Apple’s smartwatch nearly overtakes Fitbit
SAN FRANCISCO — A new report estimates Apple shipped 3.6 million watches in the last quarter — enough to change the competitive landscape for fitness bands and other wearable gadgets.
Apple shipped enough units of its new smartwatch to nearly overtake market leader Fitbit in the last quarter, according to analysts at International Data Corp., which estimated Fitbit shipped 4.4 million fitness bands. The report warns that traditional fitness bands may be losing popularity to smartwatches and other devices that offer more features.
“People want to get more out of their devices,” said IDC’s Ramon Llamas. “It’s kind of like the way smartphones overtook basic phones.”
Consumer response to the Apple smartwatch has been the subject of intense speculation since the new gadget went on sale in the spring. While Apple is known for making popular gadgets, the watch repre- sents a new category of products for the company. Critics have questioned whether it’s useful enough for consumers to need or want.
Apple has not revealed how many watches it has sold. After the company issued its last financial report, in which Apple lumped watch sales into a broader category it calls “other products,” many analysts estimated Apple sold between 2 million and 3 million watches during the quarter that ended in June.
IDC said it uses Apple’s financial reports and data from suppliers, distributors and consumers to estimate shipments by the Cupertino, Calif., company, not actual retail sales.
Llamas said Apple’s clout in the marketplace will influence other makers of wearable gadgets. Over the next few years, IDC predicted, basic fitness bands will lose ground to “smart” devices that come with a variety of services. That includes the Apple Watch and other smartwatches that use competing software from Google or other companies.