But over 70% were very satisfied with both the iPhone and the iPad.
The Apple Watch has the worst ratings of any front page Apple product since 1997.
It's a flop, watch my words.
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Why is the Apple Watch such a tough sell?
- Thread starter Macwick
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But over 70% were very satisfied with both the iPhone and the iPad.
The Apple Watch has the worst ratings of any front page Apple product since 1997.
It's a flop, watch my words.
Was It the end of Apple's glory days when the gen 1 iPhone didn't sell so well? No, it was the beginning or their domination. Apple is making money more than ever.
97% satisfied. 3% dissatisfied.
These are early adopters and Apple knows this and the majority surveyed were non-techies. It will just get better with every software update and satisfaction will increase.
Here is the actual report. Again higher satisfaction than either iPhone or iPad. No matter how you look at the numbers it's been a great success.
WristlyInsightsReport12.pdf
As if you are the first to speculate. Sounds like all of your posts are spawned from reading the article on the front page here at MR the other day and you're here to claim ownership of the idea that a product will fail based on reading that article and providing percentages.
Who cares if it fails or not? Does it affect you, or does it change how you feel about yours?
He doesn't have one. It bothers him that those of us that do are really happy with them. This is just a substitute for seeing a therapist.
You will never like anything about the watch. I don't understand why you spend every day just bashing it. You can be quite annoying.
My Apple watch replaced 3 things: my old Fitbit flex, the HR monitor I put on for workouts, and the wristwatch I wore occasionally. I now have one comfortable, reasonably nice looking, always available device that does all those things and more (no more cussing because I get to the gym and realize the HR monitor is sitting at home).
And for those who are saying you *have* to buy a replacement band and a stand so the real cost of owning an Apple watch is over $500 no matter what - well, no. You may choose to buy those things but you don't have to. Mine cost $350 plus tax, that's it.
Fair enough. I will keep wearing my Burberry thoughA watch (in my opinion) is a unique piece that can show your style be it sophisticated, or fun, or quirky, or whatever. And I intend to use it that way.
Almost all watches are mass produced actually, so not really unique. If by unique you mean not many people wearing the same watch, I seem to remember people on MR Forums insisting that they've never seen an Apple Watch in the wild. I guess that should make me feel special
But perhaps you could post a picture of your watch, so we can gauge the style to which you're aiming to convey affinity. As a baseline, sort of, hopefully explaining your aversion to the Apple Watch.
Thanks. I thought it up all by myselfNow, there's a new ad campaign in the making
But I really do believe it. I think the largest barrier to Apple watch skeptics is the $350/400 price point. It's just a little too much to buy on faith.
It all reminds me of my first iPod purchase. I needed an mp3 player and the Creative Zen offered all the same features as the iPod (3rd gen) but for far less cash. Significantly less. So I bought the Zen. I like value for money.
Later on , I finally got into an Apple store where I could play with the latest iPod photo for half an hour. Everything about the iPod blew me away. It was a blissful experience. The Zen was dumped and the iPod moved in with me. Many more iPods followed. The ability to get my hands on one in the Apple store was the decider.
Now, Apple has demo watches in the store, but the "play-with-it" experience just didn't work for me - even though I tried it several times. What the in-store demo watches failed miserably at, was showing me how the watch would minutely and almost imperceptibly mesh with my life (which was all on my phone, of course!). I always left the store smugly thinking, "Nope. Complete waste of money", without really getting to see what it could do for me.
And then my wife got one and I finally got to see what the device does in real life. Then I was sold.
It comes down to the price. $400 for an Apple Watch is going to make a lot of people who isn't used to wearing a watch think twice before dropping that kind of money on one...and after they think twice they often don't think the features justify the price point. Those that are used to spending $400+ for a watch are mostly interested in it as jewelry, what functions it has is secondary.
I did the same thing back in the day. Bought the Creative Zen because it cost less and had more capacity. I had an earlier Creative mp3 player as well, instead of the iPod 1st edition. The Zen was a huge improvement over earlier Creative mp3 players, but the iPod was still a more elegant device. The $400 first generation iPod is a reminder that Apple usually doesn't try to compete on price.
I agree that the in-store demo is not the same as actually using it, but I went into the Apple Store already convinced that this would be the smartwatch I had been wanting (or at least close enough to it). My wife was a total skeptic. Once she played with mine for 15 minutes, she understood why I wanted one. Added value for her is that she doesn't have to hear my phone make noise whenever I get a reminder (I use reminders frequently). My phone's audible reminders kind of drove me crazy as well. Now I just get a nice subtle tap on the wrist, and nobody else has to be subjected to my reminders.
Even though I did enough research to know I wanted the watch, I am still discovering new reasons why it is useful. There are things I didn't expect it to do so well, as well as features that I didn't expect to find so useful. So you are absolutely correct when you say you have to get one to understand, and that is exactly what many people are doing thanks to the 14 day return policy.
Sean
Agree with everything you said. We seem to have followed similar journeys back in the mp3 player days.
I don't know why Apple doesn't just bump the return limit up to 30 or even 90 days. Really let people see what the device can do. Let it get under their skin, so to speak.
It would likely make little difference to profitability. Apple probably destroys the returns anyway. I really can't see how they can economically refurb such a tiny device to their normal standards without destroying the valuable innards due to all the glue involved in holding the internals together (I saw the iFixit teardown).
It's a mindset issue, people when they buy watches (primarily expensive watches) they know the value of the watch will hold somewhat steady (I bought a Omega for $2400 and today it sells for $1800 used) I would be willing to bet Apple Watches will not hold their value the same way.
The reason you cannot compare it to an iPad or iPhone or macbook is because it is an accessory, it is not a stand alone device, it requires an iPhone to work.
Also it will NOT stop working in 9 months, but for sure within 2 years a new version will come out rendering this one less valuable and slow.
Technology items are different from watches (accessories) this is a relatively new market and it make take some time for people find value, or not find value.
The reason you cannot compare it to an iPad or iPhone or macbook is because it is an accessory, it is not a stand alone device, it requires an iPhone to work.
Also it will NOT stop working in 9 months, but for sure within 2 years a new version will come out rendering this one less valuable and slow.
Technology items are different from watches (accessories) this is a relatively new market and it make take some time for people find value, or not find value.
It's a mindset issue, people when they buy watches (primarily expensive watches) they know the value of the watch will hold somewhat steady (I bought a Omega for $2400 and today it sells for $1800 used) I would be willing to bet Apple Watches will not hold their value the same way.
The reason you cannot compare it to an iPad or iPhone or macbook is because it is an accessory, it is not a stand alone device, it requires an iPhone to work.
Also it will NOT stop working in 9 months, but for sure within 2 years a new version will come out rendering this one less valuable and slow.
Technology items are different from watches (accessories) this is a relatively new market and it make take some time for people find value, or not find value.
The reason you cannot compare it to an iPad or iPhone or macbook is because it is an accessory, it is not a stand alone device, it requires an iPhone to work.
Also it will NOT stop working in 9 months, but for sure within 2 years a new version will come out rendering this one less valuable and slow.
Technology items are different from watches (accessories) this is a relatively new market and it make take some time for people find value, or not find value.
What can possibly be done to improve the AW besides aesthetically? It's not like we will be running apps that need a lot of graphical and processing power. The process heavy apps will be left to the iPhone. The OLED display is already really good and with it being so small, a spec bump isn't necessary. The way I see it, the most important is the Watch OS updates. This is why I feel it won't be a yearly device update so for people waiting until gen 2 or 3, it may be a while.
Nor sure Apple considered it is a "tough sell" when AW has higher revenue (revenue, $$$ received, probably more meaningful to the bottom line than qty sell to Apple, or any other business in the world) than 1st gen iPhone, than 1st gen iPad, than all other smart watch "combined", and yes, than Microsoft Surface.
See https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...is-really-a-flop.1902175/page-2#post-21626941
See https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...is-really-a-flop.1902175/page-2#post-21626941
Speaking of watches and technology, my dad had a gold Pulsar LED watch from the early 1970's. I'm not sure what happened to it, but I remember when I was a kid thinking it was so cool. They still sell on eBay for hundreds to even thousands if the watch still works (many do not, but apparently they can be repaired).
The problem with more modern technology like the Apple Watch is that it is dependent on talking to the iPhone. The watch OS version, iPhone iOS version, and app version must all be compatible. At some point our Apple Watches will no longer be able to update to the latest Watch OS version. I'm okay with buying another Sport in three years if mine is obsolete by then... even earlier if I can sell it and get the new model because it has new performance/features I want. But if I had a more expensive SS model I would be more disappointed to see it become slower and less useful with the newer OS and watch apps that will be available in two or three years. And what about the Edition owners? Will Apple offer an internal hardware upgrade program? I could see that being a possibility as long as they have a long term commitment to the current form factor.
Sean
I have a great deal of respect for this line of thinking. Life gets more and more complex as we accumulate tools which keep us more constantly accessible and provide more constant connectivity. Increasing demand, decreasing down time.
However, the conclusion that an Apple watch is one (more) screen too far isn't what I have found from personal experience. Quite the contrary. What the Apple watch does for me (and the Pebble to a lesser extent before it) is to give me essential information in a form which can be gathered in a quick glance and minimal interaction rather than the more time consuming distraction of a larger and more complex device. The watch - and really any viable smartwatch with broadly similar features would do - is my triage point where I can quickly and easily identify what needs to be dealt with immediately, and what can be left for later. It has made my life considerably less cluttered by demands and much easier to prioritise.
For me, and I think a lot of people in similar situations, the Apple watch isn't a tough sell at all, it's a solution to a growing problem. However, to others, it's at best a solution looking for a problem, and understandably a tough sell.
Exactly. One nice thing about the Apple Watch is that I leave my iPhone in my bag more often (along with my iPad) and I only get one of them out when I really need to. I get notifications throughout the day, and sometimes need access to quick information I can easily get from the watch. Before the watch I would get my iPhone out and quite often become distracted by something else I figured I would check on while I happened to have my iPhone out. Maybe it would be quickly checking to see what's happening on Facebook, or reading some headline news. I often kept my iPhone sitting on my desk just in case I needed it for the kind of information I now get from the watch. The Apple Watch is a quick glance, straight to the point.
I have been in the IT industry since 1995. The popular dream of technology has always been that it would help us work shorter and easier hours. The reality is that it has enabled a sort of arms race of productivity. How much work can one person do if they have the right technology to help them do more in the same amount of time and manage it all from any location and at any hour? The amount of stuff I am responsible for managing these days keeps growing, and I am in frequent communication with a lot of other individuals. Yes my technology helps me be more efficient and less stressed, but it is also part of the problem. I feel like the Apple Watch is a filter of sorts.
Sean
It's not a tough sell. The fact that Apple sold by guessimate somewhere between 3-4 Million AW in the same Quarter than other companies with their foot already in the door for some time and who were lucky to apparently sell only 100,000+or- says a lot. And as evidenced on here by new people coming to post their new watch photos, I think AW is doing well and certainly is not a flop by any sense of the imagination.
I do think given the pricing point people who might be intrigued by it are taking a wait and see attitude and getting a feel for how people they know feel about theirs first. I know people also tend to wait for first gen products to shake out before buying so there's that crowd hanging out there still. For the most part those I see who returned a Watch did so after a fairly short period of time. I am also sure that some of those could have been developers and promo people that got it to develop for or try out with an expected return of it so I take those reports with a grain of salt. I don't believe it's for everyone and certainly don't have a problem with people thinking they might not get enough value out of it. I also don't think a week or two is always enough time to see how it can fit into your life so there could be some buyers remorse over the price.
As far as negative comments on the forums, I believe there are developers out there who might not like working within the Apple ecosystem see this thing take off in sales over the Android OS platform and are concerned their preferred development platform won't bring in the kind of revenue they'd like in comparison. Sort of like how the apps for OS has done so well. I could see them being more vocal on Mac forums with their complaints. And there are some countries where Android is more popular right now like the UK so I kind of expect a resistance from those places. Heck AW just rolled out there so too soon to really tell how it will do. People also need to be part of the iPhone group to make it worth buying. Maybe Apple will continue to see increasing numbers of switch overs from other platforms in those countries.
But the true test of how well Apple Watch is received will come holiday season this year. People by that point will have seen the watch on friends, family and co-workers and gotten a better idea of it.
I do think given the pricing point people who might be intrigued by it are taking a wait and see attitude and getting a feel for how people they know feel about theirs first. I know people also tend to wait for first gen products to shake out before buying so there's that crowd hanging out there still. For the most part those I see who returned a Watch did so after a fairly short period of time. I am also sure that some of those could have been developers and promo people that got it to develop for or try out with an expected return of it so I take those reports with a grain of salt. I don't believe it's for everyone and certainly don't have a problem with people thinking they might not get enough value out of it. I also don't think a week or two is always enough time to see how it can fit into your life so there could be some buyers remorse over the price.
As far as negative comments on the forums, I believe there are developers out there who might not like working within the Apple ecosystem see this thing take off in sales over the Android OS platform and are concerned their preferred development platform won't bring in the kind of revenue they'd like in comparison. Sort of like how the apps for OS has done so well. I could see them being more vocal on Mac forums with their complaints. And there are some countries where Android is more popular right now like the UK so I kind of expect a resistance from those places. Heck AW just rolled out there so too soon to really tell how it will do. People also need to be part of the iPhone group to make it worth buying. Maybe Apple will continue to see increasing numbers of switch overs from other platforms in those countries.
But the true test of how well Apple Watch is received will come holiday season this year. People by that point will have seen the watch on friends, family and co-workers and gotten a better idea of it.
Agree with you entirely. Upgrades will come in software, not hardware. The only hardware being regularly upgraded will be the iPhone it connects to. It's going to be the same business model as the Nest thermostat: I fitted mine years ago and have had numerous free software upgrades since. There's been one thinner model released since, but it is functionally equivalent. It looks much the same as the original and it even uses the same name as the device it replaces. It's simply a Nest, not a Nest 2 or a NEST-s
And like the nest thermostat, this tear down report suggests that the watch has been deliberately over engineered for longevity. We'll see its hardware features gradually unleashed by software:
https://www.abiresearch.com/press/apple-watch-insides-pcb-details-revealed-for-the-f/
That said, I'd anticipate periodic "face lifts" to the outer casings, but they'll be limited to different colors (I think there's already a thread speculating on this) and different materials/finishes with bands to match. The physical dimensions and technical specs will remain constant, however, to protect the buyers' investment. Doing otherwise would completely undermine the credibility of the watch with the masses of existing and potential customers.
How long's the shuffle been going with essentially just color changes?