Tim Cook Says Apple Watch Set New Sales Record in First Holiday Shopping Week

[dogslobber]

Aging? It's newer than the Mac Pro. How dare IDC make such an assertion.
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Wow the amount of Apple haters in this thread is laughable.

Loving my series 1.

I don't think they hate Apple but don't like the iWatch.

 

[Jakexb]

I think the more interesting question is whether Tim Cook is starting to believe his own lies.

When has Tim Cook said something that was factually untrue?

 

[DevNull0]

When has Tim Cook said something that was factually untrue?

Every time he says that Apple has something in the pipeline.

 

[ds2000]

I've seen two in the wild (since release). Both owners are very happy with them, but that's not a good showing for a high-tech circle of hundreds/thousands of potential users (many of whom are Apple customers)... Nobody here is showing them off, and nobody is discussing them over coffee/lunch (in comparison, the first iPad we had drew a crowd, and phone releases up to the 6 also attracted attention [as did some of the Samsung releases]). I think they're selling mainly to non-techies, and only in moderate numbers.

My new Hive heating system does seem to get quite a few "oohs" and the Echo also seems to attract attention...

It's not really a wow device imo, could I live without it? Absolutely, will I rush to get the next one, nope. If it got robbed, would I replace it.... probably not. That same set of rules ring true to my standard daily (until AW came along) watch. In the pub last week 3 of my friends g/f tried it on and all want one so maybe its a slow burner? I do really like the device though.

 

[Rogifan]

That goes for anybody. You can say whatever you want but unless you have the numbers to back it up everything is just a guess. Cook can say the Watch sold in record numbers but without stating those numbers we have no way of knowing whether or not they're true and considering the way Apple obfuscates Watch numbers by lumping them in the "Other" category, I'd wager they're not.

Apple's "Other" category is akin to a politician's "Rainy Day Fund" - everything gets thrown in there to hide ulterior motives

So every company that doesn't release sales figures for a product is trying to hide something about that product? Is Amazon trying to hide something about Prime as they never release membership figures?

Basically what I'm seeing is people who don't like Watch and want to see it fail will believe anything negative about it and claim anything the company says about it is a lie.
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Every time he says that Apple has something in the pipeline.

How is that untrue?
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If you nihilism thinks is the answer to everything, go ahead. But then please add the same comment whenever a report puts Apple in front (in the smartwatch sector, in the profit share, the laptop sales share, in the $1000+ market, etc.).

Yes, they are estimates based on partial data and markers. But in the absence of hard data, well-considered estimates is what we have to make do with. And unless proven otherwise, I consider the numbers from a well-established company like IDC that hasn't really been caught to be completely off-base for a while to be roughly accurate.

I've always complained about outfits like IDC. And when you say IDC hasn't been caught off base what do you mean? How does one verify their numbers?

 

[manu chao]

I've always complained about outfits like IDC. And when you say IDC hasn't been caught off base what do you mean? How does one verify their numbers?

By comparing it to estimates from other sources.

 

[Naraxus]

So every company that doesn't release sales figures for a product is trying to hide something about that product? Is Amazon trying to hide something about Prime as they never release membership figures?

They don't have to release anything but by the same token, don't then come along touting "Hey we sold X-product in record numbers!" when you won't release those numbers. You would think that if sales for the Watch were as strong as Cook claims they are he would be touting specific numbers instead of giving generalities and hiding said numbers under the "Other" category.

This kind of sleight-of-hand is the used car salesman going "Trust me"

 

[nope7308]

When has Tim Cook said something that was factually untrue?

Seriously?

This should get you started: https://www.macrumors.com/2014/02/0...really-great-stuff-in-new-product-categories/

 

[DevNull0]

How is that untrue?

Well....in 5 years, nothing has trickled out of that pipeline except different sizes of the same objects. Macs that are slower each time than the model before. And the Apple Watch.

Maybe he's telling the truth and Timmy's pipeline is so stuffed full of innovative products it got clogged.

 

[thekeyring]

No I remember that it didn't become an iconic product overnight. I waited about two years before I finally got one and I was a Mac user. However, Apple Watch will never be cross platform like the iPod was. It may slowly gain users but it's still an accessory and non-essential. I stopped wearing mine. It sits in it's box and has for 5 months. I was an early adopter as well.
The MacBook Pro will have to drop drastically in price for me to consider it a value. $1299 may be okay for the non-touchbar and $1499 may be okay for the 13" base TB. Anything beyond that is gouging IMO. Same with the MacBook Retina. If it is going to replace the MBA, it has to drop in price. The MBA was successful in getting a lot of folks to enter the Mac market because it was affordable. I can't believe folks will pay $1300 for a 1.1 GHz 12" computer. Those price points make no sense compared to the base MBP (non TB).
I'm just hoping that the iMac refresh doesn't come at a similar pricing premium.

Listen to Daring Fireball's podcast on the subject - he covers a lot of great points including how people don't pay just for specs. The MacBook Air was the first notebook from Apple which cost more for less specs - it cost more for "niceness" (as DaringFireball puts it). Agreed that the price will come down, just like it did for the Retina MacBook Pros.

Apple Watch doesn't need to work with Android in the same way it works with iOS for it to be "cross platform". Instead, it can become independent from a tethered phone. Then it can sync it's data to the Apple Health app be it on iOS or Android.

It's difficult to define essential, so I won't bother getting into that discussion here. If we were side by side at the pub we could talk it over, but in a forum we're going to misunderstand each other, I fear.
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Seriously?

This should get you started: https://www.macrumors.com/2014/02/0...really-great-stuff-in-new-product-categories/

After this Apple released: Apple Music, a new Apple TV, Apple Pay, Apple Watch.

If you definition of great has to match up to the invention of iPhone then Apple has only ever released two great products: the Mac and the iPhone.

Or maybe what you need is Steve Jobs on stage to sell you these products, and that's what is missing.

 

[laz232]

After this Apple released: Apple Music, a new Apple TV, Apple Pay, Apple Watch.

If you definition of great has to match up to the invention of iPhone then Apple has only ever released two great products: the Mac and the iPhone.

Or maybe what you need is Steve Jobs on stage to sell you these products, and that's what is missing.

Apple Music has 20M subscribers - not really that impressive for
I don't understand the allure of Apple Pay (compared to a bank card with PIN, as we have in almost all of Europe).
Apple TV - meh - becoming increasingly less relavent (and heavily US -biased in terms of use).
Apple Watch - again niche product that's nowhere near anything more than a "hobby".

As to Apple's past successes (apart from the iPhone):
Apple II, Mac, Macbook Air, iPad

I dare say that Apple under TC has not released anything great, nor, more importantly have they been able to maintain the leading-class aspects in any of their computer platforms (Macs, Macbooks)

 

[macbookpro-file]

Since its' release, I can only recall seeing one person wearing and using an apple watch, in person that is. A couple of youtube channels I follow have featured it. Otherwise I never see it. In all fairness, I don't see many more android watches, but I have spotted them more often than once, and actually know a couple of people that use them for stock updates..

If something is truly popular, you'll see it pop up around you.. time to move onto better things.

 

[thekeyring]

Apple Music has 20M subscribers - not really that impressive for
I don't understand the allure of Apple Pay (compared to a bank card with PIN, as we have in almost all of Europe).
Apple TV - meh - becoming increasingly less relavent (and heavily US -biased in terms of use).
Apple Watch - again niche product that's nowhere near anything more than a "hobby".

As to Apple's past successes (apart from the iPhone):
Apple II, Mac, Macbook Air, iPad

I dare say that Apple under TC has not released anything great, nor, more importantly have they been able to maintain the leading-class aspects in any of their computer platforms (Macs, Macbooks)

Apple Pay is convenient and has had 500% growth YoY.
Apple Watch has turned Apple into the second biggest Watch maker in terms of revenue. In one generation.

I could use your scepticism and call the iPad a big iPhone - hardly innovative in terms of cutting edge tech.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Since its' release, I can only recall seeing one person wearing and using an apple watch, in person that is. A couple of youtube channels I follow have featured it. Otherwise I never see it. In all fairness, I don't see many more android watches, but I have spotted them more often than once, and actually know a couple of people that use them for stock updates..

If something is truly popular, you'll see it pop up around you.. time to move onto better things.

I see them quite often now. If I go into the town centre I'm guaranteed to see at least one person with one.

I'm not buying that it's a flop as I see them too often and they are being worn by regular people, not geeks.

 

[thekeyring]

Since its' release, I can only recall seeing one person wearing and using an apple watch, in person that is. A couple of youtube channels I follow have featured it. Otherwise I never see it. In all fairness, I don't see many more android watches, but I have spotted them more often than once, and actually know a couple of people that use them for stock updates..

If something is truly popular, you'll see it pop up around you.. time to move onto better things.

Interesting, because I see them all the time in London. Surprisingly so. However you are right, eventually you'll have to see them 'everywhere' for them to live up to the success of other Apple tech.

 

[macbookpro-file]

I see them quite often now. If I go into the town centre I'm guaranteed to see at least one person with one.

I'm not buying that it's a flop as I see them too often and they are being worn by regular people, not geeks.

Interesting, because I see them all the time in London. Surprisingly so. However you are right, eventually you'll have to see them 'everywhere' for them to live up to the success of other Apple tech.

I may be wrong as well, as this next year I might notice them more often. It's strange, I actually reflected on not seeing anyone with Apple watches a couple of times since the release, as if it was what to expect from a new Apple product.. It's iPod's fault!

 

[thekeyring]

I may be wrong as well, as this next year I might notice them more often. It's strange, I actually reflected on not seeing anyone with Apple watches a couple of times since the release, as if it was what to expect from a new Apple product.. It's iPod's fault!

Personally it's how I will judge whether the Watch lives up to the success of the others. After the 6th gen iPod nano was announced it was only a few weeks and someone I knew had one. But then they cost like £150, not £300+ and was already an established product.

The Watch took a few months and then a few people I knew had one that they'd got a discount on "from work" or with their mobile contract. This follows a similar trend to iPad - it was ages before I saw someone who had bought one, but my brother got one through work for free.

 

[laz232]

Apple Pay is convenient and has had 500% growth YoY.
Apple Watch has turned Apple into the second biggest Watch maker in terms of revenue. In one generation.

I could use your scepticism and call the iPad a big iPhone - hardly innovative in terms of cutting edge tech.

You could, but you would be misquoting me. I stated that I consider both the iPhone and the iPad as innovative and solving a solution to a problem. The Watch and Apple Pay, do not IMO.

Maybe credit card payment is different in the US, here it's quick and easy, so it doesn't solve a problem that I see a need solving.
Moreover touting 500%Y/Y growth as impressive when it's based on 2 years of data, for a service that launched at the end of Oct. in US only initially - that's not being intellectually honest with statistics

 

[thekeyring]

You could, but you would be misquoting me. I stated that I consider both the iPhone and the iPad as innovative and solving a solution to a problem. The Watch and Apple Pay, do not IMO.

Maybe credit card payment is different in the US, here it's quick and easy, so it doesn't solve a problem that I see a need solving.
Moreover touting 500%Y/Y growth as impressive when it's based on 2 years of data, for a service that launched at the end of Oct. in US only initially - that's not being intellectually honest with statistics

Because you can't directly compare two things Apple have done, it's going to be impossible for us to agree on what's innovative and what's not.

However, I would argue that Apple's progress in chips, their ability to simplify internal components and reduce the number of needed components etc does require innovative thinking. It might get shrugged off with new iPhone releases "of course it's thinner" but it was certainly needed on the Watch. I do think it was presented badly at launch, though.

Do you think people who wear fitbits are mistaken - that their iPhone can do everything the Fitbit does? Do you think people who wear watches to reflect fashion are mistaken, idiots with too much money? Can you see that there is value in combining those ideas, (a fitness tracker which is fashionable)?

FitBits are useful, most people agree. + Fashion watches are nice, most people agree. + Notifications and access to Siri are good features, but don't justify a product on their own, any more than if the iPhone was just a pager.