Will smartwatches like the Apple Watch ever replace the need for more traditional timepieces? Recently Fossil’s CEO suggested that maybe smartwatches aren’t what we need, but smarter watches which are basically watches with more hi-tech functionality. However we suppose not everyone agrees with that sentiment.
According to a recent Business Insider report, it has been suggested that come 2020, the Apple Watch could very well account for 40% of premium watch sales. Note that they don’t say smartwatch sales, but premium watch sales which means that the Apple Watch is predicted to encroach upon the traditional timepiece market as well.
However this does not mean that the Apple Watch will replace that $15,000 Rolex on your wrist, but in terms of entry-level watches, it could very well replace that instead. “Assuming a lower-bound price of $350 for the luxury-watch category, and including Apple Watch in that category, traditional wristwatches would account for ~60% of total shipments in 2020, while Apple Watch would account for ~40%.”
It’s an interesting suggestion and one we’re curious to see if it will come true. As it stands the Apple Watch has been met with mixed reviews, but given that it is the first-generation, perhaps Apple will find a way to improve upon it in future generations.
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