Apple Watch Shipments Could Reach 15 Million in 2017

Overall Apple Watch shipments are expected to rise to 4.5 million units in the fourth quarter of this year and could reach 15 million for the whole of 2017, according to sources in the upstream supply chain (via DigiTimes).

Those predictions bode well for Apple as it prepares to launch its third-generation smartwatch, but the figures stand in stark contrast to other vendors of wearable devices, who are seeing increasingly weakening demand.

apple watch trio
Xiaomi and Fitbit are both experiencing dropping sales for their current smartwatch ranges, while wearable shipments from Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Motorola remain weak overall. Asustek has already decided to leave the market completely and Intel has been cutting staff and R&D resources involved in its wearable platforms.

High prices, weak battery life, overlapping functionalities with smartphones, and poorly integrated ecosystems are among the reasons cited for the less-than-impressive demand for rival wearables.

Meanwhile Apple's smartwatch continues to ride a wave of popularity, with supply chain sources expecting Apple Watch volume to rise to up to 20 million units in 2018. By contrast the first-generation Apple Watch shipped less than 5 million units in 2015, while the second-generation model has maintained strong sales since its launch in September 2016.

Set to launch next month, the Apple Watch Series 3 is said to be coming in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + LTE models in 38mm and 42mm sizes, according to KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo reckons the cellular-enabled model will have an embedded SIM, but it might support VoIP calling only. Apple Watch Series 3 models will also reportedly have improved performance and longer battery life.

Rumors of a design change for the third-generation watch can't be confirmed, but it's possible some small tweaks to the form factor could be revealed in September, alongside new iPhones and possibly a 4K-capable Apple TV.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
m2 macbook air blue

M4 MacBook Air Release Continues to Appear Imminent

Monday February 10, 2025 10:56 am PST by
There continue to be signs of a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip, indicating that we could see the machine launch in the not too distant future. A private account on X today shared the identifiers that the MacBook Air will use, and those identifiers correspond to the M4 chip. According to the source, both the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air will be equipped with Apple's...
oppo find n5 fingers

World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Launches Next Week

Monday February 10, 2025 3:05 am PST by
Oppo has confirmed a February 20 global launch for its Find N5, which the company claims is the world's thinnest device in the foldable phone category. The phone is expected to be re-branded as the OnePlus Open 2 in the US. The Chinese vendor has been teasing the device in the last few weeks, touting its waterproofing and nearly invisible display crease, and highlighting its thinness by compa...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.3.1

Monday February 10, 2025 10:04 am PST by
Apple today released watchOS 11.3.1, a minor update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.3.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.3.1 can be downloaded by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to...
sequoia

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.3.1

Monday February 10, 2025 10:11 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, a minor update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that came out last September. macOS 15.3.1 comes a few weeks after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. Apple has also released macOS 13.7.4 and macOS 14.7.4 for those who are...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Apple Ad on X

Apple Resumes Advertising on X

Wednesday February 12, 2025 2:18 pm PST by
Apple this month started advertising on X for the first time in more than a year. The company had stopped advertising on the social media platform in November 2023 following controversial remarks made by its owner Elon Musk. For example, the @Apple account is running an ad promoting Safari's privacy features. The ad was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The @AppleTV account has a...
M4 mini Glowing Blue

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished M4 Macs

Wednesday February 12, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today added MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 series chips to its certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland for the first time since the computers were introduced in October 2024. Some refurbished MacBook Pro models with M4 chips are also available in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and select other European countries. ...

Top Rated Comments

pika2000 Avatar
98 months ago
For something that only works on iPhone, it's quite amazing.
Meanwhile, Google doesn't even have a clear vision on what Android Wear is going. My 2nd gen Moto 360 released in 2015 is already abandoned last year (last security patch was October 2016). With Samsung pursuing their own solution with the insecure Tizen, Apple is becoming the de-facto smartwatch choice.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sunny1990 Avatar
98 months ago
Overall Apple Watch shipments are expected to rise to 4.5 million units in the fourth quarter of this year and could reach 15 million for the whole of 2017, according to sources in the upstream supply chain (via DigiTimes ('http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170817PD208.html')).
Shipments are Pretty much impressive. Cracks me up how some call it a flop.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
98 months ago
What other competition is really against the Apple Watch? Pebble is out, Android wear seems distant and not overly popular, Fitbit lacks style and seems stagnant at the moment. It's Not shocking the overall success of the Apple Watch and Series 3 will Continue to improve the capabilities further, hopefully with more health related sensors, which I think is the strongest atttibute the Watch has besides the notifications and band changing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
98 months ago
While relatively few Watch-capable iPhone owners are getting one, current sales are not bad at about 5% of iPhone buyers. Very similar to Apple Pay adoption.

(Although it's not like iPhone owners have any real choice when it comes to a fully compatible watch... Apple has made sure of that by doing what Microsoft used to do: keep the tightest integration APIs to themselves.)

---
The bigger question to me is: how many end up in a drawer somewhere? Historically speaking, about half of smartwatches end up not being used after about six months. People forget to charge them, bring a charger, etc, and eventually fall out of the habit.

I'd love to see a survey to find out if Apple has beat the normal odds on long term user adoption.
My Fitbit surge is now 2 years and 5 months old and still going strong and is on my wrist at least 6 out of 7 days a week. My son wears his first gen AW as he would a wrist-watch. And without exception everyone I know with an AW still wears theirs. While that is a small sample, anecdotally it shows in my circle people do not throw their AW in a drawer after six months.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gugy Avatar
98 months ago
I was originally a skeptical guy. I still not in love with the design but the workout feature has been what made me abandon my Omega Seamaster (Use only for social ocasions). I have been motivate to workout more due the data and features. That alone makes it worth IMO. Good job Apple.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bazooka-joe Avatar
98 months ago
Not bad figures considering all the people that posted on here in the past saying the Apple Watch is a flop
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)