Apple is reportedly aiming to sell upwards of 50 million Apple Watches in 2015.
The news comes via a new report from Digitimes, which claims that Apple has placed orders for shipments of up to five million AMOLED panels per month throughout the year. These screens will be used as the innovative touch-sensitive display for Apple’s wearables debut.
The panels are being sourced exclusively from LG, which is already a supplier for many Apple LCD panels, although it has not previously supplied the company with AMOLEDs.
The projected sales are on the top end of those suggested by Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty, who previously said that the iWatch could achieve sales in the region of 30-60 million units in its first year on the market, thanks to the “halo effect” of brand loyalty to Apple that will drive sales of the product.
If Apple can sell 50 million+ Apple Watch devices that will make it the fastest selling new iOS device in history. The iPad, by comparison, sold 19.5 million units in its first year, while the iPhone moved a relatively paltry 5.4 million units.
The Apple Watch is set to arrive Q1 next year, with prices starting at $349.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
15 responses to “Apple hopes to sell over 50 million watches in 2015”
I’ll be one as long as they aren’t over $1000 lol
This would be rather crazy. At US$350 (ignoring more expensive options and sales of the bands), Apple would beat Swatch as the largest watchmaker by selling 27 million Apple Watches. Selling 50 million will make them twice as large.
I think 10-15 million sounds more likely for its first year.
I will be 1 of 50,000,000
Me too. At least my intent is to get one.
Me = Apple Watch Sales++;
“the fastest selling iOS device”
The Apple watch doesn’t run iOS. Though it is a companion to iOS devices.
Regardless, I get the point of the statement.
Why do you think it doesn’t run iOS?
Let me add this.
Apple calls it Apple Watch OS.
Undoubtedly it is a variant of iOS designed specifically for the Apple Watch.
So it’s not being called iOS but I would bet my hippy that it is fundamentally, iOS.
How can you say it’s not iOS and say it’s still iOS in the same statement? Watch OS is no more like iOS than iOS is like OS X. I’m sure they re-use some code but it is not iOS. Calling it an iOS device is not at all accurate. I haven’t heard the technical details of how they made Watch OS but I would assume they took iOS, stripped it way way down, and added a bunch of new stuff to it. It’s not iOS so you can’t say it’s iOS or the best selling iOS device. There is a lot missing from Watch OS that is still in iOS.
no. way.
This.
I’m a diehard Apple user and I can’t even comprehend them selling 5 million for the entire year. I really can’t imagine consumers of all ages rushing out and getting an AppleWatch. Google is going to make sure that Android Wear smartwatches are going to be priced as low as possible to suck market share away from Apple like a sponge. Even though I want the AppleWatch Sports and like wearing watches, there can’t be many out there like me. Even loyal Apple consumers will just have spent money on their iPhones and it’s unlikely they’ll turn around and also buy an AppleWatch. I’m not making a prediction but my honest assessment of how unreal 50 million AppleWatches being sold sounds to me. Maybe if it was subsidized by the health care industry and insurance companies, but that’s a long-shot.
There are a lot of people that piss away hundreds on handbag or shoes that simply cost too much. Dropping $350 for a Christmas present isn’t a stretch for a lot of people. I think Apple is counting on this being a big gift thing, not necessarily a buy for yourself thing. For years iPods were a Christmas present favorite. IDK, 50 million seems like a lofty goal to me for something they can’t even come up with a message of why people should get it. Maybe they’ll get their message and marketing act together by the time it launches. I personally want one, but I a bit of a niche.
I think you may be on to something. If the watch can be seen as a medical device it is possible it would be covered by insurance providers? or through legislation as a tax write off?
Seriously though, there is no way they are going to sell 50 million watches unless they cut the price in half and even then it would be a hard sell.
At $99 maybe. Not at $350.
If it was $99, everyone in my family would be buying one ASAP, for sure.