Report: Over 100 Million People Globally Now Wear an Apple Watch

[MacRumors]

More than 100 million people globally now own an Apple Watch, an adoption milestone Apple surpassed this December, according to estimated figures compiled by Avalon's Neil Cybart.

Apple launched its smartwatch in April 2015. Since that time, Cybart's analysis suggests the growth trajectory of the device's user base has been neither constant nor steady, with the 30 million new people that began wearing an Apple Watch in 2020 nearly exceeding the adoption rate of users throughout 2015-2017.

Cybart also looked at Apple Watch as a percentage of the iPhone user base, which he considered a good proxy for the size of the potential Apple Watch market, given that an iPhone is required to use the watch (with a few exceptions, such as Family Setup). Based on his data, Cybart believes that around 10% of iPhone users worldwide wore an Apple Watch by the end of 2020.

Cybart also looked at U.S. adoption of Apple Watch specifically:

Since the U.S. has been an Apple Watch stronghold for years, adoption in the country has trended materially high in comparison to global figures. At the end of 2020, approximately 35% of iPhone users in the U.S. were wearing an Apple Watch. This is a shockingly strong adoption rate that should serve as a wake-up call to Apple competitors interested in the wearables space. Apple Watch turned Fitbit from a household name as the wearables industry leader into a company that will eventually be viewed as an asterisk when the wearables story is retold to future generations.

Overall, Cybart believes the figures show that Apple Watch is Apple's fourth-largest installed base behind the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and at the current sales trajectory will surpass the Mac installed base in 2022.

Looking further ahead, Cybart believes there is "nothing stopping much higher adoption over time," and predicts that if just 35% of iPhone users around the world one day wear an Apple Watch – the same adoption percentage found in the U.S. – the Apple Watch installed base would exceed 350 million people, which is two and a half times higher than the current user base.

Cybart suggests that Apple Watch could make even more headway if Apple opened it up to non-iPhone users, and suggests that the device's future roles in Apple's product line could include: Expanded identity authentication uses beyond Macs, and most recently, iPhones; advances in health monitoring; and as an ideal location on the body to offload resources linked to face-based technologies like smart glasses.

Apple has never disclosed official sales figures for Apple Watch, and instead lumps the device into its Wearables, Home, and Accessories category (previously known as the "Other" category), which also includes HomePod mini, and all of the AirPods models, including the AirPods Max.

However, based on Apple's last earning's report, the category brought in record revenue in the first fiscal quarter of 2021 (fourth calendar quarter), hitting $13 billion, up from $10 billion in the year-ago quarter, reflecting 30% growth.

Article Link: Report: Over 100 Million People Globally Now Wear an Apple Watch

 

[The Game 161]

No shock really the Apple Watch is why the iPhone will always be my daily

 

[ruimpinho]

Hasn't come off my wrist since the day I bought it.

 

[44267547]

Apples smartest move was actually reducing the price of the Apple Watch from where it first started from ~$400 to now to ~$269. It makes it more affordable and it gives others the advantage to experience watchOS and fluidity tethered to iOS. We’re Reaching a point, where I do think the Apple Watch will be independent completely on its own away from the iPhone.

I can’t believe it’s almost been six years since April 2015 from when the first GEN watch launched and all the advancements that followed.

 

[bollman]

I have yet to see a use case that would convince me to wear a lump on my wrist.
So far, I would actually not be interested even if it cost $99, or less!

 

[goobot]

The s6 is really nice.

 

[farewelwilliams]

but i heard it was doomed because it isn't a circular screen!

 

[Shanghaichica]

I've had the Apple watch since launch day in 2015. I wear it everyday. Nice to see the wider public appreciating it.

 

[MJaP]

I only use my Apple Watch for basic functionality... checking emails, "step counter" (although it doesn't actually do that which is annoying, it does it on time), alarms, messages, heart rate monitor, but I find it a very capable device, and a pleasure to use.

However I sometimes wonder if it gets confused and counts general arm movements as "walking" on occasion, and I wish the battery life lasted longer like the Samsung watch which can go several days on a single charge, I mean it lasts a day maybe two and it's no hardship to put it on a charger at night, but when the internal battery's life is measured in cycles, then a cycle on a Samsung watch lasts longer than on an Apple Watch... and I have the titanium version which wasn't exactly cheap.

 

[MJaP]

but i heard it was doomed because it isn't a circular screen!

Well I know this isn't a large sample size, but I personally know a couple of iPhone owners who have said to me they haven't bought an Apple Watch specifically because they don't like a rectangular watch screen, and for myself when I owned a Galaxy watch I preferred the circular watch face, but when I moved to an iPhone, even though I prefer a more "traditional" round watch I wasn't so "anti" rectangular that it stopped me buying one.

 

[honglong1976]

It's understandable. I tried many Fitbits, Mibands, and the Apple Watch is better than all of them. At the time there was only me wearing one. Battery life sucks, it looks pretty, Fitbit's are better, etc. Now fast forward and all those in my workplace with FitBits, now have an Apple Watch.

I use an Apple Watch S2 stainless steel. Works great, lasts a few days and does everything I need. Notifications, heart and steps.

When it dies, I will buy a newer model. Great watch!

Same thing happened with the first iPhone. I saw the future. Others thought the future was an HTC Diamond or a Nokia N95. Look what happened to those

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Hasn't come off my wrist since the day I bought it.

How the heck do you charge it??

 

[Ken88]

100 millions? That’s it? I expect more. There are about 7,794,798,739 people on earth and that mean a mere 7.794% of people on earth wearing Apple watches. Wonder what other 92% people wear or don’t wear like me?? Then again people prefer to wear $20 Casio watches after all watch is “ only good “ for time telling, nothing more, right? I’ve not wore watch since college. If I need to know the time my phone is next to my hand except when I am showering or sleeping.

 

[Serban55]

Good for them....its hard for me to change my Audemars Piguet...but i heard a lot of good things about this apple watch

 

[dlondon]

They would sell so many more if they made the Apple Watch compatible with Android devices (even if it didn't offer the full functionality when Apple Watch is used with iOS).

 

[biffuz]

I have yet to see a use case that would convince me to wear a lump on my wrist.
So far, I would actually not be interested even if it cost $99, or less!

That was me a week ago. Last time I wore a watch was in middle school nearly 30 years ago.
Now I'm giving this thing a try.

 

[deckard666]

I never wore a watch in 51 years of being alive - got a series 6 a few months back and love it. I initially thought after a week I would get rid of it but now find it virtually indispensable.

So many nice touches to it. Love the silent alarm which only wakes me and ALWAYS wakes me. Love the sleep tracking which proved my major obstacle was getting up for the dog to go out so got a dog hatch. I find I send a lot more audio messages now which my parents love and even once when I fell down it detected it and asked if I needed assistance. Just a great bit of tech. Well done Apple and Clockology allows me to indulge my love for old arcade games too (shameless plug for Clock ) Got MK, Outrun, Bubble Bobble and Dragons Lair amongst other all animated)

 

[bubulol]

100 millions? That’s it. I expect more. There are about 7,794,798,739 people on earth and that mean a mere 7.794% of people on earth wear Apple watches. Wonder what other 92% people wear or don’t wear like me?? Then again people prefer to wear $20 Casio watch after all watch is “ only good “ for time telling, nothing more, right? I’ve not wore watch since college. If I need to know the time my phone is next to my hand exce when I am showering or sleeping.

Yes, i have no interested of wearing an Apple watch
Notifications? I just use my iPhone
Health/sports? I am healthy i dont need a smartwatch for that
If i wanted to wear a watch, it would be certainly mechanical watches
Apple watch its wearing another smart device
We are going to be 100% connected, using multiples devices for anything
I d prefer to only use iPhone instead

 

[deckard666]

As its the only piece of jewellery a man can "traditionally" wear I would want something that does a bit more than tell the time especially as that feature to a degree is already done by most people's smartphone.....

 

[Michael Scrip]

As its the only piece of jewellery a man can "traditionally" wear I would want something that does a bit more than tell the time especially as that feature to a degree is already done by most people's smartphone.....

Good news! The Apple Watch does more than just tell the time!

You can track your health, pay with Apple Pay, answer a call if your phone is out of reach, leave voice memos, listen to music or podcasts while jogging without carrying a phone... the list really does go on and on.

 

[Quu]

How the heck do you charge it??

Subdermal Qi charger hooked up to a battery bank implanted where his kidney once was. Now the real question is how does he charge the battery bank?

 

[deckard666]

Yes I was talking about the previous poster saying he would get a mechanical watch if he got a watch...

 

[orbital~debris]

I’m one of those number!

Have been conitinuously, too - since the first day of availability back in 2015.

Amazing product.

 

[riteshritesh]

Good for them....its hard for me to change my Audemars Piguet...but i heard a lot of good things about this apple watch

Likewise, I can't let go of my Automatics and Handwound watches. If wearing 2 watches becomes a norm, I may give smartwatches a go. ?

 

[LiE_]

Yes, i have no interested of wearing an Apple watch
Notifications? I just use my iPhone
Health/sports? I am healthy i dont need a smartwatch for that
If i wanted to wear a watch, it would be certainly mechanical watches
Apple watch its wearing another smart device
We are going to be 100% connected, using multiples devices for anything
I d prefer to only use iPhone instead

My first try with the Apple watch I was the same, but the 2nd time I saw the value.

First and foremost, I wanted a watch, to tell the time without having to pull out my phone.

I'm already working out 6 days a week so I don't use the watch to encourage me to exercise. It does provide some useful insights to my training around heart rate and recovery. The monthly challenges are also quite fun to do, this has spurred me on a few times to do more. Also I recently started doing yoga on Fitness+ and you need the Apple watch for this. Controlling my music from the watch is better than also reaching for my phone when working out.

Where I also find value in the watch is notifications. If I'm doing something like playing with my son or at the shops and get a tap on the wrist, I can quick glance without taking my phone out. I often leave my phone in a different room at home without the worry of someone needing me.

I used to miss a lot of phone calls when I was out and about, but with the watch this doesn't happen.