Apple Watch sales take a nosedive after stellar launch

Shawn Knight

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Staff member

Apple generated a ton of buzz leading up to the release of its debut wearable. The campaign effort led to an early pop in sales that quickly put the Cupertino-based company ahead in a market that nobody has yet found traction in.

Data from research firm Slice Intelligence reveals that once pre-orders had been filled, sales held steady through May and into early June before taking a turn for the worse.

According to Slice, sales have plunged by 90 percent since opening week. That’s a bit skewed due to pre-orders but still, the trend is quite grim as Apple had reportedly been selling around 20,000 units per day in the US during May and early June, but later in the month that figure has dropped consistently to well below 5,000 units.

The firm points out that two-thirds of Apple Watch sales have been of the lower-profit Sport version which starts at $349. Slice also contends that fewer than 2,000 of the premium Watch Edition have been sold in the US since launch. Pricing for the Watch Edition starts at $10,000.

IHS Technology recently found that the Apple Watch Sport has the best profit margin of any Apple product with an estimated cost to build of just $83.70. It’s worth reiterating that these are unofficial numbers since Apple has yet to reveal official sales figures. The company will likely announce those in its next earnings report on July 21.

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I would like to buy one but I can't. My feeling is that the first edition is going to be like my Gen 1 iPad which will be well made but unsupported after only a couple of years so I'll likely be better waiting for the Watch 2 to make sure I get a device which has had the kinks ironed out.
 
Smartwatches should be able to function standalone. Why would I pay $350 for an apple watch when I could pay $100 for a ipod nano 6th gen and $20 for a wristband for it?
 
I hardly wear a watch now after I got a smartphone. These smart watches still needs to be connected to the smartphone for it to function for it's intended use. I got a Samsung Gear Fit and it's a nice watch for health data. Apple watches has a lot of fluff and can only max it's use if you have friends with the same watch. The watch is too bulky!
 
As an (ex?) Apple fanboy, I would be very surprised if Apple Watch will come to be a success in the long run. Rarely seen a more stupid thing. This Apple after Jobs seems every day more a Sculley-Apple 2.0.
 
This was more of a status symbol/fashion statement than anything else.
Poor battery life (my watch battery lasts YEARS), too expensive (my watch was under 100 dollars),
and the functionality was childish.
A watch, to me, is a watch. It tells time. I have a cheap Casio wave ceptor, battery lasts 3-4 years,
it automatically syncs with WWV to keep it accurate, has a stop watch, alarm, couple time zones.
I'm in my 50's and a watch needs to be rugged. Mine constantly gets splashed with water, mud,
oil, banged around etc. If the "smart watch" can do that for under 200 dollars, I might think about it.
Also, with the younger generation growing up with smartphones, they have a "smart watch" with them
24/7 anyway, called a smart phone. You can pass a crowd of people without seeing phones clutched
in their hands all the time. Why bother looking at your wrist, when you have a clock in your hand to
start with?
 
This was more of a status symbol/fashion statement than anything else.
Poor battery life (my watch battery lasts YEARS), too expensive (my watch was under 100 dollars),
and the functionality was childish.
A watch, to me, is a watch. It tells time. I have a cheap Casio wave ceptor, battery lasts 3-4 years,
it automatically syncs with WWV to keep it accurate, has a stop watch, alarm, couple time zones.
I'm in my 50's and a watch needs to be rugged. Mine constantly gets splashed with water, mud,
oil, banged around etc. If the "smart watch" can do that for under 200 dollars, I might think about it.
Also, with the younger generation growing up with smartphones, they have a "smart watch" with them
24/7 anyway, called a smart phone. You can pass a crowd of people without seeing phones clutched
in their hands all the time. Why bother looking at your wrist, when you have a clock in your hand to
start with?
You too with the status thing? You need to let go of the status thing and realize it doesn't. Its just a watch.
 
stauts? how? from a watch? Why would you attribute status with a watch? I don't understand that mindset with people.

It's a display of wealth and refinement. Social peacocking, if you will. Some will buy an Apple watch because they genuinely appreciate it (brainwashed Apple drones notwithstanding). Others will do it for no other reason than to show everyone their feathers.
 
It's a display of wealth and refinement. Social peacocking, if you will. Some will buy an Apple watch because they genuinely appreciate it (brainwashed Apple drones notwithstanding). Others will do it for no other reason than to show everyone their feathers.
YOU might and YOU might feel that way, but I haven't met a single person that makes the same claim you do.
 
YOU might and YOU might feel that way, but I haven't met a single person that makes the same claim you do.

There's no "might" to it. People will buy Apple watches because they genuinely like them or for vanity.

As for me... I think it's a waste of money.
 
Since this is a tech site with thousands of people reading, lets test your claim. Has anyone here on techspot bought an apple watch for vanity/social status like he claims?
 
Since this is a tech site with thousands of people reading, lets test your claim. Has anyone here on techspot bought an apple watch for vanity/social status like he claims?

You skipped the lecture on social behavior in psych 101, didn't you?
 
The following link provides a decent overview of the principles I mentioned in the preceding responses. Skip to the section on adults: https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-26/edition-8/psychology-stuff-and-things

As a general rule, I don't invent bullshit out of thin air on the internet, what with freshman-level topics being readily searchable via Google.

I 100% agree with everything in the article and I wish everyone knew this type if information. As much as I would love to chat about it, I would like to stick on topic about your claim that people have bought an iwatch to elevate their status/ social standing. Can you provide this information or no? Actually, just the vanity claim. The other guy made the status symbol reference.
 
I 100% agree with everything in the article and I wish everyone knew this type if information. As much as I would love to chat about it, I would like to stick on topic about your claim that people have bought an iwatch to elevate their status/ social standing. Can you provide this information or no?

It's fairly simple logic:

1. People buy things for one of three reasons: (a) validation, (b) necessity, or (c) a+b
2. People buy Apple watches
3. Therefore, some people have purchased an Apple watch for validation, necessity, or both.
 
It's fairly simple logic:

1. People buy things for one of three reasons: (a) validation, (b) necessity, or (c) a+b
2. People buy Apple watches
3. Therefore, some people have purchased an Apple watch for validation, necessity, or both.
Well, this is a little change in what you used to claim. I accept that there is possibly a very few that would buy for validation, however, you would be hard pressed to find a person like that.
 
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