There has been an array of online talks regarding Apple Inc. and the next generation of its smartwatch. A look at device sales around the world shows smartwatch purchases are undergoing a rapid slowdown. Although, the makers of the Apple Watch claim that their digital timepiece is immune to this trend.
Better yet, rumor has it that the next edition of the Watch will come in a more conventional shape and boost its appeal to consumers. If the sources are true, then next Fall could see the unveiling of a circular Apple Watch.
Industry research recently gave out a shocking statistic about smartwatch sales worldwide. The International Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker (IWQWDT) was just updated it Q3 2016 results. They suggest that Apple Watch sales were down more than 71 percent during the three monthsmonths building up to October. That is compared to the same period last year. Reportedly,the third quarter of 2015 saw just under 4 million Apple Watch sales. That’s a truly impressive number considering the Watch first rolled out in the previous quarter.
Fast forward a year later and reports claim Apple only manages to pull in 1.1 million watch sales during the September quarter.
Although, the chief exec at Apple, Tim Cook’ disputes these claims. Cook claims Watch sales have been “great”and are set to do ever better this holiday season. However, the CEO failed to give actual figures to support his claims. “Our data shows that Apple Watch is doing great and looks to be one of the most popular holiday gifts this year,” Cook told Reuters.
Cooks say the sales growth goes well beyond expectations. He also says the Watch sell-through seen in the first week of holiday shopping “was greater than any week in the product’s history”. The company is confident that this holiday quarter will be the Apple Watch’s best quarter since its launch last year.
Apple is yet to give the public details about the Apple Watch’s actual sales performance. This is mostly done to keep competitors in the dark. At quarter revenue calls, the company groups Watch sales with other ‘accessories’. September saw the unveiling of the latest Watch, dubbed Series 2. The iPhone maker also collaborated with sportswear giant Nike to produce a new Nike+ edition of the Apple Watch. Both these items are expected to pull in large sales numbers this Christmas season.
Round Apple Watch
Something else is reported to be in the works at Apple – the production of a round-faced Watch. USPTO, formally known as the United States Patent and Trademark Office, got a patent application filed by the tech giant some time ago. According to sources, the patent suggests the makers if the iPhone 7 want their next Apple Watch to take on a more “circular display”. Conventional with a twist. Evidently, that is the appeal of most products. Something that looks normal but offers a lot more. This marketing element is thought to be behind the rise of Apple’s leading rivals in the smartwatch market.
While the existing range of Watches come with square-like frames, popular competitors like the Moto 360 from Motorola, the Huawei Watch and the Samsung Gear 2 come with circular designs. They also run Google’s Android operating system. However, it is thought that their conventional looks make them much more approachable.
The patent was actually filed in June 2015. The same year saw the launch of the first Watch. Reports claim the company is interested in adding an array of pixel columns and rows, each varying in length. This will reportedly “save space and reduce crowding”. However, considering that the firm filed the patent before the release of the original Watch, it appears they had always planned to introduce a round watch product. Possibly, Apple was merely waiting for the novelty of the square-like design to fade.
