Apple Watch's Record-Breaking Quarter Was Opposite One of Fitbit's 'Largest Declines Ever'

[dogslobber]

A random guess by a firm with a questionable track record doesn't a success make. If the iWatch was selling like hot cakes then Apple would be the first to blow their Trump-et. So the reverse is probably true and it's a flop due to the three problems that are crippling it. Specifically,

1) lack of always on display
2) battery life must be 1 week minimum
3) lack of thinness

You'd think Apple would at least get #3 right!

 

[62tele]

They are both wearables and competing for the same space on the wrist. It clearly shows that the demand is not in smartwatches, but in sports bands.

That really remains to be seen. Do folks really want a one trick pony like fitbit? Apparently not since Fitbit is pursuing greater functionality, ie. becoming a "smartwatch".

 

[jdillings]

That really remains to be seen. Do folks really want a one trick pony like fitbit? Apparently not since Fitbit is pursuing greater functionality, ie. becoming a "smartwatch".

Are you serious? Fitbits are everywhere. For every 1 Apple Watch I see, I probably see 25 Fitbits. The problem is the fitness band market has peaked and become saturated so Fitbit came out with larger models with GPS to compete with Garmin's GPS watches.

 

[bbplayer5]

Love my watch just as much as my phone!

 

[62tele]

Are you serious? Fitbits are everywhere. For every 1 Apple Watch I see, I probably see 25 Fitbits. The problem is the fitness band market has peaked and become saturated so Fitbit came out with larger models with GPS to compete with Garmin's GPS watches.

Duh, Fitbit has been around 5 times as long as Apple Watch. Apple Watch is tied to the Apple ecosystem while Fitbit is not. Fitbit is struggling. Fitbit has to evolve because it has to become more than just fitness.

 

[nwcs]

Reading your post made me think the watch is a jack of all trades and master of none. I wonder if there ever be a watch specific killer feature.

I've been wondering that same thing since I read the first reviews after it debuted. I thought the series 2 might have solved the 'purpose' of the device but, for me, it doesn't have much usefulness. I guess I don't use it the way others do.

 

[usarioclave]

Are you serious? Fitbits are everywhere. For every 1 Apple Watch I see, I probably see 25 Fitbits. The problem is the fitness band market has peaked and become saturated so Fitbit came out with larger models with GPS to compete with Garmin's GPS watches.

My family has gone through about 7 fitbits: ultras, a couple of zips, one. The problem with them is they get washed and die. The good thing about them is their dashboard/app was great; the share/compete with family/friends was great. In the end the all died in the laundry, and it was too much work to send them back to get a free one (and you only get one free one per device anyway).

 

[Karma*Police]

Just wait until people realize that these watches last 3 years, not 50 years like other watches

Just wait until some people realize that a smartwatch is nothing like a traditional watch and that they'll get more out of a smartwatch in 3 years than a "dumb" watch in 50.

 

[biscuit0819]

Duh, Fitbit has been around 5 times as long as Apple Watch. Apple Watch is tied to the Apple ecosystem while Fitbit is not. Fitbit is struggling. Fitbit has to evolve because it has to become more than just fitness.

I'm not sure it does, they've got a niche and they're sticking to it. And it's not like it's a flash in the pan - people I know that have them are still as obsessed as they were 2 years ago. Whether they can survive with Apple's inevitable foray into the fitness wearable market is another question.

 

[MikeFromTexas]

I missed my guess on the AW by a mile. I never saw a market for this gadget when it was a "rumor" and even less when they came out and tried to sell it as jewelry. A "gold" AW? Please. I was sure it was going down in flames after the initial novelty wore off.

I have to give credit to Tim and the boys, they have somehow made this product a success. So even though I don't want one they have either found or created a niche here. Congratulations

 

[barkingsheltie]

Recovering from an injury, I've been trying to be more mindful of my activity levels, and was looking at getting a dedicated fitness tracker to keep me engaged. I'd considered an Apple Watch, but personally I'm leaning more towards a Fitbit Charge 2.

1) I just don't care about notifications. I already have too many devices buzzing to let me know when I get a text message. I don't need another. I'll even disable whatever features the Fitbit offers in that department.

2) I also don't need another 1-day battery life device to keep charged.

3) I'm not looking for wrist fashion, so the extra price isn't worth it for me.

4) The biggie: I used to view apple's ecosystem as a plus, but I'm getting increasingly disillusioned with it. My iPhone 6 has been a buggy disappointment the entire 2.5 years I've owned it. It became corrupted and needed restoring last night, and while you can say its my own fault for not backing up, I don't want to pay a subscription for iCloud or have to back up manually at a time when iPhones and apple laptops don't even connect without a sold-separately accessory, and apple claims an iPad should be all the computer people need. Anyway, all my apple health data from the phone's sensors was lost, but the Fitbit app I'd started playing around with was automatically stored in the cloud at no cost and its data was easily recoverable.

In general I'm super hesitant to buy any more Apple products that require other Apple products to work, because I'm not all that sure I want to be that tied to Apple anymore.

Basically why I went to charge 2 after Apple Watch. That doesn't mean Apple Watch isn't the right device for many others.
Basically you hit the nail on the head - I don't need more notifications, 1 day battery, and tethered to eco system.

Fitbit solution, for me, is simpler and gets job done without being needed distraction. Starting to feel that way about the phone too, e.g., don't freak out when I leave it at home.

 

[rainafterthesun]

Just wait until people realize that these watches last 3 years, not 50 years like other watches

Anything tech wise is like that.

For me a good watch is timeless piece of jewerly, that you appreciate more as the years pass by and creates a meaning, something that you can pass to some else or inherit from someone. That is why a smart watch has no value for me. As a gadget to monitor your signals, send text or receive calls I guess is fine as any other device.

That's why I would buy an Hermes bracelet and an apple sport watch; the total price of the two (Kelly double tour currently is $510~) is cheaper then the Hermes double tour Apple Watch.

 

[philosopherdog]

They have a good start with the Series 2. They need to increase the capability of the watch by making it a stand alone product if they want to win this race in the long run. Currently there are not enough good apps.

 

[trip1ex]

Still not convinced that it's going to breakout into the bigtime for an Apple product. The numbers look much smaller than the Ipad and it feels like it will do an Ipad in a few years and we'll see its relatively small sales numbers will start a reverse trend..

it's just like an Ipad too because you really don't need one. And once you have one you don't really need another anytime soon since all it's really useful for is txt notifications, fitness and apple pay.

But I guess unlike the ipad you can keep selling customers watch bands for fashion reasons and as they wear out they will need a new one.

Maybe they should go to more of a razor & blades model where they price the watch alot cheaper and get the money back on the bands. Granted knock-offs might be an obstacle to that and maybe watch bands last for far too long. I imagine if you are using it for fitness that bands wear out much quicker tho.

Me personally I just feel like I can pull my phone out of my pocket and it won't kill me. And it's priced too high for my tastes since I don't wear watches and would only really use it to not reply to "ok" or "thank you" text messages.
[doublepost=1488508607][/doublepost]fitbit is probably already doing the ipad thing where everyone who wants a fitbit has one and not alot are buying one again because it does the job or, like a lot of exercise equipment, they stopped using theirs.

 

[unlinked]

I'm not sure it does, they've got a niche and they're sticking to it. And it's not like it's a flash in the pan - people I know that have them are still as obsessed as they were 2 years ago. Whether they can survive with Apple's inevitable foray into the fitness wearable market is another question.

Fitbit should worry about Apple but Apple don't kill off companies unless they are totally dependent on the iOS market. As long as Android remains > 80% of the global smartphone market and > 50% of the US smartphone market they can exist assuming fitness wearables exist as a sizeable market.

 

[stevemiller]

Basically why I went to charge 2 after Apple Watch. That doesn't mean Apple Watch isn't the right device for many others.
Basically you hit the nail on the head - I don't need more notifications, 1 day battery, and tethered to eco system.

Fitbit solution, for me, is simpler and gets job done without being needed distraction. Starting to feel that way about the phone too, e.g., don't freak out when I leave it at home.

I do wish the charge 2 had better water resistance and bit better screen (although I'm an 80s child, so maybe its slightly retro chunky text will grow on me!)

But yeah, I think I just like the idea of the wearable being more about feedback about your own body than external notifications. I don't think I want to be any more "plugged in" than smartphones have already facilitated. But that's just me.

 

[44267547]

I missed my guess on the AW by a mile. I never saw a market for this gadget when it was a "rumor" and even less when they came out and tried to sell it as jewelry. A "gold" AW? Please. I was sure it was going down in flames after the initial novelty wore off.

I have to give credit to Tim and the boys, they have somehow made this product a success. So even though I don't want one they have either found or created a niche here. Congratulations

In my opinion, the Apple Watch is a success because it has many features that can suit everybody's needs. If it's from fitness, to notifications, to customizing The Watch faces, alarm/stopwatch features, controlling your music or other options. It does so many things well, but you don't have to utilize all the features to appreciate it.

 

[Abazigal]

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2017/3/2/the-new-leader-in-wearables

Great update about the Apple Watch vs Fitbit battle.

Interesting line about the Apple Watch simply representing Apple's first forays into the wearables market, which includes, but isn't limited to wrist devices. The Airpods is its second.

Such is the power of the Apple ecosystem.

 

[gijoeinla]

I missed my guess on the AW by a mile. I never saw a market for this gadget when it was a "rumor" and even less when they came out and tried to sell it as jewelry. A "gold" AW? Please. I was sure it was going down in flames after the initial novelty wore off.

I have to give credit to Tim and the boys, they have somehow made this product a success. So even though I don't want one they have either found or created a niche here. Congratulations

I never doubted this would become a blockbuster and it will -- I now own two and there's a total of 4 in my household. I'm starting really a much much larger percentage of the public wearing them. I don't doubt IDC at all in this one. I think the estimates are pretty damn real.

 

[Keirasplace]

I finally bought my first Apple Watch, a Series 2 this fall (I'd been interested since the first watch was released), mostly because I could easily afford to buy one to play with and finally satisfy my curiosity. I like the concept but after owning it for 6 months, I don't think it's a good value for those on a limited budget at this point. When friends and acquaintances with limited funds ask me about it, I tell them to wait for a future iteration where it will hopefully gain more features and usefulness. I chose the 38mm because the 42mm did not fit my small wrist and its battery life is poor IMO, just making it through the day with light use. The fact the watch doesn't function independently of my phone also makes it redundant for me, as I still have to carry my phone with me everywhere and it already offers navigation, Apple Pay, etc. The fitness features are good but everything else doesn't work as well as my phone, which I still have to carry with me. Also, I am careful with my possessions but I have scratched the heck out of my watch screen despite best efforts to be careful when wearing it. I understand the stainless model sports stronger sapphire glass but I find the sport model expensive at $369 and would think it ludicrous to spend more for what the watch is offering functionally at this point. That being said, I bought the 42mm Nike Sport edition for my husband for his birthday this in November, despite his protests beforehand that he didn't really need it and had long ago given up wearing a watch. He has enjoyed the gift and wears it every day. So maybe he had lower expectations or it's just that his battery life is so much better!

I am still hoping for great advances in the technology so they can improve the watch in future iterations both aesthetically and functionally. Hopefully it will become a really great product that I can enthusiastically recommend to my friends and family.

Most people with the 42mm finish the day at 50% and the smaller one is certainly not holding 50% less battery so mabe you should look at your settings or something. Even the first Apple watch with OS Watch 3 gets better millage than what your reporting.

 

[Steve121178]

A random guess by a firm with a questionable track record doesn't a success make. If the iWatch was selling like hot cakes then Apple would be the first to blow their Trump-et. So the reverse is probably true and it's a flop due to the three problems that are crippling it. Specifically,

1) lack of always on display
2) battery life must be 1 week minimum
3) lack of thinness

You'd think Apple would at least get #3 right!

Not sure why an always-on display is required? I couldn't think of anything worse, which makes your point number two redundant, as the battery tech doesn't exist to make that possible right now.

The Apple Watch isn't thick or chunky. When I am wearing a sweater or something long sleeved I have to check it's still on my wrist as I can't even feel it! I'm used to wearing things like a TAG Heuer Carrera on my wrist which is thicker & a lot heavier.

 

[honglong1976]

I have an Apple Watch. I recently bought a Fitbit Alta and then a Misfit Shine. I just wanted something that tracks my sleep.

I will sell the Fitbit. Why? Essentially it tracks steps only and sleep. It's really basic and only lasts 5 days on battery power. Vibration is useless. But... it is actually well made (stainless steel).

I will keep the Misfit. Why? It tracks everything automatically (inc sleep) and the battery life is approx 6 months. It also feels like it has been designed by Apple, really high quality materials and it links to the health app.

I will also keep the Apple Watch and buy the next one. It's the only replacement watch that's a smart watch. Fitness tracking is more comprehensive (not just steps).

After trying so many smart watches the Apple Watch is the best by far! Looks, OS, strap removal, everything.

I am finding from my friends Garmin is the ultimate fitness tracker. Apple is rated as the best smart watch and Fitbit seems a device for those who go to slimming world and who don't actually do that much exercise but want to feel good about themselves.

I hate wear the Apple Watch to sleep, it's just too big and annoying. The Misfit is light and perfect for sleep (better than any fitbit). Please Apple release a really light fitness tracker that gets people into the ecosystem with bonkers battery life.

 

[Techaddict]

Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 have proven to be a "magnificent success" for Apple, which recorded its "best quarter ever" in the wearables market, according to the latest data from research firm IDC.

Fourth quarter shipments reflected in millions (Source: IDC)​

Apple shipped an estimated 4.6 million Apple Watch units in the fourth quarter of 2016, up from an estimated 4.1 million in the year-ago quarter, according to IDC. Its share of the wearables market, which includes basic fitness trackers, was an estimated 13.6%, down slightly from 14.1% in the year-ago quarter.

Apple closed the gap with wearables market leader Fitbit, which experienced one of its "largest declines ever" in the fourth quarter. Fitbit shipped an estimated 6.5 million fitness trackers in the quarter, down from 8.4 million in the year-ago quarter. Fitbit's market share dropped from 29% to 19.2%, said IDC.

Apple has been heavily marketing the Apple Watch's fitness capabilities as of late, rather than positioning it as a fashion accessory, and this shift in focus has allowed it to grow its presence in the wearables market, according to IDC:Xiaomi finished second, between Fitbit and Apple, as its Mi Bands are priced well below most competing wearables, allowing the Chinese company to capture 15.2% market share based on an estimated 5.2 million shipments in the quarter. Xiaomi's market share rose considerably from 9.1% in the year-ago quarter.

Annual shipments reflected in millions (Source: IDC)​

Samsung was the fifth largest wearables vendor in the fourth quarter with an estimated 1.9 million shipments and 5.6% market share.

IDC estimates that Apple Watch shipments totaled 10.7 million in 2016 for an estimated 10.5% market share, down from an estimated 11.6 million shipments and 14.2% market share in 2015. The annual data has the same top five rankings as the quarterly data: Fitbit, Xiaomi, Apple, Garmin, and Samsung.

It is important to acknowledge that these are estimated figures, and that shipments do not necessarily reflect sales. Strategy Analytics said Apple Watch shipments totaled 5.2 million last quarter, which is roughly 600,000 units higher than IDC's estimate, so there is clearly variation between datasets.

Apple does not officially disclose Apple Watch sales, instead grouping the device under its "Other Products" category in earnings results.

Apple only elected to share that the Apple Watch set all time sales records during the first quarter of its 2017 fiscal year, with CEO Tim Cook noting holiday demand was "so strong" that Apple "couldn't make enough."

Article Link: Apple Watch's Record-Breaking Quarter Was Opposite One of Fitbit's 'Largest Declines Ever'

[doublepost=1488537089][/doublepost]I have an apple watch and my wife has 2 fitbit trackers. We both use the devices for tracking activity. I have had no issues with the apple watch while my wife has had many with the fitbit flex 2. It does NOT track swims as it claims, despite replacing the first device and spending hours in forums and with customer service. We don't even expect a high degree of accuracy. It doesn't recognze the swim activity at all

 

[honglong1976]

[doublepost=1488537089][/doublepost]I have an apple watch and my wife has 2 fitbit trackers. We both use the devices for tracking activity. I have had no issues with the apple watch while my wife has had many with the fitbit flex 2. It does NOT track swims as it claims, despite replacing the first device and spending hours in forums and with customer service. We don't even expect a high degree of accuracy. It doesn't recognze the swim activity at all

I was debating a Fitbit Flex 2 but the battery life is still not great. I eventually bought a Misfit Shine (more as a trial as it was only £12 from CEX) and I am well impressed. 6 month battery and it does detect swimming (i just played around in the local swimming pool with my son, rather than swim) but somehow it knew I was swimming.

Fitbit need to either bring out a tracker that's basic but lasts for months (why they won't make a wrist version of the zip or make the zip track sleep, I do not know) or a smartwatch that competes with Garmin/Apple (ideally both).

Fitbit ignore there customers requests (but give the impression they listen). I have had the Surge, Blaze, Zip, Flex and now Alta. I think now is the time to not have a Fitbit.

 

[kdarling]

What margin of error are we talking here? This thread will soon be full of people quoting these numbers as facts.....

Many people only believe IDC when it's favorable to their favorite company. Otherwise their numbers are claimed to be wild guesses with no possible basis in reality.

Personally, I've found their predictions to often be way off, especially the further out they try to foresee.

However, they seem pretty good at researching numbers for past periods.

In any case, you're right about them not beng official numbers.