALWAYS an agenda.
I still can’t bring myself to get one. Mostly because I can’t see the need, partly because as a late ‘boomer’, I don’t have the eyesight for something with such a small screen, or the patience to deal in such a small space. They’re still pretty homely, although I get that their appearance is a necessary result of their functionality. But they’re also sufficiently iconic that if you wear one, people might notice. And I don’t feel ready to be that person, either, until they might be more prevalent. Which is a little strange, because as an Apple fan since the late 70’s, I always wanted to try their latest products, but lately, they’ve left me wanting and waiting – partly because they no longer meet my interests (don’t need an iMac because I already have a display, the Mac Pro isn’t as accessible as the old towers and costs even more, the Mac mini is still too underpowered, lacks a drive and now can’t be upgraded).
I was in a big Apple store in a high end mall in Columbus, Ohio this weekend (it’s a bigger, better town than you’d expect, if you haven’t been there). The Watches were out, but no one seemed interested. They were literally without consumer interest in an otherwise busy store. So I finally got to play with one in person. Lost interest in about 30 seconds, myself.
Still waiting for that ‘Aha’ moment.
Part of what I’m saying is to agree with posters above – the Watch really needed to keep its momentum out of the gate, and the delayed releases really cooled that energy. Even many of the impulse early adopters were left wondering if they should wait for gen 2.