iPhone Buyers in U.S. More Than Twice as Likely to Own a Smartwatch as Android Buyers

[MacRumors]

New data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners indicates that 35 percent of iPhone buyers in the United States have a smartwatch, compared to just 16 percent of Android buyers. This suggests that iPhone users are more than twice as likely as Android users to purchase a smartwatch.

Within this percentage of iPhone owners in the U.S., 19 percent own the Apple Watch and 10 percent own a Fitbit. Android owners are more likely to own a Fitbit (5 percent) than a Samsung smartwatch (4 percent).

"Among the relatively small share of all smartphone buyers that have any kind of smartwatch, iPhone buyers are twice as likely to own one than Android buyers," said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder.

"Not surprisingly, Apple Watch is the leading smartwatch for iPhone buyers, while about half as many own a Fitbit. Until now, Fitbit was a neutral brand, but now becomes part of the Google-Android-Pixel-Nest universe. This creates an interesting new Android entry point into the Apple ecosystem, with a decent percentage of iPhone owners now using a wearable that becomes a more Android-friendly device. Also, among the small percentage of Android owners that have a smartwatch, Samsung and Fitbit have roughly equal shares."

Google just announced its plan to acquire Fitbit for $2.1 billion, planning to release a new "Made by Google" wearables category that includes Fitbit devices.

For Apple, CEO Tim Cook recently stated that Apple set new fourth quarter revenue records for its wearables in every market, based on strong sales for Apple Watch and other devices like AirPods and Beats headphones.

CIRP based its findings on a survey of 500 mobile phone buyers in the United States, surveyed from September 29 through October 10, 2019. Those surveyed activated a mobile phone in the U.S. in the July to September 2019 period.

Article Link: iPhone Buyers in U.S. More Than Twice as Likely to Own a Smartwatch as Android Buyers

 

[fhopper]

I wish they were buying Garmin. Garmin understands battery life much better than Apple so with the right marketing and investments Garmin could bury the Apple Watch on the health monitoring front.

 

[jonnyb098]

Not surprising since Android itself is a fragmented mess and Android Wear is all but dead. Apple has the ecosystem that Google will never be able to duplicate with its fragmentation.

 

[topgunn]

I wish they were buying Garmin. Garmin understands battery life much better than Apple so with the right marketing and investments Garmin could bury the Apple Watch on the health monitoring front.

There’s no free lunch. The moment Garmin starts doing all of the things Apple is doing with the Apple Watch, you’ll end up with a watch that gets slightly more than one day of battery life.

 

[JosephAW]

Yup. Own an iPhone 7 Plus with a Samsung Galaxy Fit. So that's me.

 

[I7guy]

I wish they were buying Garmin. Garmin understands battery life much better than Apple so with the right marketing and investments Garmin could bury the Apple Watch on the health monitoring front.

When your watch is a glorified heart rate monitor, yeah battery life can be great.

 

[edgonzalez32]

I wish they were buying Garmin. Garmin understands battery life much better than Apple so with the right marketing and investments Garmin could bury the Apple Watch on the health monitoring front.

Well that's because Garmin isn't focused on a being a smart watch. They focus on fitness tracking. Also, of course they're getting killer battery life with that transflective lcd.

 

[ersan191]

Yup. Own an iPhone 7 Plus with a Samsung Galaxy Fit. So that's me.

Wtf why?

 

[Khedron]

When your watch is a glorified heart rate monitor, yeah battery life can be great.

Apple Watch isn't even a decent heart rate monitor, can't even do constant monitoring.

Apple Watch is more of a crippled smartphone than a smartwatch, especially the first 4 versions that don't even have AOD

 

[Baymowe335]

I wish they were buying Garmin. Garmin understands battery life much better than Apple so with the right marketing and investments Garmin could bury the Apple Watch on the health monitoring front.

Garmin doesn't "understand" anything better. They make different watches that don't do nearly as much as the Apple Watch.

 

[luvbug]

Don't really see how you pull reliable conclusions out of a survey of 500 people, split over 2 ecosystems, no less.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Love my Apple Watch. Notifications, Carrot Weather, Sun Set/Rise, Tip calculator (I know), activity monitor, and instant access to today's date. I can't imagine life without my Apple Watch. I'd be 200+ pounds heavier now without it. It encourages me to get out and exercise with the monthly achievement awards.

Came from FitBit (which I didn't mind) several years ago.

But even more cool? I open my MBP and bzzt bzzt, I'm logged in thanks to my Watch. Prompt coming up asking me for Administrator password? Double tap button on watch, good to go. Love little conveniences like that.

Several of my sisters have Apple Watches - my Wife as well. We all share our activity information and help encourage each other to exercise.

 

[baryon]

In other words, richer people are more likely to own more gadgets.

 

[GregJohn]

Apple is the go to for tablets and smart watches no one is close (technically phones too but other companies actually try there)

 

[LuciusWrong]

What is a smart watch? What does it do that i cant just do on my phone? (I do not miss the days when i had an annoying bracelet strapped to my wrist....getting rid of it was great!)

-android user

 

[BootsWalking]

I don't think it's necessarily an iPhone vs Android thing - Android users would be more likely to own a smartwatch if Google's Wear OS didn't suck so much.

 

[toph2toast]

Tried switching to the android ecosystem a few months ago. Started with the Galaxy Watch, then an S10+... big mistake. Liked the form factor of the Galaxy watch more than my Apple Watches, but its activity monitoring was terrible vs. an apple watch, which is what I use these kinds of devices for. Plus there is no market for accessories since no one buys the Samsung watches.

 

[LuciusWrong]

In other words, richer people are more likely to own more gadgets.

The kind of "apple user" they refer to are the more gullible people. They are the people who dont know what they want until Apple makes it for them, which is Apple's own guiding philosophy! Some people take this to mean, "If apple makes it, then i want it"...because they automatically want everything Apple makes. You know, because Apple.

It is logical, the same way as the following is logical: "If i cant see it, it cant see me!"

Oh yeah, im an android user!

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

In other words, richer people are more likely to own more gadgets.

Has nothing to do with money. Android Wear is garbage. And although Samsung Galaxy watches are damn good, it lacks app integration, and best used with a Samsung phone.

 

[MarkB786]

I get this, since it is about experiencing the full AAPL ecosystem. I have a Samsung Active 2 and love it, but is not a must-have. When I had an iPhone, the A-watch felt like a natural extension of the phone.
[automerge]1572973153[/automerge]

Has nothing to do with money. Android Wear is garbage. And although Samsung Galaxy watches are damn good, it lacks app integration, and best used with a Samsung phone.

I have had two Samsung watches (before that, two Apple watches) and they are excellent. Integration is decent, but like I said in my other post, you're right that they don't feel like a natural "extension" of the phone. Notifications and other widgets are fine, and health data comes over fine.

 

[I7guy]

Apple Watch isn't even a decent heart rate monitor, can't even do constant monitoring.

Apple Watch is more of a crippled smartphone than a smartwatch, especially the first 4 versions that don't even have AOD

If your sole criteria about the worthiness if a smartphone is AOD, well that’s not mine. (Admittedly it’s about time Apple incorporated though).

But I’m glad we agree that a crippled smartphone is better than every android watch out there, and hence the AW is the best smart watch on the market.

Now let’s debate the worthiness of the heart rate monitor in the AW5. Got a citation for your opinion that meets the litmus test of an authoritative source.

 

[JimmyHook]

That’s because every other option is currently hot garbage. Either they don’t do as much or they just fail at what they do.

 

[Joniz]

But even more cool? I open my MBP and bzzt bzzt, I'm logged in thanks to my Watch. Prompt coming up asking me for Administrator password? Double tap button on watch, good to go. Love little conveniences like that.

I wish this was true for me, but it’s so inconsistent that I keep shutting it off and going back to typing in password because it’s quicker. Used to work great, but then became hit-or-miss for somewhere like 10.12.

Nothing's more frustrating than waiting to see if it’ll work this time.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I wish this was true for me, but it’s so inconsistent that I keep shutting it off and going back to typing in password because it’s quicker. Used to work great, but then became hit-or-miss for somewhere like 10.12.

Nothing's more frustrating than waiting to see if it’ll work this time.

2017 MBP and AW 3 (and now AW 5) - works basically every time for me. Wifi has to be turned on (and strong). I've had it not work here and there but it is usually pretty rare - (once a month).

 

[DNichter]

Of course, the smart watches offered to Android users are mostly junk. Huge untapped market for Apple there if they want to introduce an Apple Watch app, I see that happening in 2020.