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iPhone Buyers in U.S. More Than Twice as Likely to Own a Smartwatch as Android Buyers

Tuesday November 5, 2019 8:14 am PST by Mitchel Broussard
New data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners indicates that 35 percent of iPhone buyers in the United States have a smartwatch, compared to just 16 percent of Android buyers. This suggests that iPhone users are more than twice as likely as Android users to purchase a smartwatch.


Within this percentage of iPhone owners in the U.S., 19 percent own the Apple Watch and 10 percent own a Fitbit. Android owners are more likely to own a Fitbit (5 percent) than a Samsung smartwatch (4 percent).
“Among the relatively small share of all smartphone buyers that have any kind of smartwatch, iPhone buyers are twice as likely to own one than Android buyers,” said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder.

“Not surprisingly, ‌Apple Watch‌ is the leading smartwatch for iPhone buyers, while about half as many own a Fitbit. Until now, Fitbit was a neutral brand, but now becomes part of the Google-Android-Pixel-Nest universe. This creates an interesting new Android entry point into the Apple ecosystem, with a decent percentage of iPhone owners now using a wearable that becomes a more Android-friendly device. Also, among the small percentage of Android owners that have a smartwatch, Samsung and Fitbit have roughly equal shares.”
Google just announced its plan to acquire Fitbit for $2.1 billion, planning to release a new "Made by Google" wearables category that includes Fitbit devices.

For Apple, CEO Tim Cook recently stated that Apple set new fourth quarter revenue records for its wearables in every market, based on strong sales for ‌Apple Watch‌ and other devices like AirPods and Beats headphones.

CIRP based its findings on a survey of 500 mobile phone buyers in the United States, surveyed from September 29 through October 10, 2019. Those surveyed activated a mobile phone in the U.S. in the July to September 2019 period.

Tag: CIRP
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topgunn
1 week ago


I wish they were buying Garmin. Garmin understands battery life much better than Apple so with the right marketing and investments Garmin could bury the Apple Watch on the health monitoring front.

There’s no free lunch. The moment Garmin starts doing all of the things Apple is doing with the Apple Watch, you’ll end up with a watch that gets slightly more than one day of battery life.
Rating: 14 Votes
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I7guy
1 week ago


I wish they were buying Garmin. Garmin understands battery life much better than Apple so with the right marketing and investments Garmin could bury the Apple Watch on the health monitoring front.

When your watch is a glorified heart rate monitor, yeah battery life can be great.
Rating: 10 Votes
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jonnyb098
1 week ago
Not surprising since Android itself is a fragmented mess and Android Wear is all but dead. Apple has the ecosystem that Google will never be able to duplicate with its fragmentation.
Rating: 7 Votes
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I7guy
1 week ago


Nope. My priority is it should have long enough battery to last the day without cutting features. Apple Watch can barely last a day and it doesn't even monitor your activity all the time.

Apple Watch does many things badly instead of doing a few things well. Surprisingly un-Apple design in that way. Truly a Tim product.


BTW here's Apple's own documentation where they admit they can't do continuous heart rate monitoring

[URL unfurl="true"]https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204666[/URL]

So where to start debunking this nonsense.

1. the article you linked to specifically states heart rate is monitored continuously during exercise.
2. Other “smart watches” last longer Than the AW because as you said they are smart watches and not “crippled smartphones”, which are higher up on the totem pole.
3. making a blanket statement without any support is easy, so I’ll rephrase yours.
- Truly a Tim Cook product. Does most things well and a few things could use improvement.
Rating: 7 Votes
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baryon
1 week ago
In other words, richer people are more likely to own more gadgets.
Rating: 7 Votes
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realtuner
1 week ago


And McDonalds sells the most burgers so they must be the best too...

That analogy best applies to Android as a whole, since the vast majority of devices sold are low-end junk.
Rating: 6 Votes
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BigMcGuire
1 week ago
Love my Apple Watch. Notifications, Carrot Weather, Sun Set/Rise, Tip calculator (I know), activity monitor, and instant access to today's date. I can't imagine life without my Apple Watch. I'd be 200+ pounds heavier now without it. It encourages me to get out and exercise with the monthly achievement awards.

Came from FitBit (which I didn't mind) several years ago.

But even more cool? I open my MBP and bzzt bzzt, I'm logged in thanks to my Watch. Prompt coming up asking me for Administrator password? Double tap button on watch, good to go. Love little conveniences like that.

Several of my sisters have Apple Watches - my Wife as well. We all share our activity information and help encourage each other to exercise.
Rating: 6 Votes
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I7guy
1 week ago


And McDonalds sells the most burgers so they must be the best too...

Best is subjective. That the revenues for apple in the wearables category are as big as a Fortune 500 company isn’t and AW is the most popular watch out there, isn’t up for debate either.
Rating: 5 Votes
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I7guy
1 week ago


I see marathon runners using Garmin and walkers using Apple Watch.

As anecdotal as they come. My son, ran in the NYC marathon with his Apple Watch.
Rating: 5 Votes
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ersan191
1 week ago


Yup. Own an iPhone 7 Plus with a Samsung Galaxy Fit. So that's me.

Wtf why?
Rating: 5 Votes

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