Apple Sold 70% Fewer Apple Watches This Summer Compared to Last

[MacRumors]

The latest numbers from market research firm IDC reveal Apple Watch shipments totaled an estimated 1.1 million units in the third quarter, reflecting a three-month period between July and September, a sharp 71.6% decline compared to an estimated 3.9 million Apple Watch shipments last summer.

The decline can be at least partially attributed to the lack of an Apple Watch refresh until the final two weeks of the quarter, when the Apple Watch Series 2 and slightly updated first-generation models launched. The overall smartwatch market also declined an estimated 51.6% in the third quarter.

Apple still maintained its position as the overall leader of the worldwide smartwatch market with an estimated 41.3% market share, despite posting the second largest year-over-year decline among the leading vendors. Garmin finished in second with an estimated 20.5% market share following strong 342.2% growth.

Garmin's growing list of ConnectIQ-enabled smartwatches and the new fenix Chronos allowed it to leapfrog Samsung, which captured only 14.4% market share based on an estimated 400,000 smartwatch shipments, according to IDC. Lenovo and Pebble rounded off the top five with an estimated 100,000 shipments respectively.

Apple does not disclose Watch sales in its quarterly earning results, instead grouping the device under its "Other Products" category alongside the likes of iPods, Apple TVs, Beats, and accessories. The focus will now shift to the more important fourth quarter, encompassing the busy holiday shopping season.

Article Link: Apple Sold 70% Fewer Apple Watches This Summer Compared to Last

 

[SMIDG3T]

Because everyone was waiting for the second-generation...

Happens with every product. When there's a new one incoming, sales of the current product decline.

Hang on, is this actually an article?

 

[yaxomoxay]

Did they seriously expect a different result?

 

[BootsWalking]

Don't worry, Tim has some amazing products in the pipeline.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Because everyone was waiting for the second-generation...

And that's what might "kill" the Apple Watch: yearly releases.

 

[Hanzu Lao]

And that's what might "kill" the Apple Watch: yearly releases.

You want monthly?

 

[alvesik]

I don't know what Apple would have to do to get me excited about the Apple Watch, but they haven't done it yet.

 

[WannaGoMac]

You mean a device with short battery life, limited app usage, and main feature is for people too lazy to get to their smart phone for an alert is not selling well? I am just shocked!

When the watch can replace the smart phone, they will sell well. until them it's not even a hobby...

 

[iTom17]

No **** Sherlock... they've just released some new models, no wonder sales are in a huge decline. Many people have been waiting for those new models, it's that simple.

Why do they always need to conduct a research to find that out?

---

You mean a device with short battery life, limited app usage, and main feature is for people too lazy to get to their smart phone for an alert is not selling well? I am just shocked!

When the watch can replace the smart phone, they will sell well. until them it's not even a hobby...

Short battery life? Do you have an Apple Watch yourself then? I'm getting through a full day easily, with at least 30% left. Sometimes even 50%.

I love my Apple Watch.

 

[yaxomoxay]

You want monthly?

I expect them daily.
In all seriousness, they can't treat a fashion piece as an iPad or an iPhone. It kills the life of the product.

 

[bunnicula]

Seriously? Most people who wanted one had already purchased one. By last summer, the watch had been out for over a year. Everyone was waiting for the new watch to be released. The announcement was in June and many people who were in the market likely chose to wait until the 2nd gen ones were released. It doesn't take a statistician to figure that out.

 

[keysofanxiety]

You mean a device with short battery life, limited app usage, and main feature is for people too lazy to get to their smart phone for an alert is not selling well? I am just shocked!

When the watch can replace the smart phone, they will sell well. until them it's not even a hobby...

Pfft, when the phone can replace the computer, they will sell well. Until then, it's not even a hobby.

When a tablet can replace a phone, they will sell well. Until then, it's not even a hobby.

I fear time (heh heh) will prove you wrong.

 

[gsmornot]

It's not that I don't want a Series 2, its that my Series 0 is still doing fine for the basic tasks its used for.

 

[argentum47]

How about adding a circular shape as an option so I (and many others) can actually buy this thing?

 

[Hanzu Lao]

I expect them daily.
In all seriousness, they can't treat a fashion piece as an iPad or an iPhone. It kills the life of the product.

That's how technology works.

 

[bunnicula]

You mean a device with short battery life, limited app usage, and main feature is for people too lazy to get to their smart phone for an alert is not selling well? I am just shocked!

When the watch can replace the smart phone, they will sell well. until them it's not even a hobby...

That isn't at all how the watch works. I guess if you can walk around with your phone in your face all day it seems lazy when people need to get more discreet notifications, but not everyone can do that. My watch lasts over 24 hours on a single charge, and since I don't really sleep in watches, that's a non-issue for me, too. As for apps, most run native on the iPhone because the watch is a companion device. I cannot imagine why anyone would actually want a watch to replace a phone.

 

[yaxomoxay]

That's how technology works.

But the Watch is not "technology" per se. It's a fashion piece, with technology in it. And it's relatively expensive.
I don't mean to denigrate the product, I am just perplexed by the release cycle.

 

[merkinmuffley]

A fashion accessory should look good, this watch design looks like crap. I'm not surprised they sold a bunch of them, they could sell an ITurd and the fanboys would snap it up.

 

[Rogifan]

Since Apple doesn't supply sales figures where is IDC getting its figures from. I would guess Watch sales come more from Apple - either in a physical store or online than 3rd parties. No one ever questions these numbers (good or bad); they just accept them as if they were official figures given by Tim Cook on an earnings call.

 

[iTom17]

How about adding a circular shape as an option so I (and many others) can actually buy this thing?

May be a personal preference, but for your information: a circular smartwatch has never worked. Yes, it looks more lile a traditional watch then, but it's just not practical. If you look at some of those Android Wear watches... yuk, so ugly in my opinion.

 

[brendu]

How about adding a circular shape as an option so I (and many others) can actually buy this thing?

You can't buy something that isn't a circle?

 

[maflynn]

Normally, I sat the results are not surprising, for reasons of x, y or z, but in this case I am surprised.

I know the apple watch is not a barn burner in a sense (as compared to the iPhone), but to see such a huge drop off must be alarming. So much so, I'm not sure if you could explain it away as people waiting for the next iteration

 

[JilzVT]

The article tag of "IDC" says it all.

 

[RickInHouston]

It's time for Angela to start earning her big bucks salary. Whatta ya got, Angie?

 

[avanpelt]

I skipped the 1st gen Apple watch (Series 0). Glad I waited for the Series 2. I've had it a little over a month and it's encouraged me to get up and move around more often than I would have otherwise. So far, I've dropped about 5 pounds. No complaints here.

As for this article, I hope someone didn't actually get paid to conduct this "research". Anyone who follows any product will tell you that there is a decline in sales when word gets out that a new version is just around the corner.