“Fluent Research recently conduced an interview with over 2,500 American’s nationwide and determined that the Apple Watch is nearly 8% of American’s already own an Apple Watch,” Abdel Ibrahim reports for WatchAware. “The survey asked users why they purchased one as well as various other questions regarding usage. Interestingly enough, Fitness was one of the top reasons why folks purchased one.”
Here’s what else they found:
• Three in five users said they plan to upgrade their Apple Watch when the next version is released
• Those who currently have an iPhone are likely to purchase an Apple Watch within the next year
• The public is not completely sold on the idea of whether or not the Apple Watch will be a useful product in about a decade
• Health and Fitness is the number one reason people are buying Apple Watches (80%)
• 75 percent use their Apple Watch for listening to Music, while 61 percent use it for Apple Pay
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So, on average, every 12th person or so that you pass on the street in the U.S.A. is wearing an Apple Watch. That’s first generation, no less.
Eleven people wasting their time and one person efficiently moving through their day armed, literally, with their Apple Watch, not craning their neck, fixated on their iPhone display, saving bits of time here and there that really add up to a significant chunk of time by the end of each day.
1 out of every 12 Americans already has an Apple Watch. Quite the “flop,” huh? 😉
SEE ALSO:
Analyst: Next-gen Apple Watch to be up to 40% thinner, debut at WWDC in June – April 8, 2016
Analyst: Apple smartbands are a part of the Apple Watch’s future – April 8, 2016
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
I don’t purchase 1st gen products…
Look what happened with the support on the 1st gen iPad…
I do however fully plan to buy a Apple Watch 2 (or whatever they name it)
“Look what happened with the support on the 1st gen iPad…”
Oh, you mean, after how many years, when the hardware could no longer keep up with the requirements? And yet there is a 1st gen iPad in my family still doing useful work daily, even if it can’t be upgraded or run some current apps. It’s unrealistic to expect rapid technological advancement AND that older devices can keep up 100%. And yet Apple devices of all kinds have a longer practical lifespan than just about any other tech company.
Sorry but I have to agree with Daniel the 1st gen iPad was cut off support too early vs other products. It was less than 18 months after its EOL date. Apple could have made iOS6 and 7 scale better on older hardware but they’d rather sell new iPads.
iPad1 still works well for some tasks but not important ones like web browsing. I still have mine as a video player for my kid.
My point on this is, the iPad 2 has had 5 iOS updates after the version it came with
The first iPad had 2 major updates…
I’m not saying this will happen with the first gen Apple Watch but I wouldn’t be surprised…
They figure out how the hardware is used and they build the next version to better suit the usage patterns
That is a legitimate point, Daniel. But I agree with others that people who purchased the original iPad got plenty of use out of it…years of service and two major OS upgrades. Apple does not guarantee a certain lifespan or a certain number of OS upgrades.
I have had great service from all of my Apple devices. They have lasted a long time and grown better with age, even if they did not keep up with the new hardware releases. I am not generally a first adopter for several reasons, and that is a philosophy that you appear to share. I believe that Apple learns a great deal from the initial release of a product, and that makes the second generation much better. I did not buy an iPad until retina came out on the iPad 3. Six months later the iPad 4 was released with the Lightning port. So it goes…
Personally that seems like an odd thing to insist on…why would you deprive yourself of something great and valuable to your life and livelihood just because it is a first generation product? To each their own I guess, it just strikes me as out of place. It’s not like its a principled position.
I have no idea whether I will replace my watch with the next version until I’ve seen what it offers. Zero regrets from having bought a perfectly good 1st gen product that serves me well.
I typically have not bought 1st gen Apple products. My first iPod was 3rd gen. My first iPhone was the 3GS.
However I have bought several 1st gen products when they represent a significant improvement for me. The rMBP I bought in 2012 is still kicking butt. The Apple watch is fantastic for monitoring exercise, driving directions, notifications etc. I may end up buying the 2nd gen if it is thinner. The thickness is my major issue with the 1st gen.
To be fair the only fault the 1st gen ipad had was a lack of memory. If not for that it might still be supported.
Wow, surveyed 2,500 out of a population of 322 million. Yep, that sure has to be accurate. But, MDN sure ate it up.
Go take a basic statistics course. You have no idea what you’re talking about. 2,500 is a perfectly acceptable sample size in this case.
What they fail to mention is they went to 1 gay bar in each city.
What lower than a idiot? You bubba.
Yup. You’re a Dick.
@F2T2
You know what you also learn in a basic statistics class? The difficulty of getting a sample that properly models the target population. I have an Apple Watch and I love it, but I’m calling garbage on this statistic. I don’t believe that 24+ million Americans own Apple Watches. The fact that the author made four grammatical errors in his/her opening sentence also makes me skeptical of the claim.
I have to agree. The sample size is not an issue, despite the OP’s priest. As you point out the quality of the sample is the hard part. If this were accurate that would mean Apple sold a *lot* more watches than anybody has projected. So much so that it would have already shown up in the top line earnings.
Protest, not priest 🙂
and if they had sold a lot more watches than projected, one might suspect mr. apple would not be so hesitant to release sales figures.
so yeah, i have my doubts about the quality of the sample data as well.
but then again i am one of those non-first adopters, who prefers to wait an iteration or two down the road for the kinks to get worked out and additional features to be implemented.
The statistic may or may not be accurate, but it’s not “garbage.” Pundits and industry analysts agree that Apple sold between 16-20 million units in 2015 — let’s call that 2.5 million a month average from June to November, and five million for Christmas. That’s 20 million units. Another four million sold since then? Absolutely doable.
One last thing: the writers at MDN may not be very good proofreaders, but that doesn’t undermine the report, which came from another source. You clearly do understand stats, but you might need a little refresher on logic. 🙂
Yes, but not all 24 million in the US. I wouldn’t put any more stock in “pundits and industry analysts” as I would in political “journalists”.
Indeed, that’s world-wide.
Agree. As long as the sample was generally representative of the US population overall, then a sample size of 2500 should provide ample power to draw valid statistical inferences from.
If they created their sample properly, 2,500 people is enough to create a statistically valid survey. Check out 538.com for articles on how valid relatively small sample sizes can be.
I’ve done very simple surveys of college students generated by campus-wide emails. We will send out 6000 invitations, and within an hour, the first few hundred will have responded. The percentages after the first hour are virtually identical to the final percentages — so much so that I no longer need to wait till the survey closes. I may end up with 4000 responses, but I know what the result will be after the first 400.
Yeah well, from what areas of the country are these people being polled? I find it hard to believe there are almost 26 million Americans wearing these things. I personally haven’t seen even one, but maybe I just don’t get around. Now I have seen quite a few Fitbits on people.
Again, take a stats class. Anecdotal evidence (your own tiny universe) doesn’t prove anything. You’d almost never see my Apple Watch, for example: I wear a leather jacket much of the time. You are correct, however, that you’re more likely to notice a Fitbit, because you see them when people are exercising and not wearing long sleeves. 🙂
It really isn’t 2,500 out of 322 million person because that 322 million person includes lots of persons who are very young and would not buy an Apple Watch and would not have one bought for them. There are 40 million boys and girls under the age of nine. So the population that an Apple Watch would be possibly marketed to is about 282 million. In addition, if you subtract out the population between ages 10 and 20 and those over 65 (I am over 65), the market gets even smaller – about 216 million. Still a big number but the point is your number of 322 million is high. Regarding sample size check out this website. It shows that an amazingly small sample can be representative of a large number and you can adjust the level of confidence (margin of error)
I really find this hard to believe. That number seems very high. The only way to know for sure, of course, would be if Apple released their US sales numbers.
For Apple to know and all competitors wonder…
Sounds very high. That would mean they’ve sold close to 25,000,000 just in the US. The numbers that I’ve seen floating around are closer to 10,000,000 worldwide.
Right! Eight million? Let’s see the sales numbers.
Meh!
By the time the Apple Watch 2 is released there could be 40 million Apple Watch owners. If 3 out of 5 of these people upgrade “sight unseen” then Apple will sell 24 million Apple Watch 2’s at launch. If the consumers waiting for version 2 are included, then Apple Watch 2 could be on back order for months.
I seriously don’t think this statistic has any possible validity.
I have a black stainless steel currently. Apple now offers a gold colored (not plated) aluminum but if it is in stainless I’d buy a additional watch.
For the past year Wall Street, Apple competitors and others religiously believed the Apple Watch FUD spewed onto their news feeds. Now, it seems these same people are experiencing some form of Stolkhome Syndrome and are having a difficult time believing that the Apple Watch is a hit. If this survey is correct then the Apple Watch is Apple’s most successful version one product in several years. According to this survey about 25 million Americans now own an Apple Watch. My guess is another 10 million users have the Apple Watch outside the U.S. The original iPad had 15 million sales and the original iPhone had 6 million sales. With around 35 million first year sales, the Apple Watch is a timely success. Sorry haters.
Any other company would KILL to get 8% of the US population in the first year with their product.
CEOs get bonuses for achieving just 2% of the US market in one year.
Of the 1500 staff in my office tower, not 1 has a shitty Apple Watch! And that’s majority of lawyers and high end highly paid professionals!!! Not one! Kinda defeats ur BS survey of 2000 Americans. Where’d they do this shit survey? At a school in the bronx. Lol
Friend, no one on the internet believes you even have a job, let alone know any lawyers.
… and who lols at their own comment?
So you have PERSONALLY EXAMINED the wrists of every person who work in this office tower. Are you the office tower’s official wrist inspector? What other body parts do you inspect?
He is the security guard at the department of corrections and he makes everyone remove their watch when they go through the scanner.
He’s also the tranny bathroom inspector. 🙂
it can’t be 8% of the u.s. population. the under 5 yr. olds don’t wear them, and most of the 6 – 16 yr. olds don’t wear them too. their sampling is flawed because they only interviewed or got data from people that can be interviewed (speak, write), and probably only, or mostly, from adults. also, how did they manage to interview undocumented aliens? also, what about old people in senior care centers, people in hospitals, prisons, overseas, etc.? maybe 8% of the people they interviewed have apple watches, but certainly not 8% of the u.s. population. and if we are going to use 538.com as a reference source, then remember all the things nate has written about the problems of political polling and representative samples, and then you have an easier problem – only adults to begin with, and there are still biases in the results. 2,500 is only acceptable if the sampling methodology is reasonable. this result doesn’t pass the laugh test.
Actually, el Tritoma, the first Apple Watch I ever saw “in the wild” was on the arm of a pre-teen. Rich kid, presumably, though really $350 isn’t much to spend. They appear to be quite popular at the local high school, though I do admit I live in an upscale area. I didn’t get mine for a while, I wasn’t sure they were worth the money, but I’m glad I gave it a chance.
8% of the US population would mean over 25 million watches in the US only.
Apple hasn’t disclosed sales figures (What a surprise) but worldwide estimates are somewhere between 5 million at worst and 15 million at best WORLDWIDE.
This “Interview” is complete nonsense. Admitting the numbers are not completely made up, they it must have been done in Cupertino or any other Apple fan zone.
To MDN : Not checking your sources is one thing… But being completely blind to the most basic logic is another. Get your facts straight
I still don’t get the appeal. Maybe a couple of generations down the line when it runs independently of an iPhone, but right now not for me.
I’m still struggling to find the spare cash to get a used iPhone 5s. (Currently have an old Android POS). I don’t see such a wealthy man’s tchotchke any time in my future. Apple products are an ever-increasing fantasy for everyone I know; two rapidly diverging roads.
[Typing this on a Macmini3,1 w/ OSX 10.11.4 …barely]
Go do a random sample by looking at peoples wrist, not conducting an interview.
If you queried 2500 people on how many have an IQ over 110 you would probably receive over an 80% affirmative response.
My guess is Apple will achieve 100% sales growth with the Apple Watch 2, equaling around 70 million sales. In the first year of existence the Apple Watch generated as much profit as Facebook did in their last four quarters. Since the Apple Watch business is growing much faster than Facebook’s business, I believe the P/E of the Apple Watch business should be double that of Facebook. This means the Apple Watch business should be worth $480B. Currently, investors think the Apple Watch is a flop, which means it has a P/E of zero. Investors have a lot of catching up to do.
On a side note: The Apple Watch proves Apple can still innovate and is way ahead of the curve. This proves the DNA of Steve Jobs has not left the building. Last night I was surfing YouTube and came across this video of Steve Jobs showing the features of the NeXT Computer. In 1992 this system was light years ahead of everybody else. The point is, investors have wrongly discounted the future of Apple with no Steve Jobs. The Apple Watch and are other Apple products prove Apple is doing just fine.
For your viewing pleasure, Steve and NeXT in 1992:
Baloney! I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Apple products can be seen everywhere; but I have never seen even a single person wearing an Apple watch.
Apple fanboys will glom onto anything that supports their own delusions. Apple has refused to reveal Apple Watch sales data and no “statistics” can prove actual sales data. Pathetic fanboys.
92% of the population got it right.
Has to be a completely bogus figure. 30 Million teens to middle age adults owning Apple watches… …i.e., that would have to be something like 16% of these demos to hit 8% of the population??
No way. I know many hundreds of people in all walks of life (many making decent money) and ONE (a niece) has one. And I’ve seen maybe 3 or 4 others “in the wild” in the last year.
Nor do I recall $15B (average of $500 with watches and accessories) showing up in the “other” category in recent quarterly reports.
I repeatzzz: No way. Period.
Mac Daily News: “So, on average, every 12th person or so that you pass on the street in the U.S.A. is wearing an Apple Watch. That’s first generation, no less.”
Gee, I didn’t even see the invisible model announced. The headline debunking this hokum should be “The King’s new Apple Watch.”
For shames, MDN….