“Sometimes I wonder if people understand how organizations like Slice work. They make money by selling their services to client companies, and they attract new business by sending out press releases that become ‘news.’ The more shocking the story, the more PR they get — and, in theory, the more new clients they can reel in,” Ken Segall writes for Observatory. “In this case, Slice got exactly what it hoped for. Its name was attached to one of the biggest stories of the week. But, in the absence of any numbers from Apple, just how believable is the story?”
“Slice’s data comes from a group of 2.5 million people who’ve granted permission to have the their inboxes scanned for email sales receipts,” Segall writes. “Honestly, at a time when privacy is such a hot issue, I have trouble imagining what kind of person would agree to have their inbox monitored in this way. But I digress.”
Segall writes, “The biggest flaw in Slice’s research is that it is limited to US consumers only.”
MacDailyNews Take: US consumers’ who’ve consented to having their email scanned for sales receipts. In other words: Not exactly a Mensa convention.
Segall continues, “Rumor has it there might be a few people outside the US interested in an Apple Watch.”
“Granted, strange things happen in this world. But, given that Apple appears to have sold more watches in a week than others have sold in two years, my little brain strains to imagine how sales could literally dry up overnight,” Segall writes. “Indeed, it’s the fantastic nature of Slice’s conclusion that made it a siren call for sites that are out for Apple blood, and for quite a few mainstream news sites as well.”
Read more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote last Tuesday:
Ooh, look at that dramatic, oh-so-worrisome “drop-off” that began in mid-June – or precisely when Apple Watch began arriving in Apple Retail Stores. It would seem that Slice is not seeing emailed electronic receipts from Apple Retail Stores to their customers. Shocker.
—
Last October, Apple stated very clearly that they would not be reporting Apple Watch sales figures:
We’ll be creating a new reporting category called other products. This will encompass everything we report in the accessories category today, including Beats headphones and speakers, Apple TV, and peripherals and accessories for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iPod. In addition, we’ll begin to include iPod sales in the other products category, and we will also reflect sales of Apple Watch in this line item once it begins shipping in early calendar 2015. — Nancy Paxton, Apple’s Senior Director of Investor Relations, October 2014
I’m not very anxious in reporting a lot of numbers on Apple Watch… because our competitors are looking for it. – Apple CEO Tim Cook, October 2014
SEE ALSO:
Apple Watch volumes are much better than Slice Intelligence figures suggest – July 13, 2015
Why Apple must sell one Apple Watch for every 20 iPhones or something – July 13, 2015
Apple Watch online sales in the U.S. estimated at 3 million through first 3 months – July 13, 2015
The Apple Watch demand FUD is out of control – July 9, 2015
MarketWatch hack claims ‘Apple Watch sales plunge 90%’ – July 7, 2015
Apple to release Q315 earnings, webcast live conference call on July 21st – June 29, 2015
Morgan Stanley: 10% of iPhone 5 and higher owners will buy an Apple Watch – November 20, 2014
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Apple says nothing about Apple Watch sales, so everyone else can only speculate. When Tim Cook grows a set of b@lls I sure that the whole world will know exactly what’s what.
It takes ZERO balls to give in to “journalist terrorism” who write headlines to force Apple (or any other company) to REACT to something they just made up or pulled out of their arse.
However, it takes a huge set of balls to NOT give them what they want. Apple is NOT driven by journalist’s whims. Apple is their own master.
I find it somewhat disturbing that people are allowed to get away with very poor reporting and nothing can be done about it. It’s like spreading lies based on rumors and that’s just wrong. I’d really like an official source telling how many AppleWatches were sold. Of course, any sales number can be considered a flop if that’s what people want AppleWatch to be.
There are so many products put out by many companies that can be called flops but hardly anyone bothers to belabor the fact. It seems as though only Apple can produce a flop product worthy of interest.
“I’d really like an official source telling how many AppleWatches were sold.”
The only thing you, or anybody else, needs is historical context.
First full quarter unit sales:
iPod (first broken out 1 year after launch) December quarter C2002 80,000 units.
iPhone September quarter C2007 1,119,000 units
iPad June quarter C2010 3,270,000 units
Apple Watch launch quarter consensus about 4,500,000 units. That sum is >35% greater than iPad launch quarter (Apple’s most successful new product launch), and greater than industry total of smart watch sales for the past 5 years. Further, its quite possible that Apple Watch launch quarter results will exceed iPad 2nd quarter unit sales (4,188,000 units).
By any measure (not induced by drugged out irrational exuberance) the Apple Watch is an unmitigated success.
You’ve come to rescue us from rampant, unfounded speculation and I salute you.
“I’d really like an official source telling how many AppleWatches were sold.”
However much you might like that, other smart watch makers would like that a hell of a lot more. However Apple knows that precise commercial information of that type is best kept secret at this stage.
Apple knows that analysts are trying to portray the Watch as a failure in order to get Apple to releasee figures showing that it’s not like that, but Apple knows what they’re up to as the analysts and journalists have done the same sort of thing many times before. Remember the iPhone 5C which analysts initially told us was such a dismal failure? The reality was exactly the opposite.
The iPhone 5c is a cautionary tale that I have embellished into a witchy fairy tale for the young ‘uns in my family. There are grimm lessons to be learnt and at the earlier age the better. In my telling of it, the lively and colourful 5c phones dance and sing with children until the frowning market analyst monsters come and convince parents to avoid useless frivolity, lest they be branded as foolish spendthrifts. The fun goes away and a cloud of severity descends upon a once-happy landscape.
It’s called freedom of speech. Get over it !!!!!
“Apple is their own master.”
Which is, unfortunately, why they lag behind Android phones when releasing new features. They are trickling features out every year because giving people everything they want right now means they won’t sell as many iPhones in the future. Meanwhile Android phones are getting wireless charging for a couple years now, custom interfaces and all kinds of things that you can only have on an iPhone if you jailbreak it.
Have you noticed there are no Applewatch commerciasl on tv lately…and have not been for a good month or so now.
Now wouldnt you think if apple was desperate to sell watches they would advertise more not stop advertizing It.
The Apple Watch is the new Newton.
Guess it’s back to the drawing board for TC and company.
Next time make something that is useful and not priced out of the stratosphere!
It is priced DIRT CHEAP💥😡🎉⌚️😱
Amazing what personal information people will give up.
re MDN take: That thinking is way too advanced for Slice, and those quoting their drivel.
However, I don’t think by true definition can AppleWatch be called a flop. I’d say that’s a very unfair assessment based on sales of other smartwatches and fitness bands that have been sold over longer time periods than three months.
There’s all this talk about Fitbit being a “can’t miss” fitness device company with practically unlimited growth yet I’ve yet to see any of those articles telling how many Fitbit devices have been sold to date. Fitbit sales supposedly have the potential to outsell AppleWatches by a huge margin or that least that’s what the buzz is about.
What does a FitBit have in common with a Apple Watch? Nothing worth mentioning in the same post.
The Engadget piece was the worst. They reported the single-sourced Slice data are hard PROOF that the apple watch is “flopping”. Then the author claims that Beyonce was wearing her Apple Watch “backwards”, and claims it as evidence that she was just paid to pose with it, not actually using it. Nevermind the fact that you can’t wear the Apple Watch “backwards”, since the screen orientation can be set to whichever wrist you want and whichever side you want the digital crown to be on. Author of the piece never even wore an Apple Watch.
By ‘backwards’ they probably meant wearing the watch with the digital crown facing up if you had your arm hanging to your side. Anyone think that’s not ‘backwards’?
This is the photo they’re talking about, and no, it’s not backwards.
What part of “it’s impossible to wear backwards” don’t you understand? The screen orientation can be set however you want.
Ok then, how easy is it for any person wearing it like that to manipulate the digital crown? Still think the watch is not improperly worn? Or do you expect the user to use his/her thumb to work it while trying not to hide the watch with the rest of the hand?
Thumb drives the digital crown dial very easily and well. If you think you need to grab it with two fingers you obviously don’t own nor wear one.😖⌚️😱
I don’t think I really have to wear the watch to mimic the action. You have looked at the photo above and by your reply I believe you actually own an Apple watch. Try wearing it like her and tell me how easy it is to use the Apple Watch as opposed to the usual way any watch is worn, with the dial/digital crown facing the fingers.
“Slice’s data comes from a group of 2.5 million people who’ve granted permission to have the their inboxes scanned for email sales receipts.”
“Slice doesn’t reveal how many of the 2.5 million are iPhone owners, or how they recruit people in general.”
In other words, Slice data is culled from scanning the inboxes of unwitting Windows users who have spyware-infested computers. Not exactly Apple Watch’s target demo.
I look forward to being proven completely wrong about the Apple Watch. I don’t care what Slice or any other pundit says. I’ve always just done my own observing. Outside of the bleeding edge gotta have the newest thing / Apple Fan demographic, I just don’t see much interest in the Apple Watch.
In contrast, people are already asking about the next iPhone and the rumored iPad Pro. Lots of questions about when the next MacBook Pro will come out. Is it safe to install the public beta of iOS 9 or El Capitan.
In all this time I’ve had one woman ask me about the Apple Watch. She wanted to get one for her son. I said I thought it would be a great gift. I’d love to receive one to experiment with. He turned it down.
You can sense pent up demand and I don’t sense it for the Apple Watch. Look at AppleTV for instance. Widely regarded as not that great of a seller, I must have participated in the purchase of about 30 of those things. People love them.
I believe with the Apple Watch it’s just going to take longer for people to start and see how it can be useful.
Also, as many people point out, it’s the most fashion connected device Apple has ever created. Other devices become a fashion symbol, such as the iPhone, but the Apple Watch may simply not appeal as a fashion accessory to lots of people.
In addition, the Apple Watch doesn’t solve any problems for most people. It simply provides a different way of doing what they could already do.
Finally, there still is no wearables market. Fitness bands are the most successful wearable product and notwithstanding the incredible potential of health kit, and I underscore incredible potential 10 times, the average consumer is probably not moved by this aspect of the Apple Watch over Fitbit.
Give it time though. This will all change. As it evolves, becomes more sophisticated, less expensive, less dependent on the iPhone etc., it will break out.
We’ll get you yet TM!
Has anyone sat and thought about this?
Maybe the slice users aren’t the target market for the Apple Watch anyway???
In which case of course there won’t be any sales receipts in their in box.
The whole way slice does stuff is totally inaccurate and is flawed beyond belief!
They seriously need to look at how they are getting their ‘alleged’ data.
Slice’s numbers are off for one very simple reason. The type of person that uses Slice is probably an early adopter or techie.
Slice is just spyware, not something people actually intentionally use. The type of person who “uses” Slice is a person who has a malware-infested system Windows PC or Android phone.
No it’s not spyware. It’s Automated Order-Shipment Tracking software. And it works really great. I’ve been using it since it was first introduced several years ago. I love it and can’t imagine life without it. Who are all you clueless anti Slice people who’ve never even had it on your iPhones nor your iPads?😖😱💥 it works like a dream come true and you don’t have clue😡😜
I’ve been using Slice for years. And I’m an Innovator Adopter. That’s before Early Adopter. So yes that’s true.💥😱😜⌚️ Sold an WATCH SPORT to a senior psychotherapist today.🎉⌚️😃
The Apple Watch may indeed be serving a certain demographic, however it is a solution that solves various issues for some people.. notifications probably being one of the more prominent. However comparing a fitness wearable to Apple Watch, despite the similar features is like comparing Apple’s to Oranges..
Some people are never go have to have a need for an Apple Watch. I think the key issue that would easily make the Apple Watch more attractive to some users would be if the price were lower.. if the Sport were $249/299, make it closer to supposed high end fitness wearables in price, would make it more appealing to some buyers..
While I suspect it won;t happen, Apple just doesn’t do it enough, If for the holiday season they lowered the price of the Sport and the “Watch” by $100. or some other incentive (free extra band or something), Apple Watch’s would be flying out of Apple stores and under Christmas Tree.s
Just my 2 cents..
You can keep your 2 cents. It’s NEVER gonna cost less than $349/$399. And it’s a STEAL at those prices. You can take that to the bank and you can iCal me too💥⌚️👀😱
They’re getting all worked up over nothing. Everybody knows that Apple was dead and totally out of business 17 years ago. It was on the covers of both Time and Newsweek, so it had to be true.
My favorite “Apple is Dead” magazine cover was the Wired “Pray” one.
I still have that issue around here somewhere.
Most people cannot see the possibilities that Apple Watch brings to various business, medical industries and educational institutions etc. As an entrepreneur, I love what Apple is doing as it gives me a really good head start…….