Buzz
In a nutshell:- Apple Watch is currently the most popular smartwatch globally, but the journey wasn't always smooth sailing.
- Upon its debut in 2015, Apple Watch faced tough competition and lagged behind rivals like Fitbit.
- In 2016, Apple revamped Apple Watch as a fitness and health-centric product rather than a fashion statement, leading to a surge in sales.
The challenging journey lasted for 6 long years
According to statistics, Apple Watch currently dominates 55% of the global smartwatch market, surpassing many competitors including Google, who invested a hefty $2.1 billion to acquire Fitbit, a well-known name in the smartwatch industry. The future holds uncertainties, such as rumors of Facebook developing and preparing to launch their first smartwatch in 2022. However, at present, Apple Watch remains the reigning champion in this field.
The first-generation Apple Watch was introduced on September 9, 2014, and officially released on April 24, 2015. Despite bringing a fresh perspective, the Apple Watch faced mockery as an expensive toy worth tens of millions of dong. Initially, the product struggled to attract new users due to both subjective and objective reasons. Subjectively, the gen 1 Apple Watch still retained many shortcomings considering its relatively high price. It heavily relied on the phone and remarkably lacked waterproof capabilities, only offering basic water resistance. Objectively...Fitbit is currently leading the smartwatch game
Being a frontrunner, Fitbit holds a significant position in the smartwatch market. Established in 2007, Fitbit pioneered the popularization of smartwatches, a relatively new concept a decade ago. In 2015, Fitbit sold 21.4 million devices, and in 2016, this number increased to 22.3 million. In comparison, with the Apple Watch, research firm Canalys estimated that they only sold about 11.9 million devices in 2016, roughly half of what Fitbit achieved.
Consumers aren't particularly enthusiastic about viewing the Apple Watch as an essential wearable. Many have purchased it but have rated it relatively negatively, finding it too complex to use and providing a subpar user experience. During this period, Apple Watch sales also declined gradually. In mid-April, Apple was reportedly selling 35 thousand watches per day, but by early July, this number dropped to around 5000. Analysts also warned that the demand for Apple Watch is decreasing significantly.In order to move forward, it's evident that Apple needs to do something, something truly impactful...Rising like a kite in 2017
With Apple Watch 3, Apple began to focus more on fitness and health-related features rather than other pursuits like fashion, and so on. In reality, the groundwork for Apple Watch 3 came from the previous generation in 2016, when Apple's smartwatch could now withstand water, come equipped with GPS for more independent operation, less reliant on the iPhone. And so, with Series 3, Apple added features like tracking women's menstrual cycles and detecting irregularities in heartbeats.
With this change, suddenly many people are paying more attention to Apple's product because it can help them take care of their health instead of just serving as a luxury item. In other words, users are now more open to the Apple Watch, and readily accept its price. Some even say that the Apple Watch has surpassed Rolex as the number one watch in the world during the period between 2017.
Apart from health features, Apple Watch Series 3 also comes with the ability to make and receive calls even without an iPhone thanks to eSIM technology. It can also play music independently through the company's AirPods. Previously, Fitbit held the record for smart wearable sales in a financial quarter, with 6.1 million devices sold in Q4 2015. However, when the AW Series 3 was launched, Q4 2017 saw this watch sell up to 8 million units, reaching 18 million units throughout the year.
Analyst Jason Low of Canalys affirmed at the beginning of 2018 that 'Apple has won in the wearable device market.' In the context where traditional Swiss watch companies like Swatch, TAG Heuer, and many other prestigious companies struggle to compete with smartwatches, Apple sold 31 million units in 2019. It needs to be clarified that comparing these two types of watches is still somewhat 'off', but it's worth noting that in the whole of 2019, all Swiss watch brands combined only sold 21 million units.
Building on past successes, Apple unveiled the groundbreaking Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018, enhancing both design and functionality. With a larger display and softer, more elegant design, this sixth-generation watch blurs the lines between modern technology and classic mechanical timepieces that have stood the test of time.
