The Apple Watch is proving to be a big deal

“In the week of March 4th, market intelligence firm IDC published a report that made me even more optimistic about Apple’s future growth prospects,” D.M. Martins Research writes for Seeking Alpha. “The research company disclosed that the broad wearable devices market has grown a sizable 31% YOY in 4Q18. Even more relevant, the smartwatch sub-category saw its market expand by an impressive 55%, with Apple’s slice of the pie alone becoming about as large as all the other participants’ combined.”
“What I have been seeing lately in terms of smartwatch sales traction has exceeded my expectations,” D.M. Martins Research writes. “At one point in 3Q17, possibly still influenced by “expert opinions” on how much of a flop the Apple Watch had been as a new product category, I projected that the device could generate $11.8 billion in annual revenues by fiscal 2021. About one year later, I revised my estimates up to $16 billion on the back of encouraging metrics on the Series 3’s performance.”
Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) in Stainless Steel Case with White Sport Band (40mm left, 44mm right)
 
“I believe my previously estimated 20% YOY market growth rate in fiscal 2021 to be too low of a projection. I now think that 22% might better reflect the smartwatch environment, decreasing at a more modest pace of 25 bps per year,” D.M. Martins Research writes. “Therefore, I revise my market growth projections upward for an estimated positive impact to sales of about $1 billion per year by fiscal 2021.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Some people get it, others don’t.
The stupidwatches currently on the market were rendered even more anachronistic dead ends today. If you have one of these wastes of time: Sell it. Get as much as you can for that piece of junk, make room on your wrist, and get ready for the world’s first real smartwatch: Apple Watch. Along with many millions of people, you are going to want an Apple Watch. All you have to do it touch it and see even a glimpse of what it can do and you’ll be sold… The Apple Watch is going to be a massive hit that sells millions upon millions of units. – SteveJack, MacDailyNews, September 9, 2014
—
The Apple Watch is going to flop… The Apple Watch is Jonathan Ive’s Newton… Apple may have built out the watch to satisfy the urges of a designer who has become more obsessed with Bentleys and Rolexes than making attractive, functional technology that will actually make life better for the 99%. — Mark Wilson, March 2, 2015
—
Once people start using Apple Watch, they aren’t going to want to leave it at home. Ever. And that’s bad, bad news for watchmakers not named Apple. – MacDailyNews Take, April 16, 2015
SEE ALSO:
IDC: Apple No.1 in Q418 worldwide wearables shipments with 16.2 million units, 10.4 million of which were Apple Watches – March 5, 2019
Wearables market up 35% in first quarter as Apple maintains lead – May 23, 2018
Apple Watch: 46 million sold, user base likely 40 to 43 million – Horace Deidu – May 3, 2018
Apple Watch, not phones, powered Verizon’s subscriber growth – April 24, 2018
Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple Watch sales could top 40-50 million units within next three years – March 27, 2018
Apple Watch dominates smartwatch market – March 1, 2018
Apple’s line of smartwatches outsold the entire Swiss watch industry last quarter – February 12, 2018
Apple Watch sets new all-time record for wearables shipments; ‘Apple has won the wearables game’ – analyst – February 7, 2018
Apple Watch sales momentum is growing; unit sales now rival those of Macintosh – January 23, 2018