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Although the smartwatch industry has hardly taken off in the way many manufacturers would have hoped, it turns out the analysts were right about Apple helping seed what is there. In less than a year since its launch, Apple has secured more than 50 per cent of the whole smartwatch wearable marketplace.
The Apple Watch launched in April 2015 to a mixed response. While fans lauded its aesthetics, detractors claimed that its high-price tag and emphasis on precious metals would leave it outdated within a short timespan. It seems though that that had little effect, as by November more than seven million had been sold.
Perhaps sir would prefer his watch in Gaudy? What about Unnecessary or Over-The-Top?
And now in 2016, Juniper research has released a study which shows Apple now controls 52 per cent of the smartwatch market. In comparison, all Android Wear smartwatches comprise just 10 per cent of that same audience. Samsung's Tizen based Gear 2 hasn't made much of a dent either, leaving Apple as the real stand out.
Juniper's report suggests however that none of this is because Apple made the much better product, but because the smartwatch industry still hasn't really taken off. Without much of a case for its usage, the sales numbers aren't impressive anywhere. Apple just seems to be able to leverage its cult of personality to shift units.
“The smartwatch is a category waiting for a market,” said Juniper researcher James Moar. While there are some new functions and aesthetics to consider in recent months, nothing there is really enticing consumers. New products need to come out to show people why they really should use a smartwatch, as so far that case hasn't been made.
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KitGuru Says: I must admit I'm not sold on any wearables yet really. I used a Misfit Shine for a while, but it wasn't very reliable and when I lost it during a Tough Mudder, I didn't bother replacing it. What about you guys?
I got the stainless steel smart watch with the milanese loop. Enjoying the hell out of it I might add.
Then again, it’s probably not worth the price, basically the same as buying a rolex wouldn’t either.
I enjoy the aesthetics and how smooth it works, but it’s not worth the 800 dollars it costs me when looking at the materials used and the software developed so far,
I hope I can still sell it for 400 dollars after a couple of years usage.
Got the Breitling instead.
Honestly, it’s not “secured half the market”. Apple has its own market – the fanboys who will by anything and everything apple, and nothing from any other vendor. It’s completely disingenuous to make these claims: it’s NOT THE SAME MARKET! What would be interesting to find out is the number of hardcore apple fans who DIDN’T buy their smartwatch. I personally know of a few, I suspect it may be a surprisingly high percentage compared to their other tech offerings.
I’ve been one who just couldn’t get on with watches, but after having been bought a Jawbone UP (which died, so did its replacement) and now having the much more reliable replacement Fitbit Charge HR, I am finally able to wear something on my wrist again. The fitbit is very good, though I wish it would interface with my Cateye Strada bike computer. The main bonuses aside from having the time more easily accessible are the vibration alarm (works a treat!) and the vibrations for call notifications when my phone is on silent. Both are excellent features well worth having. The fitness and sleep tracking is interesting, perhaps slightly motivational, too.
Also the watch only works whit an iphone so what about people that don’t own an iphone?
The Rolex doesn’t become obsolete in 1 year.
Of course not. It’s jewelry. “A timeless piece”. Yet we should not forget the watch can be well over 10.000 dollars, pretty much just like the apple watch edition. The Rolex became timeless because of the name much rather than it’s build quality. The same thing could happen to the apple watch. Don’t judge too quickly. Though I don’t think that chance is large for it to happen either.
Of course not, it’s a luxury item. The only thing that can get obsolete is looking up the time. Apple got that covered with their watch pretty well. If they can get it to be a luxury item (which it already is for many people), it could become really durable.