iPhone and iPad Remain Popular With Teens, Interest in Apple Watch Tepid Ahead of Unveiling

[MH01]

I do not think anyone will be surprised when the watch flops. As jewelry it is uninspiring at best and clunky at worst, As must have gadget, it's not. All it needed to was was look good, but the iPod nana watch looked better without even trying.

You know, you are right. The nano ipod as a watch looks heaps better.

Geez I hope the watch is so much better in hand, than in pictures.

As you said, as a jewellery accessory, it looks cheap and plain, compared to dress watches.

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questions of methodology aside, this isn't a shock. The watch is designed to appeal to fitness freaks, frequent shoppers etc. Kids if they are shopping are using mom or dad's credit card or cash. The Watch isn't likely to work for them cause Daddy would never let them keep a card on it and use it without asking first. And kids are perhaps sporty but not 'fitness freaks' that count every step

If it's designed for frequent shoppers, it will be a flop around the world as apple pay is going to be US only for the first generation of the watch.

The fitness angle would have appealed to me, though it has very limited sensors and the battery life is a huge concern. If it's a one day charge, that's a deal breaker. It would have to last a weekend away.

Though if those two are the main selling points, teenagers are not going to care.

 

[cocky jeremy]

If your teenager is looking to spend 350 bucks on a watch you're not doing a very good job parenting.

You're being a bad parent by teaching a kid it's ok to want nice things?

 

[iososx]

Let's be honest, it's probably seen as Watches are for old people.

Your old uncle Joe wears a watch, ever since you can remember, and dad wears a watch sometimes.

I'm a cool kid, Have my iPhone, and my iPad at home, Don't need to wear some old folks device strapped to my wrist.

Tiny screen, games poor, can't chat to my mates and post my tweets etc easily, can't see the point.

Keep it old folks.

Excellent post!

Apples getting old as a company and it's run by old guys. Tim Cook is 53, Jony Ive is 47 with very conservative views all of which are on display within Apples priorities. People their age have tech savvy kids and their non techie parents desperately want to be "cool" they are the real target market for Apple iPhone, iPads and watches.

Apple is so profitable that watch sales won't matter. Seniors will snap them up just like iPhone cause they're simple to use. They'll never learn the features they'll just strap them on and strut around like the old folks that have a Bluetooth device in their ear to look relevant or important.

I see them in Starbucks, it's hilarious. Just today I'm meeting with a client in Starbucks when I overhear these two old ladies arguing about the fact that according to one, her iPhone receives email but doesn't send it. It's designed that way for security. The other lady disagreed but couldn't get her iPhone to send or receive, therefore she was going to take it back to the Apple store. Both dripping with expensive jewelry and designer clothes in this wealthy area where we live, they'll be eager to buy gold Apple watches.

 

[VertexWolf]

It's time to turn the iPad into a quad copter with whisper fans so it just hovers around my head quietly and comes into view when I request it to. It also will be powered by a miniature Thorium reactor that will need only an annual recharge.

 

[donnaw]

I'm not too surprised that youngsters don't crave an iWatch. So far, it doesn't have (enough?) must-have cool features for them - which is not to say I know what that'd be. My guess is that those who are most enthusiastic are older types, like me, of the Dick Tracy generation, who felt that the Wrist Radio Watch was the cat's pyjamas. Unfortunately, we'll probably not be big buyers of the watch, either, because you can't, so far, call, let alone FaceTime, over it. But when that arrives ...

I'm the same generation and I'm a woman who carries a small purse. I'm actually eyeing up the Samsung Gear because it can make calls. Apparently Samsung is trying to work with the carriers the enable it with a SIM that allows for forwarding from your primary line and not having to buy another number.

If this comes out I'm buying. I hate having a phone in my purse. Lately I've discovered that I can actually get by with just calls and text a lot of the time. I'm all for leaving my primary phone at home when I'm out running errands, at the 'Y' or poll, etc. Hopefully Apple will do the same soon. My husband and friends feel the same. Maybe it's a 'baby boomer' thing. But then we're the ones with the money to burn.

 

[TonyC28]

Wait wait wait...are you trying to tell me that people weren't interested in buying a device that had not yet been announced?

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I see them in Starbucks, it's hilarious. Just today I'm meeting with a client in Starbucks when I overhear these two old ladies arguing about the fact that according to one, her iPhone receives email but doesn't send it. It's designed that way for security. The other lady disagreed but couldn't get her iPhone to send or receive, therefore she was going to take it back to the Apple store. Both dripping with expensive jewelry and designer clothes in this wealthy area where we live, they'll be eager to buy gold Apple watches.

I feel like there is some joke to be made here about you criticizing old people who are at Starbucks while you were having an ultra-modern hip client meeting at Starbucks.

 

[Karma*Police]

Excellent post!

Apples getting old as a company and it's run by old guys. Tim Cook is 53, Jony Ive is 47 with very conservative views all of which are on display within Apples priorities. People their age have tech savvy kids and their non techie parents desperately want to be "cool" they are the real target market for Apple iPhone, iPads and watches.

I'm guessing you didn't bother to read the article... 3/4 of teens want to buy iPhone and that was before Apple introduced the iPhone 6. 1/6 of teens want Apple watch and that was before Apple announced it. I'm guessing both numbers went up after the keynote. So no, the target market for Apple gear isn't old folks, even if you wished that were true. Sorry.

 

[xxrrxx2002]

Who cares what the teens think. They can't even pay for their own meal.

 

[The Doctor11]

You are correct , it's never been disclosed.

If it had decent battery life, apple would have made a statement about it. Since battery life has been avoided in all the information provided, it's a very good chance it will be a day, could be worse...

But they have to improve it so it's not exactly fair to so it won't be good. Who knows maybe by release time it will have 7 days on a single charge. It's a dream I know...

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Who cares what the teens think. They can't even pay for their own meal.

I bought my iPhone 6 myself. It's called saving.

 

[Technarchy]

The Apple watch is still something of an anomaly. People still don't know what they are looking at yet, what it does, why they should buy it.

Once it hits the streets, it might make more sense and click with the masses.

 

[AlecZ]

I do not think anyone will be surprised when the watch flops. As jewelry it is uninspiring at best and clunky at worst, As must have gadget, it's not. All it needed to do was was look good, but the iPod nano watch looked better without even trying.

I agree. There's no shortage of people who wear watches, but they mostly wear them just for looks and for telling the time. The iWatch requires an iPhone to function, which is really lame; the nano (thanks for leaving the lower-case 'n' by the way) actually might be more functional. And I don't know if it's just the people I know, but people who wear smart watches here use some obscure Android phone and a desktop PC running Ubuntu or Windows 10 beta and live in Foothill.

 

[venividivigor]

Literally everyone in my school and other schools I know have iPhones from 3GS to the newest ones. The people who don't have iPhones are the ones who can't afford in my town.

 

[AlecZ]

Let's be honest, it's probably seen as Watches are for old people.

Your old uncle Joe wears a watch, ever since you can remember, and dad wears a watch sometimes.

I'm a cool kid, Have my iPhone, and my iPad at home, Don't need to wear some old folks device strapped to my wrist.

Tiny screen, games poor, can't chat to my mates and post my tweets etc easily, can't see the point.

Keep it old folks.

Watches are very popular in my college, actually. I wear a one and get complimented all the time. It's not expensive, but it looks nice with its copper tint and gives me the time without angering the professor.

 

[rickdollar]

Most teens can't afford the $999 and $4999 price tags for the stainless steel and solid 18K gold versions anyway and most adults probably won't want the tacky pink/blue/green Sport models.

Here's a Sport model that's not pink, blue, or green.

 

[rp2011]

I agree. There's no shortage of people who wear watches, but they mostly wear them just for looks and for telling the time. The iWatch requires an iPhone to function, which is really lame; the nano (thanks for leaving the lower-case 'n' by the way) actually might be more functional. And I don't know if it's just the people I know, but people who wear smart watches here use some obscure Android phone and a desktop PC running Ubuntu or Windows 10 beta and live in Foothill.

I went back and googled the nano watch and came across a quote from a former Apple designer who worked on the nano who says the new Watch looks like it was designed by a committee. I completely agree.

 

[bungiefan89]

Title is misleading.

Should read: "iPhone and iPad Remain Popular With Teens Who Intend on Buying These Kinds of Products"

Except for the first question, this whole survey ignores people who don't want, don't care about, or simply won't be purchasing smartphones or tablets.

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

17% in Spring '14, 16% in Fall of '14.

That, my friend, is what we call a decrease.

Still not anywhere near the 11% decrease that android tablets have seen for that same duration.

 

[Alphabetize]

I have no interest in the Apple Watch because it doesn't replace anything. It just relays the information that's already on my iPhone.

 

[paulsdenton]

When the Apple Watch becomes "cool" they'll buy it in droves.

And it will become cool, because the mighty Apple marketing machine will make it so.

Every celebrity of any importance to them will be wearing it. Count on it.

 

[zipa]

And yes it's going to go well. You can't realistically expect to put a wifi, LTE, GPS, battery, etc. in a watch size can you? And when it happens, you can bet that American Apple will do it before Korean Samsung.

Well, Apple would have to invent a time machine to do so, since Samsung already has a watch with all that. As does many others, mainly Polar, Suunto, Garmin and other sportswatch manufacturers.

 

[Keirasplace]

I agree. There's no shortage of people who wear watches, but they mostly wear them just for looks and for telling the time. The iWatch requires an iPhone to function, which is really lame; the nano (thanks for leaving the lower-case 'n' by the way) actually might be more functional. And I don't know if it's just the people I know, but people who wear smart watches here use some obscure Android phone and a desktop PC running Ubuntu or Windows 10 beta and live in Foothill.

It can run apps, play music, see photos, collect information from sensors (for now, heart monitor, acceloremeter), interact with bluetooth devices, etc. It has a better screen than any watch, better SOC (they designed a whole new one), better material and finish, easier to charge, has a whole new OS with several new way to interact with it.

From a fashion point of view, they made two smaller sizes, made it easier to change the band and made the bands high quality. They made watches in 3 different materials, watches with different fonctions.

Right now, considering Apple has the most efficient SOC/OS combination, no one can give you more functionality per stored energy than Apple. Others are not even close. So, it is not like you're going to get anything better from others.

A GPS, cell or Wifi on a Android watch, will make the battery last 2-4 times less and/or require a much bigger device while not compensating for the extra drain.

 

[marconiusrex]

Who wanted an Apple watch before seeing the presentation at the Apple event? Very few people.... Afterwards....quite a few! dumb to post this survey before the Apple event that brought new iPhones and the intro to the Apple watch.

 

[Keirasplace]

Well, Apple would have to invent a time machine to do so, since Samsung already has a watch with all that. As does many others, mainly Polar, Suunto, Garmin and other sportswatch manufacturers.

Garmin, you mean those things that last 4 hours max under charge.... Same market hey! Don't even try it.

If Apple makes ANYTHING that lasts less than 24h under very heavy use while being smaller than anyone else, people, especially Androidies, will moan and bitch about it ceasessly; that's a fact.

 

[AlecZ]

Still not anywhere near the 11% decrease that android tablets have seen for that same duration.

So tablets are becoming less popular in general? Good, keep the kids on PCs.

 

[MrXiro]

Teenagers would rather buy Beats Headphones then a $350 Watch.

I still think once people get more familiar with the Watch, more intrest will rise.

That's so true... but I think headphones serve a better purpose for teens though. Watches aren't "cool" like headphones are and while the watch does more things... it does things that teens don't really care about.

My personal opinion is that the Watch is a bit overpriced in it's current state. Maybe in gen 2 when they add more useful sensors, buttons and features will it be worth looking into for that price. Doesn't mean I don't WANT one... just means I find it a bit over priced.