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Apple is the captain of a sinking ship:
Maybe not everyone is convinced they need a smartwatch? According to a new industry report from IDC out this morning, smartwatch shipments experienced "significant" declines in the third quarter, as total shipments were down 51.6 percent from the same time last year. Just 2.7 million units were shipped in Q3 2016 versus 5.6 million in Q3 2015. While IDC offers several explanations as to why sales are dropping – including issues related to launch timings, Android Wear delays, and more – the numbers still indicate how smartwatches are having a hard time finding traction among a majority of consumers.
Of course, we need to keep in mind that Apple Watch is the market leader among smartwatches – its Series One device accounted for the majority of shipments in the quarter (1.1 million units shipped, a 72 percent year-over-year decline). That means its ups and downs will have an outsize impact on the industry's numbers at large.
Another factor mentioned: potential Apple Watch customers may have been waiting for second generation version.
On the heels of Misfit announcing the Phase, its first hybrid smartwatch, a bunch of other Fossil Group brands want in on that action. Chaps, Diesel, Emporio Armani, and Michael Kors have all added hybrid smartwatches to their connected devices lineup. All of of their smarthwatches use traditional, analog watch displays, but you can track fitness and delivery notifications on them with just a few taps.
Those brands join other Fossil Group-owned brands that have put their spin on smartwatches and fitness trackers. The Fossil brand launched its Q line of wearables last year, which now includes Android Wear watches, discreet fitness trackers, and hybrid smartwatches. Fossil dabbled in wearables years ago, well before modern fitness trackers or the Apple Watch existed. But the company really began its push into that marketplace after acquiring Misfit last year. Since then, not only has Fossil adapted some of Misfit's technology into its wearables, but Misfit has also taken pages out of its parent company's playbook, particularly with the launch of its Phase hybrid smartwatch.
If smartwatches don't have this feature, I'm just not interested.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by jmorris on Thursday October 27 2016, @05:24AM
So in a generation that has mostly stopped wearing watches, because they have a phone with the time on the lock screen, they tried to get them to buy $500 - $1200 (apple) watches that are mostly just an accessory to the phone they still have to have near them. The Reality Distortion Field got a few million people to rush and buy the iWatch but since then not so much. Since then every mention of smart watches have bemoaned the poor battery life, lack of functionality and lack of a compelling reason to own one. They are actually shocked that sales have plummeted.
Yes folks, they are shocked that people aren't buying more this year than last year. Sleep soundly in the certain knowledge that our civilization is safely in the hands of Top People.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 27 2016, @07:19AM
Early adopters are ok with 'kinda works' (crap battery life).
The next segment is not usually cool with 'kinda works'.
Watches at this point are jewelry accessories or very practical. Either they are showing off you have an 6 figure salary or you just want the time in a convenient spot.
For the jewelry people this sort of watch makes sense it is a nice quick way to say 'i have money'. For the practical people this sort of thing is so retarded they are wondering the sanity of the people who designed them.
I used to make a decent salary. I fall squarely in the practical side.