How many Apple Watches sold last quarter? Apple won't say, but that hasn't stopped analysts from speculating.
A collection of 17 analysts offered Fortune Magazine their predictions for Apple Watch sales last quarter. The numbers varied from a low of 2.5 million to a high of 6 million.
The forecast provides a glimpse into the demand for the Apple Watch, a high profile product in the burgeoning category of wearable devices. Unlike the iPhone or iPad, Apple doesn't break out how many watches it has sold. This has led to a guessing game of sorts by analysts and investors. The Apple Watch, which competes against other wearable tech products and luxury goods, commands a premium price over rival smartwatches.
Despite some of the more bearish estimates, the Apple Watch seems to be doing relatively well, according to research firm IDC. In its latest quarterly report on wearables, IDC gave Apple's smartwatch the No. 2 position, just behind market leader Fitbit. Over the second quarter, Apple shipped 3.6 million watches, said IDC, grabbing 20 percent of the wearables market. Fitbit shipped 4.4 million wearable devices.
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Apple also continues to push the watch, expanding its reach to Best Buy in August and launching an updated version of its Watch OS software in September. Even analysts such as Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, who estimated just 2.5 million in sales last quarter, believes demand for the watch will take time and sees sales surging from 14 million next year to 40 million in 2017.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook refused to reveal sales numbers on the Apple Watch, calling it "competitive information," at a Wall Street Journal technology conference Monday. He said.
"We shipped a lot the first quarter...then last quarter we shipped even more. I can predict this quarter we will ship even more."
The Apple Watch is available in three varieties: the entry-level Sport version starting at $349, the Apple Watch starting at $549 and the Apple Watch Edition starting at $10,000.
Apple declined to comment on the analyst projections.
COMMENTARY: In a blog post dated July 13, 2015, I boldly proclaimed that the Apple Watch was a "big flop" and I am not backing away from that opinion. Honestly, would you pay $10,000 for a watch if it wasn't a Rolex? Just because the Apple Watch is an Apple product, does not guarantee success.
Apple originally developed the Apple Watch as a high-tech fashion item, but the design of the Apple watch should've been left up to jewelry and watch designers who really understand fashion. As a result, the Apple Watch has failed to make a fashion statement, in fact, many fashion designers greeted the watch with a big yawn and called it just another fancy consumer electronics "gadget."
A salesman at the famed department store Printemps treats the watch as a technology gadget, saying his store won't carry the watch, which will range in price from $350 (£232) to more than $10,000 (£6,600) for the high-end Apple Watch Edition in 18-karat gold.
The salesman at Printemps, which carries such brands as Rolex, Montblanc and Longines said.
"You have to understand; we are luxury brands, and [the Apple Watch is] more technology,"
Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns became the timepiece's highest-profile advocate from the fashion world when she joined CEO Tim Cook onstage in San Francisco on Monday, but not everyone is impressed (Click Image To Enlarge)
The Apple Watch requires that you have an iPhone that runs the apps that gives the watch its functiontionality, so in essence, it is basically an extension of the iPhone or just another electronics gadget. People who crave luxury and fashion don't want another electronic gadget on their wrist.
In another blog post dated September 27, 2015, I pointed out that Apple's next watch will be round, not square. Round watches is what consumers are buying, which is why Fitbit is kicking ass in the smartwatch category. Will Jones, a Tablets and Computing Buyer with John Lewis, stated that one reason square watches are falling short with consumers, is that.
“People don’t want to look like they’re wearing a computer on their wrist.”
Even Guy Kawasaki, the former "chief evangelist" for Apple, while attending the CeBIT technology conference in Sydney in March 2015, was wearing a Breitling watch, not an Apple Watch. When asked why he didn't wear an Apple Watch, he said.
"This is a real man's watch, not an Apple."
Guy Kawasaki refused to wear an Apple Watch, but proudly shows off his Breitling watch at a recent CeBit Technology Conference in Australia (Click Image To Enlarge)
Guy added that he "might love the Apple Watch someday," that day is not today.
Guy also expressed some reservations about the design of Apple products under the company's new CEO, Tim Cook.
"Some of their decisions, I just scratch my head."
Take the new MacBook, he pointed out, it only has one USB port.
"What alternate universe are these people living in that they only need one port?"
When the "chief evangelist" for Apple is critical of Apple's new product designs under Tim Cook, you know that Apple's reputation as a technology innovator maybe ending. In short, Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs.
I don't believe that Apple CEO Tim Cook is being honest with analysts. If sales are so good, why doesn't he just provide sales numbers to support his claims. It's my theory that Apple is just buying time until generation 2 of the Apple Watch is unveiled. It will be round and rely on leading edge apps to give the watch functionality and appeal.
Courtesy of an article dated October 21, 2015 appearing in C|NET, an article dated August 27, 2015 appearing in C|NET, an article dated August 27, 2015 appearing in AppAdvice, an article dated March 9, 2015 appearing in the Daily Mail and an article dated May 4, 2015 appearing in Mashable
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