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

[JackieInCo]

All I know is that the Apple watch is something I don't want.

I bought a Gear S watch nearly two years ago and wore it the first six months and then gave it up. At least with the Gear S watch, I could wear the watch, leave my phone at home and still get calls and texts and notifications from my phone on the watch. Apple still fails at that to this day.

With Series 2, I was kind of looking into it and then decided not to. Then again, I was kind of looking at the Gear S3 but then again, decided not to. Instead, I bought two new Casio digital watches because they do what they do perfectly. No need to set the time, as they connect to the time server automatically each night. No need to charge the battery as they are solar.

I'm sure I'm just one in millions who also feels that these smart watches just aren't there yet. Motorola feels there isn't enough interest to release watch this year or next.

I'll just keep wearing my non "smart watches" that do what they do perfectly, tried and true.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

As someone who actually knows about stats and business, I find it offensive that someone with a made up stats degree fails to grasp the difference between sales and sell through.

Wow! Business background. As a Mechanical Engineer and Computer Science double degree with too many minors, including Pure and Applied Engineering Mathematics [none of which Business majors ever learn] I find it repugnant you are condemning someone else and proclaiming fraud when you cite nothing of your own to back up your insults to Tim and Company.

Being a NeXT/Apple Engineering alum there was always one standard Rule set by Steven P. Jobs: undersell the product and over deliver. You will never get Apple divulging sales totals during a quarter. Wait until the 10-Q; and even then they never break down by product division beyond a combined total for iOS. This might be different now that watchOS and tvOS are their own product lines. Even then, you will never see them break down which model revisions sold per quarter.

 

[Soccertess]

I just find nothing particularly compelling about the Watch yet...honestly not sure I ever will.

Glad to hear some enjoy theirs however!

Lots of empty space at the Apple Store to try one if anyone's interested.
At my local store, the only vacant spaces are the Mac Pro and Watch areas.

I know, they are like dead zones at the store. Most people just walk by not even giving them a glance. Tim, how about those 10k watches, how did those sell?

 

[Michael Scrip]

Btw, Windows Phone did surpass iOS back in 2015.

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/03/2...-phone-to-top-iphone-in-market-share-by-2015/

Did you actually read that link?

It's an article from 2011 that predicts Windows Phone will surpass iOS in 2015.

It didn't happen.

In 2015... Windows Phone had around 2% market share. And it's 0.4% today.

IDC clearly got it wrong in 2011... but let's see how their latest predictions go:

https://www.neowin.net/news/idc-onc...dows-phones-now-it-forecasts-01-share-by-2020

 

[CmdrLaForge]

The only Apple product that actually does need to be thicker

Corrected this for you. I like masculine looking watches like G-Shocks and not thinner watches. I fully respect of course that fashion is a way to express different views.

 

[Arthur75]

creepy watch ..

 

[varera]

Did you actually read that link?

It's an article from 2011 that predicts Windows Phone will surpass iOS in 2015.

It didn't happen.

In 2015... Windows Phone had around 2% market share. And it's 0.4% today.

IDC clearly got it wrong in 2011... but let's see how their latest predictions go:

https://www.neowin.net/news/idc-onc...dows-phones-now-it-forecasts-01-share-by-2020

Exactly, and here is the link to the actual 2016 situation from the same anal.itics

https://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp

 

[Harloh]

Does anyone have an idea that would make the apple watch better? What is its largest drawback you feel, what aside from the drawback being fixed would make it a more compelling device, not to replace the phone but to enhance it?

 

[Bacillus]

Tim's comments need some diversity and courage.
Publish the numbers to support your case or silence up.

 

[44267547]

This is proof the AW is a flop

Wait a minute....I thought you owned an Apple Watch and stated previously how much you loved it, with it being your favorite Apple product.

 

[Smartass]

Like anybody even believes Tim Cook, he's like that village idiot that keeps talking and talking and nobody really listens to him

 

[ds2000]

I can see 4 AW in my office of 16 people.... pretty good I'd say!

 

[Sheza]

You know what would set a sales record?

AIRPODS

HURRY UP APPLE

 

[sofila]

undersell the product and over deliver.

you just painted today's Apple.
Anyway, a company's CEO says everything is going fine and his company's products are flying off the shelves. What a surprise.

 

[btrach144]

Tim Cook: "Crap, they're onto us. Release some new watch bands as a diversion!"

 

[paul4339]

Maybe IDC should change its name to "idk"...

 

[dave2010]

I realised recently at my gym that every person was wearing an Apple Watch, at least a 1000% increase on the night before.
There were 3 people there.

 

[Rob_2811]

Thanks for the update Tim

 

[ZZ9pluralZalpha]

Is this really surprising? These "analysts" are honestly comparing a quarter in which the Series 2 was barely announced towards the end, to the year-ago quarter, which was the first full quarter after the release of the first Watch.

Bad statistics is bad.

For a real comparison they should be comparing Q3 of last year to Q4 of this year. Their analysis is laughable, but I guess anything for interesting headlines that say a product is doomed.

The laughably bad analyses get more headlines and clicks than sensible ones do. And the best part is, when data eventually proves that the bad analyses are pure bovine byproduct, the analysts can do stories on the subtle and complex reasons why their analyses were just a teensy bit off, and get even MORE clicks! (See also: Election, 2016 U.S. Presidential)

 

[Naraxus]

Cook can say whatever the hell he wants to but until he releases ACTUAL HARD NUMBERS and not the "take our word for it" spin he's been doing ever since the Watch was released his words are empty and meaningless.

 

[Zirel]

Did you actually read that link?

It's an article from 2011 that predicts Windows Phone will surpass iOS in 2015.

It didn't happen.

In 2015... Windows Phone had around 2% market share. And it's 0.4% today.

IDC clearly got it wrong in 2011... but let's see how their latest predictions go:

https://www.neowin.net/news/idc-onc...dows-phones-now-it-forecasts-01-share-by-2020

Even a donkey can predict 0.1% for Windows Phone, it's obvious it's dead. But they will be wrong, because it will be 0.00000%

 

[A-Sign]

This "Tim said" and "Phil Schiller said" thing are true marketing speech. Not more. Doesn't need to be in sync with reality. If you believe a marketing person then you are lost - and i mean this for every marketing person of any company. Don't trust them.

 

[honglong1976]

sold really well - shows sales figures
didn't sell that well - no sales figures and phrases such as "off the charts" used

 

[alexgowers]

Apple never talks about sales numbers, it always reports everything in profits.

It's part of apples terrible PR which consistently gets it's wrong for the last 4-5 years.

The figures Tim will be referring to are profits not sales, i guarantee they made even more money this year as tooling costs drop through the floor and the cost barrier to entry fell with gen 1 being so much cheaper.

I still don't get the whole smart watch thing, it's like the VR market, or home automation or the 3D TV market. The industry hyped it with marketing then delivered something we didn't need or want. Sure it kinda worked but they're not permanent product markets that will stick around.

Apple was wise to buy beats who do have a proper stable product. Ironically an apple car is the market apple should have been in by now, it's so bemusing that they have so much cash but can't get it together and enter a proper marketplace, plenty would buy just for the name.

 

[Commentist]

I can see 4 AW in my office of 16 people.... pretty good I'd say!

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...