"Many users will need a good reason to replace a traditional watch or access with a wrist-worn device or some other form of wearable that will likely require daily charging and occasional software upgrades.Apple decorations across the street from its big event in San Francisco.Īpple just made a bunch of announcements at its big Worldwide Developers Conference, including the unveiling of its new music "While Apple's entry into the market is symbolic, the key to success will be to create compelling use cases for the average consumer," Reith said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the market is quickly shifting toward higher-priced devices that offer greater functionality," Reith added. Reith said fitness bands such as the FitBit have led an explosion in wearables, and noted that prices for these have come down significantly. Those include what IDC calls "basic wearables" – those that don't run third-party apps - as well as wearable devices worn on clothing, eyewear and other devices. IDC also said that wearables in general will reach 45.7 million in 2015, up 133% over last year. Reith said the Apple Watch "will sell well, but price will be a hurdle, as well as the fact that it is a first-generation device and a lot of people tend to wait and see on first generation." "The Apple Watch raises the profile of wearables in general and there are many vendors and devices that are eager to share the spotlight," said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas, in a statement. If just 5% of the 300 million iPhones bought in the last two years also resulted in Apple Watch sales, that would be 15 million watches sold, she noted. Gartner analyst Angela McIntyre said a sizable percentage of iPhone owners will also buy an Apple Watch. The IDC smartwatch forecast is much lower than a recent prediction by Gartner, which says 40 million smartwatches will ship in 2015, up from about 5 million in 2014.
For all of 2015, IDC said 25.7 million smart wearables will ship, up 511% from the 4.2 million shipped in 2014. IDC grouped the Apple Watch with Motorola's Moto 360, several Samsung Gear watches and others under a category it calls smart wearables, or devices capable of running third-party apps. Apple will begin taking pre-orders April 10. Apple Watch goes on sale April 24, starting at $349, but some gold-encased models will start at $10,000. IDC expects smartwatch shipments to grow by 500% this year.Ī February forecast by CCS Insight put potential Apple Watch sales at 20 million in 2015.
0 kommentar(er)
