Best Buy Accelerating Apple Watch Rollout to All 1,050 Stores Amid Strong Demand

[Mr Fusion]

Good for you, lots of armchair "experts" didn't. As a matter of fact, neither did many industry experts. And let's not even talk about the iPod or the "giant iPod touch" that is the iPad.

Really? 3G and price drops due to contracts were no-brainers. App store didn't gain traction for a while though because Steve didn't like the idea, but the concept was at least there initially.

You'll be wearing one in two years tops. You can quote me on that.

if you buy me one I'll consider it. But I really dislike watches. I'm required to wear one at work but as soon as I'm off duty, that thing is off me.

 

[iBlazed]

I'm pretty sure I sell people on the Apple Watch every time I'm checking out at a store and the people behind me see me paying without reaching into my pocket for anything.

 

[cmChimera]

I have barely seen this device in the wild, if ever. Frankly, not only do I not have the urge to buy it, but I have now completely forgot about the product.

This thing has been a disaster. It's starting to get digs in influential media now too. That's not to say that any smart watch is a hit. None of them are, because they are currently pointless expensive devices with no clear exceptional function. Those who say otherwise must just be trying to justify their 500 dollar iPhone accessory.

Lol ok buddy. People like the Watch, no need to be a hater.

 

[Jsameds]

People slated it as a flop because they were comparing it to iPhone sales figures, which is utter madness.

In it's own product category it is absolutely wiping the floor with the competition.

 

[HowEver]

Everyone who hates, posts here.

Everyone else checks out the watch online, at Best Buy, at Apple Stores, and buys them.

Best Buy has access to actual sales data, or they wouldn't be buying in.

Haters have access to an online forum. That's all.

 

[dk001]

But I thought it was a flop?

In all seriousness, this follows the usual new Apple product pattern. There's an initial rush, followed by a huge decline while the masses have their eyes on the early adopters to see how they like it. Once people start seeing it more in public and see how people use it and love it, they become more inclined to buy one. Now we have a snowball effect going on.

Let's wait till we see some actual numbers .... if Apple allows it. I was in my local BB and asked the "person on AW duty" about sales. Answer: "a lot of looking but few buying.." Suppose it doesn't help there is an Apple Store in the mall across the street

 

[iBlazed]

bought mine the other day at Apple. 42mm space gray. This thing is awesome!!!1!

It couldn't be awesome because @Reds622 said it's a failure because he's never seen one in public. Apple should just halt production now and cut their losses.

 

[dk001]

The contrast between these two comments is amusing, especially when they were posted so close to each other.

Personally I don't watch watches. and no, I don't own an AW.

 

[dk001]

Good for you, lots of armchair "experts" didn't. As a matter of fact, neither did many industry experts. And let's not even talk about the iPod or the "giant iPod touch" that is the iPad.


You'll be wearing one in two years tops. You can quote me on that.

We might IF you were memorable.
Sorry, you aren't.
Best of luck anyway

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

Apple needs to post Apple Watch sales figures at iPhone release announcement or their comments that the watch is selling well will be met with scepticism.

 

[ericinboston]

"...Amid Strong Demand"

More like: "....Amid Fire Sale From Apple"

Apple probably is finding it's almost impossible to give these Watches away. Seriously. Sure, the Apple Fanboys all ran out and bought one (and many returned it)...but for the 95% of the population, there are plenty of reasons not to own the Watch.

 

[chriscrowlee]

if you buy me one I'll consider it. But I really dislike watches. I'm required to wear one at work but as soon as I'm off duty, that thing is off me.

Good to know we have flight attendants as Apple product development experts on this site. LOL

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

I doubt that selling the watch at multiple retailers will increase the sales that much given that apple offers free shipping and returns. Anyone that wanted to try in a watch has already done the ship & return game even with no Apple Store around.

 

[Rogifan]

No that's not possible. Slice Intellilgence and Mark Wilson at Fast Company told us it was a flop. Clearly the Best Buy CEO is lying. /s

 

[Rogifan]

I have barely seen this device in the wild, if ever. Frankly, not only do I not have the urge to buy it, but I have now completely forgot about the product.

This thing has been a disaster. It's starting to get digs in influential media now too. That's not to say that any smart watch is a hit. None of them are, because they are currently pointless expensive devices with no clear exceptional function. Those who say otherwise must just be trying to justify their 500 dollar iPhone accessory.

Right it's such a disaster Best Buy is expanding it to all their stores by the end of September. I'm sure Apple would love to have more disasters like that.

 

[thekeyring]

Something else for naysayers to ignore.

 

[cmChimera]

"...Amid Strong Demand"

More like: "....Amid Fire Sale From Apple"

Apple probably is finding it's almost impossible to give these Watches away. Seriously. Sure, the Apple Fanboys all ran out and bought one (and many returned it)...but for the 95% of the population, there are plenty of reasons not to own the Watch.

Best Buy's CEO seems to disagree with you.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Umm... No. With the iPhone I saw the potential. I didn't buy until the 3G because $600 for a phone with web apps & 2G speeds was silly. There's nothing. NOTHING, confirmed, speculated or dreamed, that makes a future Apple Watch appealing for me to buy. And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.

You're not alone but are pretty shortsighted on potential.

There is huge potential for the Apple Watch, much of it related to health. Give it a couple more generations and it will be even better. As a scientist who researches in a health-related field, I see it as a boon to my work from a scientific (data gathering) and clinical (assessment/treatment) perspective.

Add in better battery life so it's better for sleep tracking, add in its own GPS, add in more sensors (e.g., a way to measure blood glucose levels without a needle, skin conductance, blood oxygen levels, etc.), add more native apps, and so forth and it will be revolutionary for health at the least. Over time, it will be nearly as influential (maybe more?) than the iPhone. Not in its current form but we're talking potential.

I don't own one and won't until at least gen 2 but I don't think anyone should rule out the Apple Watch (or its Android/Microsoft counterpoints).

 

[lordofthereef]

I'm curious, what metric is Best Buy's CEO using to gauge in store interest?

Whenever an analyst claims there is no interest and MR reports it people cry foul. Now Best Buy's CEO claims there is incredible interest and his words are taken for gospel?

I'm not saying he's wrongn, but it's not a product they've sold. Are we just going by people asking about the watch? Some other means of measure?

 

[Mr Fusion]

Right it's such a disaster Best Buy is expanding it to all their stores by the end of September. I'm sure Apple would love to have more disasters like that.

The Apple Watch and Best Buy, are both failures.

 

[big-ted]

So they are going to refresh 740 of their stores to better support Apple products, If you are refreshing why wouldn't you add the Watch even if it didn't sell, the additional outlay would be minimal

 

[redman042]

I would love to see numbers. There is so much noise out there about how well or badly the watch is doing. Apple's refusal to release numbers has made it difficult to gauge so all the pundits have filled in with opinions (which range from total failure to wild success). Maybe now we can get something from Best buy that gives us a more factual insight.

No one would know what to make of the numbers if they were released. No matter how many were sold, Apple pundits would say it's not nearly enough. The bar is set astronomically high for them. It's pretty common knowledge that they have already sold more than all other smartwatches combined, but that hasn't done much to change the minds of the naysayers. So I don't blame Apple for holding back on this info. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

 

[StevieD100]

Somebody get Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly on the phone Reds622 has barely seen the Apple Watch in the wild, those strong sales must not be real!

I've never seen one in the wild. But that isn't a surprise because I rarely travel outside my little area. If I were to go into Central London (Esp around my old College in Regent St ) I'm sure that I'd see some.
But as has been said, just because some people have not seen one in the wild does not make it a failure.

 

[Chatter]

Anecdotal - went into 2 stores in NY/NJ looking for another band as BB is selling them. Nothing to be found! The shelf was bare. The very nice lady working there walked around, checked the computer and essentially said - good luck finding watch accessories in the area. I am sure this will change and they will have inventory on shelves but I am not surprised that this thing is selling well.

 

[lordofthereef]

You're not alone but are pretty shortsighted on potential.

There is huge potential for the Apple Watch, much of it related to health. Give it a couple more generations and it will be even better. As a scientist who researches in a health-related field, I see it as a boon to my work from a scientific (data gathering) and clinical (assessment/treatment) perspective.

Add in better battery life so it's better for sleep tracking, add in its own GPS, add in more sensors (e.g., a way to measure blood glucose levels without a needle, skin conductance, blood oxygen levels, etc.), add more native apps, and so forth and it will be revolutionary for health at the least. Over time, it will be nearly as influential (maybe more?) than the iPhone. Not in its current form but we're talking potential.

I don't own one and won't until at least gen 2 but I don't think anyone should rule out the Apple Watch (or its Android/Microsoft counterpoints).

The companies that manufacture all of the contraptions designed to measure the things mentioned are going to be super pissed when a watch can measure everything accurately and for less than. A single device designed to measure a single one of those parameters costs lol.