More Than 100 Million People Worldwide Use an Apple Watch

[Commodore 64]

There isn't any, IMO. I recently tried, and tried hard, to find one.


To each their own, but I don't get this "watches should be round" thing. Of course they had to be round when we told time by way of mechanical or electo-mechanical watches and clocks with physical hands. But that's so last-century. Not that there isn't a place for them. For dress wear I'm still inclined to don my gold Citizen watch. But, for a "watch" that's also a wrist-worn data device, rectangular is a much more efficient shape.


I don't know, but, when I recently considered replacing my Apple Watch with a FitBit I was soon dissuaded after reading all the horror stories of poor reliability, a complete lack of post-warranty repair, and unspectacular build quality.


Indeed. I upgraded my Series 1, Gen. 2 to an SE. Love it.


They have a lot more moving to do. I tried a Garmin Venu Sq. Took it back after two days. Not nearly as readable in sunlight, inaccurate HR measurement. Erratic and inaccurate blood oxygen measurement. Utterly worthless vibration and chime.


Presumably they believe having the best smart watch on the market will encourage more people to go with an iPhone than they will make from supporting the Watch on Android. For me, that is unfortunate, because I will almost certainly be moving back to Android. Being as there's no acceptable replacement for my Apple Watch, that means I'll no longer be wearing a smart watch.

Oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I can’t see myself belonging in a group called “watches should be round”. I’ve loved the Apple Watches I’ve had, bot tech solution and design. I’ve also found it odd that people are so angry about the Apple Watch form factor. I was just a kid in the eighties (so I might have missed some massive uproar…), but as I remember the square Casio Watch was a huge success. But yeah, to each their own

That said, I personally don’t like the look of the leaks/renders of an Apple Watch with sharp edges and a more flat design. Then I would rather prefer the look of a Galaxy Watch Stainless Steel (I imagine Apple could manage a hardware and software solution better than Samsung). Or just keep the rounded design…

You’re probably right about a rectangular shape being the best for smart watches though. And I’ll probably buy the S7 anyway

 

[jseymour]

... I personally don’t like the look of the leaks/renders of an Apple Watch with sharp edges and a more flat design.

I haven't even looked, as I currently have no plans to replace my SE. Were I going to be in the market, I wouldn't mind a watch being a couple more millimetres bigger (these old eyes don't see small lettering as well as they once did), but I'd want them to retain my current watch's shape. I think it's excellent.

 

[Oscar_440]

Thank you to apple for doubling down on fitness. It has allowed me to find actual purpose in having one over the years.

For fitness, try any Garmin. At least 4 times of battery and much better body measures.
Hoping Apple will boost the Apple Watch sports functionalities.

 

[jamcgahey]

For fitness, try any Garmin. At least 4 times of battery and much better body measures.
Hoping Apple will boost the Apple Watch sports functionalities.

I have a coworker with a Garmin and he loves it. I'm just pretty deep in the apple ecosystem

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I bet if Apple didn’t cripple iOS support for third-party watches those numbers would be different.

I bet if the other watches were actually “good” the number would be different. The biggest problem with other watches is that Qualcomm was not focused on making a better performing processor, so they could ONLY ever get so good. Now that they want to make the Qualcomm brand “the other Intel”, they will likely iterate those solutions better.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

You know you can turn those nag reminders off, right?

If you turn the nag reminder off, then you can’t complain about it, though. I mean, what other reason could there be for “I don’t like this thing BUT I’m totally not going to Google if this thing I don’t like can be disabled.”

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I still don’t understand why they avoid the circular case - some of their coolest complications are also circular. Even today, 99% of the watch ads I get feature a round dial. The rectangular case is not as common or popular for watch wearers. The watch is functional but also an accessory with individual tastes. I don’t want something that looks like an iPhone on my wrist - that gets hidden in my pocket.

I’d bet there’s a number of folks out there that feel the same way. Maybe even a percentage of the 100 million. But, unfortunately, “round face” is not important enough for folks not to buy it.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Unlike iOS and Android there are many alternatives to the Apple Watch, although Apple might not be helping that case by bragging about being "the only consumer device to take an ECG"...

Yes, MANY alternatives like WearOS, WatchOS and…. ahhh. Hm. So, unlike iOS and Android there are many alternatives in the smart watch space… like iOS and Android. We could just say that smartwatches are essential (don’t expect me to define essential, though) and then force Apple to allow third party app stores on the Apple Watch.

 

[MacBH928]

Remember when everybody laughed when it launched? Oops.

thats me, and I still think its would be a niche product... I do not understand why is everyone getting an Apple Watch just as much as I do not understand people who use TikTok...but hey, both are successful.

Yeah, you are not the market.

I don't want my phone out all the time, but there are things I need notification on. I am a member of the market for this device. I love mine, and am looking forward to upgrading with the next release.

This is why I said it can continue as a niche product for people like you , but I never imagined it would be a standard carried item by the people. Most people I know have their phones in hands reach, in pocket, in the car, in the desk or in the drawer. Even worse, for the watch to operate you had to have your phone near you-so now you have to buy the combo Apple product and carry them- which I am not sure if it is still the case.

For me it’s all about the fitness features. I’m on my third watch. I bought the first one expecting to use the screen a ton, never happened. What I paid for the watch is a great value to me if it helps and encourages me keep fit.

I could see it succeed as a fitness accessory or a health accessory but I think there are a lot of cheaper options that can do that service. I think somewhere in the 90s there was a much cheaper Casio watch that could count your heartbeats. I think there are Huawei or Garmin monoscreen watches that does the same thing for fitness and battery last much longer but idk I am not into fitness.

But at 100M users, people must be really into fitness or riding the wave of buying the next cool thing.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

But at 100M users, people must be really into fitness or riding the wave of buying the next cool thing.

An interesting crossover I’ve found is people that have found a side benefit in having that “always on” health information. Folks that may have purchased it for the notifications (flick of a wrist to quickly to see if it’s important or something to get back to later). They’re not necessarily hitting the the gym daily or weekly, but information like Heart Rate Variability is constantly being recorded and can help greatly with someone trying to manage their anxiety or stress. Someone told me it’s one thing to feel it but looking at that number makes it “real” and drives them to do something about it, deep breathing, going for a walk, engage in a hobby, etc.

And we can’t totally discount the ones purchased or older siblings or parents for fall detection, location tracking, stuff like that. There’s probably a few million that really get into a broad usage of a wide number of the functions, but I’d guess most of the rest are in it for a single feature that’s worth the dollar value (including for those where “it exists” is that single feature)

 

[MichaelSF]

I have a coworker with a Garmin and he loves it. I'm just pretty deep in the apple ecosystem

This is my dilemma, my Fenix is getting long in the tooth and the battery now only lasts about 3 days so I am looking to update. I use apple for most everything, except the watch (and headphones of course).
Part of me wants to switch, but the Fenix's are so rugged and take such a beating, running, mountain biking, surfing, climbing, swimming and hiking it is hard to walk away since it has never given me an issue and outlived several iphones. And Garmins external sensors give serious feedback from workouts if you are prepping for a triathlon. Does the apple watch have something similar?

 

[akidokraja]

For fitness, try any Garmin. At least 4 times of battery and much better body measures.
Hoping Apple will boost the Apple Watch sports functionalities.

4x battery?? Try 20x battery on Fénix 6x pro compared to S6 with AOD. One thing Apple has better than Garmin is a heart rate sensor. Garmin one is ok but sometimes flaky but Apples one is excellent. Screen colors (they are actually almost black and white) are also horrible on Fénix.

 

[Abazigal]

thats me, and I still think its would be a niche product... I do not understand why is everyone getting an Apple Watch just as much as I do not understand people who use TikTok...but hey, both are successful.

But at 100M users, people must be really into fitness or riding the wave of buying the next cool thing.

I have recently seen an uptick in the number of people wearing wearing Apple watches at my workplace. They mainly use it for notifications. I have been going around and showing them how they can use their watch to unlock their iPhones, as well as the use Apple Pay for public transit rides.

2 have also recently purchased the new M1 iPad Pro, and there is also interest in airtags. And now it’s making me itchy to upgrade my 2018 iPad Pro as well. I must resist…

Had also previously showcased the utility of airdrop, showcased Siri’s capabilities and the scribble function in iMessage.

Leading some to remark that Apple should pay me a commission for all these sales.

I only wish…

 

[George Dawes]

Not surprised

When I bought a couple of apple watches last Xmas I thought they’d be fun but a gimmick, now I use them more than my iPhone . My brother loves his and uses it all the time . The thing is just amazing 🤩. Still finding new uses for it even
now .
Unfortunately my mother won’t wear hers as she thinks it’s too pretty and doesn’t want to damage it 😂

 

[MacBH928]

I have recently seen an uptick in the number of people wearing wearing Apple watches at my workplace. They mainly use it for notifications. I have been going around and showing them how they can use their watch to unlock their iPhones, as well as the use Apple Pay for public transit rides.

2 have also recently purchased the new M1 iPad Pro, and there is also interest in airtags. And now it’s making me itchy to upgrade my 2018 iPad Pro as well. I must resist…

Had also previously showcased the utility of airdrop, showcased Siri’s capabilities and the scribble function in iMessage.

Leading some to remark that Apple should pay me a commission for all these sales.

I only wish…

1- The fact that people do not know all these features makes me think people are buying Apple watch just because everyone else is buying them. They do not know what they are getting in the first place.

2- idk what notification they need but it can be done similarly on the phone unless you are a blue collar worker that your hands are dirty and carrying tools.

3-Airdrop should be turned into a standard like bluetooth, extremely nice way to transfer things back and forth between devices.

 

[Abazigal]

1- The fact that people do not know all these features makes me think people are buying Apple watch just because everyone else is buying them. They do not know what they are getting in the first place.

In the very least, I can tell you that most are not getting it for health-tracking purposes. At best, it’s another stat to view at the end of the day.

I know one got it for Minnie Mouse watch face.

My friend and I have also gotten used to standing up every hour or so during staff meetings (before the pandemic when we were not yet on zoom). My principal would look at us with the most amused look but she didn’t make a fuss of it.

2- idk what notification they need but it can be done similarly on the phone unless you are a blue collar worker that your hands are dirty and carrying tools.

It’s more the convenience of not needing to take out your phone to see what the notification is about. It’s also the key reason why I got my first Apple Watch (series 2, back when it wasn’t really good for much else) after sensing the limited functionality of my OG pebble watch - the ease of reading notifications.

For me, I am also currently using the siri watch face, which shows my calendar events for the day (which as a teacher, is my teaching timetable + misc meetings and other stuff).

I use siri for quick actions (eg: calculating discounted prices, calling / messaging people, playing music) and also have a couple of shortcuts for this as well. But by and large, I do feel like I am the only one trying to push the capabilities of my Apple Watch.

3-Airdrop should be turned into a standard like bluetooth, extremely nice way to transfer things back and forth between devices.

Yeah well, that’s on Apple.

 

[millerj123]

In the very least, I can tell you that most are not getting it for health-tracking purposes. At best, it’s another stat to view at the end of the day.

I know one got it for Minnie Mouse watch face.

My friend and I have also gotten used to standing up every hour or so during staff meetings (before the pandemic when we were not yet on zoom). My principal would look at us with the most amused look but she didn’t make a fuss of it.



It’s more the convenience of not needing to take out your phone to see what the notification is about. It’s also the key reason why I got my first Apple Watch (series 2, back when it wasn’t really good for much else) after sensing the limited functionality of my OG pebble watch - the ease of reading notifications.

For me, I am also currently using the siri watch face, which shows my calendar events for the day (which as a teacher, is my teaching timetable + misc meetings and other stuff).

I use siri for quick actions (eg: calculating discounted prices, calling / messaging people, playing music) and also have a couple of shortcuts for this as well. But by and large, I do feel like I am the only one trying to push the capabilities of my Apple Watch.



Yeah well, that’s on Apple.

Hah! I'm still using my original Series 2. My phone lives in my pocket, or in a belt holster. There are frequent times during the day that I quickly do something on my watch that I don't have to dig out my phone for. For that matter, I can flick my wrist and tell what time it is.

I guess if we don't fit the mold of "no need for it" folks will just yammer about how not useful it is?

In the meantime, I'll use mine happily, every day. YMMV.

 

[Cpuiulet]

The Apple watch is the best normal lifestyle watch out there. No surprise it's by far the best selling normal lifestyle smartwatch. But it should never be compared to a Garmin, Coros, Suunto or Polar. Not in the same category. Those watches take over where the Apple watch ends. You'll know when you need a Garmin. Nobody will need to convince you to switch. You'll just do it after you do you're research. Till then, stick with the Apple watch.

 

[boak]

The Apple watch is the best normal lifestyle watch out there. No surprise it's by far the best selling normal lifestyle smartwatch. But it should never be compared to a Garmin, Coros, Suunto or Polar. Not in the same category. Those watches take over where the Apple watch ends. You'll know when you need a Garmin. Nobody will need to convince you to switch. You'll just do it after you do you're research. Till then, stick with the Apple watch.

You're absolutely right. I started with a Garmin, loved it for working out, durability and battery life. However, it does everything else quite badly - slow OS and subpar screen. I'm not a fitness freak, so I decided that the Apple Watch was the much better all-rounder for me.

 

[Cpuiulet]

You're absolutely right. I started with a Garmin, loved it for working out, durability and battery life. However, it does everything else quite badly - slow OS and subpar screen. I'm not a fitness freak, so I decided that the Apple Watch was the much better all-rounder for me.

The other thing that Garmin has is the health and fitness platform. Once you download your data, all your metrics are easily digested. It also has route building etc. But again, you'll know why you need a Garmin when you get there 😁if you don't wish for it, you don't need it.

 

[bwillwall]

Yes, MANY alternatives like WearOS, WatchOS and…. ahhh. Hm. So, unlike iOS and Android there are many alternatives in the smart watch space… like iOS and Android. We could just say that smartwatches are essential (don’t expect me to define essential, though) and then force Apple to allow third party app stores on the Apple Watch.

There are many smartband devices that do similar things in regard to fitness.

 

[alexrx]

I don't consider $79 dollars to be quite high, especially for someone who is properly trained and won't tear up the watch replacing the battery.

I was quoted $399.99 for a battery replacement (which they said is trading in my watch for a refab at the APPLE STORE IN MARLTON NJ TODAY bit of a shame - mine has special memories so if anyone knows someone who replaces batteries on an APPLE watch I would be most grateful --- thanks

 

[Apple_Robert]

I was quoted $399.99 for a battery replacement (which they said is trading in my watch for a refab at the APPLE STORE IN MARLTON NJ TODAY bit of a shame - mine has special memories so if anyone knows someone who replaces batteries on an APPLE watch I would be most grateful --- thanks

You were quoted wrong. I would contact Apple via iMessage or phone and inform them what the local store said and then set up a battery replacement. You should get your watch back in 3 - 5 days.