Apple Watch Demand Slides Significantly in June as Launch Momentum Wanes

[JoeRito]

Apple's next visionary product: RED STAPLERS that electronically monitor staples used, staples remaining, pages binded, as well as your heartbeat when held in hand and, of course, provides "notifications." Wooooohoooooo. About as useful as the iWatch I think. They'll pay some celeb to hold it in a commercial and 25K people will have to have one!

 

[bladerunner2000]

Mobile phones were an established market, and the instant success of the iPad caught many off guard, including Apple. I don't think they were expecting the demand to be quite as high as it was. The wearables market in 2015 is a bit like where the MP3 player market was in 2001.

False.

This watch wearable crap is just a fad and NOWHERE near the insane demand and market size that was in 2001 for mp3 players. Just because Apple didn't have much of a hand in it at that time, there were others that did. What followed shortly after is the reason why the iPhone is as popular as it is today.

 

[ninethirty]

You're wasting your time... these guys were convinced before the watch came out that it was going to be the second coming, and now that it's here and it's clearly not, it'll be the next version. It doesn't matter what you say or think, they're right and Apple has struck gold again.

False.

This watch wearable crap is just a fad and NOWHERE near the insane demand and market size that was in 2001 for mp3 players. Just because Apple didn't have much of a hand in it at that time, there were others that did. What followed shortly after is the reason why the iPhone is as popular as it is today.

Mobile phones were an established market, sure, but phones like the iPhone, that you had to pay an insane amount of money for, were no

Mobile phones were an established market, and the instant success of the iPad caught many off guard, including Apple. I don't think they were expecting the demand to be quite as high as it was. The wearables market in 2015 is a bit like where the MP3 player market was in 2001.

False.

This watch wearable crap is just a fad and NOWHERE near the insane demand and market size that was in 2001 for mp3 players. Just because Apple didn't have much of a hand in it at that time, there were others that did. What followed shortly after is the reason why the iPhone is as popular as it is today.

 

[paulsdenton]

That's still a lot of watches. I'm not sure you can call it a flop.

I love mine.

 

[KPOM]

You're wasting your time... these guys were convinced before the watch came out that it was going to be the second coming, and now that it's here and it's clearly not, it'll be the next version. It doesn't matter what you say or think, they're right and Apple has struck gold again.



Mobile phones were an established market, sure, but phones like the iPhone, that you had to pay an insane amount of money for, were no

And as it turned out, people didn't spend "insane" amounts of money on the iPhone at first. Apple dropped the price by $200 within weeks, and later switched to a traditional subsidized model, just like other phones, except the subsidy was $450 instead of $300, which had been the industry standard before then. Had there been this level of scrutiny over Apple back in 2007, people would have been saying that Ballmer was right and the iPhone was already "failing" since they had to lower the price. As it was, there was a fair amount of anger by early adopters, so much so that Apple wound up giving gift cards to early buyers as a goodwill gesture.

I never said the Apple Watch was the second coming. If it were Samsung's offerings would have gotten reasonable traction. However, it does legitimize the market, and I think the fashion angle was the right one, since if wearables are to succeed as a viable long-term market, they have to be seen as fashion items and not simply tech tools.

 

[JackANSI]

Innovation has to start somewhere.

It's always easier to criticize something than to think of how to make it work.

So why were you criticizing the current watch if that is your belief?

If you think something like that could ever work in reality, do it. I can tell you right now it will never be possible. In-eye or near/on-eye displays will happen/catch on well before they get a projector that small to be bright enough and power efficient enough.

For that projector watch to work outdoors it would be so bright it would burn your skin. If it accidentally triggered with the projector's port directly against your skin or clothing the necessary light output would set your skin/clothing on fire.

Talk to Mr. Physics if you think I'm just being critical for no reason...

The reason sometimes Sci-fi and imagination gets future things right is two-fold. It inspires based on what is possible today and/or it doesn't completely throw physics and the real world out.

 

[iConnected]

Almost EVERYONE you see has an apple phone. ...

And some people have a tendency to exaggerate and make inaccurate blanket assertions.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Nearly every friend or acquaintance that I know is (or was) an Apple fan. Yet I don't know a single person who has bought, or intends to buy, the Apple Watch. That tells me all I need to know.

 

[ChrisA]

The watch MIGHT take off if several changes were made:
1) It needs to be much less expensive. $350 for a 1 inch screen device is to much. It needs to be priced like a 1 inch screen iPod.
2) It needs to work with out the iPhone
3) MUCH thinner, the current watch is like a brick with a strap.
4) Many cheap watches have black plastic cases and seem to hold up well to daily use. My $35 Cassio has lasted for years. (Yes I need a watch to track time in a classroom without turning around to see the wall clock)

So, make a $150 plastic case watch that does not need a iPhone that is 1/2 the weight and thickness of the current watch and they might sell. The current product is an expensive remote display for a phone that is to heavy and thick.

 

[I7guy]

Nearly every friend or acquaintance that I know is (or was) an Apple fan. Yet I don't know a single person who has bought, or intends to buy, the Apple Watch. That tells me all I need to know.

I know many "Apple fans" also, and most of them use windows. That tells me all I need to know, right?

 

[I7guy]

The watch MIGHT take off if several changes were made:
1) It needs to be much less expensive. $350 for a 1 inch screen device is to much. It needs to be priced like a 1 inch screen iPod.
2) It needs to work with out the iPhone
3) MUCH thinner, the current watch is like a brick with a strap.
4) Many cheap watches have black plastic cases and seem to hold up well to daily use. My $35 Cassio has lasted for years. (Yes I need a watch to track time in a classroom without turning around to see the wall clock)

So, make a $150 plastic case watch that does not need a iPhone that is 1/2 the weight and thickness of the current watch and they might sell. The current product is an expensive remote display for a phone that is to heavy and thick.

I think the horse has left the barn, the watch did take off.....just sayin'

 

[Jim Lahey]

I know many "Apple fans" also, and most of them use windows. That tells me all I need to know, right?

Funnily enough, myself and more than a few others are considering going back to Windows. That tells me all I need to know. What it tells anyone else is another matter.

 

[ninethirty]

Did it? I've never seen a single person with one.

I think the horse has left the barn, the watch did take off.....just sayin'

 

[I7guy]

Did it? I've never seen a single person with one.

They aren't as prevalent as iPhones, but they are all the rage at work.

 

[ninethirty]

No they aren't. Or if you've got a source. Because not my work, and I work with a lot of younger, tech orientated people in a VERY casual office environment. Nobody cares.

They aren't as prevalent as iPhones, but they are all the rage at work.

 

[iConnected]

The watch MIGHT take off if several changes were made: ...
...
3) MUCH thinner, the current watch is like a brick with a strap.
...
So, make a $150 plastic case watch that does not need a iPhone that is 1/2 the weight and thickness of the current watch and they might sell. The current product is ... to heavy and thick.

Too heavy and thick?

If you want it to look and feel like a cheap bit of tat, perhaps.

It's already much slimmer and lighter than many traditional watches. I like it just fine as it is.

What do you teach, btw?

 

[SHNXX]

Recipe for success for the Apple Watch 2:

Step 1. Make the housing thinner and sense they are using OLED why not give it a slight curve over your wrist.

Step 2. Make the battery life much longer. You should be able to go 3-5 days without charging and sense the battery life is longer, why not add some sleep measuring features.

Step 3. Give the watch more built in apps that are still useful when it is out of range of an iPhone. Watch OS2 should help with this.

Step 4. Very important: Lower the price of the sport model to $200 for the 38mm and $250 for the 42mm. While they're at it, they should also lower the ridiculous band prices. Replacement sport bands should be no more than $20.

Even with everything I've listed so far, the Apple Watch 2 would still be a poor value at the current $400 price point. As I said in an earlier post, smart watches are a tech that no one really needs nor asked for. The benefits of owning an iPhone are too numerous to list. However, the real main benefit of owning an Apple Watch is not having to take out your iPhone as often. Sure, there are other features like fitness but when it really comes down to it, the Apple watch is overpriced for what it does.

Step 5: Make the Apple Watch available everywhere (Bestbuy, Target, Frys, etc) and watch it fly off shelves.

Nice. I'm sure apple executives have a lot to learn from you on a successful product launch!

 

[SHNXX]

Did it? I've never seen a single person with one.

Clearly that must mean nobody has bought one.

 

[ninethirty]

Oh this dumb argument. I see iPhones or major competitors every minute of every day. You know how many smart watches I see? Pretty close to 0. I don't live at home. I'm out all the time. Bars, popular restaurants, all over Chicago. I travel a lot as well. I've literally never seen a single person wearing an Apple Watch aside from the one I bought and briefly wore. They are not a popular thing with people.

Clearly that must mean nobody has bought one.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Wall Street has been desperately trying to work out how well the new watch has been selling, but Apple has been refusing to say. The company, which in the past has updated Wall Street on the sales of new products soon after the launch, has yet to release any numbers about the watch.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-watch-may-not-be-ticking-with-customers-2015-07-07

If these figures are very misleading then Apple should go ahead and publish the sales figures like they have done in the past. There is no reason to let this sort of information hit every media outlet without a rebuttal if the watch is selling at or above projections.

 

[I7guy]

No they aren't. Or if you've got a source. Because not my work, and I work with a lot of younger, tech orientated people in a VERY casual office environment. Nobody cares.

Ok fair enough. At your company nobody cares at my company, they are all the rage.
Be that as it may, it's going to be hard to see these things on wrists, especially since they been out for 3 months only. how many should Apple have sold in 3 months? 60 million?

And measuring the success by a third party report is ridiculous, especially since Apple only know what the real sales numbers are.

 

[ninethirty]

Given their reputation, marketing budget, and past history with digital devices that none of us could live without anymore, it should have been a LOT. Interest should be VERY high, but it isn't. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings or makes you sad because something you like isn't as popular as you want it to be, but that's the way it is.

As for third party vs Apple, Apple staying tight lipped on the matter, when they brag to death about sales #'s on everything else should tell you something about what's happening. They're pulling an Amazon.

Ok fair enough. At your company nobody cares at my company, they are all the rage.
Be that as it may, it's going to be hard to see these things on wrists, especially since they been out for 3 months only. how many should Apple have sold in 3 months? 60 million?

And measuring the success by a third party report is ridiculous, especially since Apple only know what the real sales numbers are.

 

[I7guy]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-watch-may-not-be-ticking-with-customers-2015-07-07

If these figures are very misleading then Apple should go ahead and publish the sales figures like they have done in the past. There is no reason to let this sort of information hit every media outlet without a rebuttal if the watch is selling at or above projections.

As the numbers go they could be high/low or spot on. If they are low and Apple was under my control, I wouldn't say a word until the quarterly results. So that I could embarrass all who mid-predicted the sales.

 

[I7guy]

Given their reputation, marketing budget, and past history with digital devices that none of us could live without anymore, it should have been a LOT. Interest should be VERY high, but it isn't. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings or makes you sad because something you like isn't as popular as you want it to be, but that's the way it is.

As for third party vs Apple, Apple staying tight lipped on the matter, when they brag to death about sales #'s on everything else should tell you something about what's happening. They're pulling an Amazon.

Sir, you are in the wrong place if you think it makes me sad or hurts my feelings.

You are relying on a third party that really has no clue that makes predictions based on probably what they can gather from the supply chain.

Sorry if you get annoyed that people actually want to purchase the Apple watch.

 

[ninethirty]

I would be annoyed, if they actually wanted to, because I'd question why I couldn't make something crappy and sell it for large amounts of money. But I'm not, because they aren't. So all is good.

Sir, you are in the wrong place if you think it makes me sad or hurts my feelings.

You are relying on a third party that really has no clue that makes predictions based on probably what they can gather from the supply chain.

Sorry if you get annoyed that people actually want to purchase the Apple watch.