I didn't know about this watch. I guess they don't sell it in the states? I sure hope they bring some of these health features to the next apple watch.
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Apple Watch Sales Falling Continuously Amid Lack of New Models
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Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I’d suggest finding a good refurbished Series 9 without that sensor disabled. You can tell if it’s disabled or not by the model number. That’s what I upgraded to last year even though the 10 was out and I liked the form factor more.
I thought I read the patent expires at some point in 2026 but, until then, I’m not upgrading, and even then, they need something more compelling than a blood pressure sensor that can alert you to changes in your patterns.
That does me no good as I’m monitoring that on my own as well as getting actual readings that flow from the equipment into Apple Health via the app.
Now monitoring with actual readings throughout the day, that would be a different thing, as would getting actual readings for blood sugar but I can see where just having a sensor for one or both blood pressure and blood sugar that alerts you to changes in your “normal range” would be very beneficial to the user base at large in terms of letting you know you may have a problem if you’ve not already been diagnosed. Those could be life savers for somebody without a clue they have a problem, just like the sleep apnea feature is.
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The Series 7 was actually the biggest physical upgrade to the regular watch - then the Ultra was a whole new thing. Little surprises sales have been down since, especially given the newest watches lost blood oxygen
Sleep tracking is great - but works best when you have two Apple Watches to rotate. If you rotate watches, they last even longer - basically doubles how long the battery health last.
Many of the watch faces also look strange on the AW10. It's odd, because those same watch faces look fine on the Ultra.
From a certain point of view you could say a product is extremely and deeply flawed if you need two for it to work the intended way
It's little things like having to have a separate charger when traveling or at work that I hate. If they could just allow the watch to be charged from the back of the phone, or some other tech so that other Qi chargers could be used for the watch I'd be so happy.
I heard that last part in Butter's voice 😂 I accidentally put my APP case on my phone (S25U) the other day and it started charging and I had that "OH!" moment. Apple should have done this years ago
I have the Watch 4 and other than the lack of software updates it still works great. Haven’t seen any reasons to upgrade yet as the current features are pretty much the same.
I’ve owned AW since late 2015, it still is my favorite Apple device.
The AW has a lifespan of about 3-5 years pending on usage, so it is/was expected that Sales are not continuing to clim, just like iPhone or smartphones in general.
Apple has positioned the AW as a general health/fitness tracker but has been lagging in the feature sets for that area over the past few years. Other than adding wrist temperature nothing new since s6 when SpO2 was introduced, and that is now gone in the US ;(
Apple needs to step up the health/fitness features, I won’t upgrade my U2 unless there’s SpO2 and eg blood pressure.
The AW has a lifespan of about 3-5 years pending on usage, so it is/was expected that Sales are not continuing to clim, just like iPhone or smartphones in general.
Apple has positioned the AW as a general health/fitness tracker but has been lagging in the feature sets for that area over the past few years. Other than adding wrist temperature nothing new since s6 when SpO2 was introduced, and that is now gone in the US ;(
Apple needs to step up the health/fitness features, I won’t upgrade my U2 unless there’s SpO2 and eg blood pressure.
I got slammed here pretty hard a few years back suggesting Apple really needs to go deep into fitness metrics and measurements. Garmin and Coros shouldn't be the only game in town. Apple have the fitness experts and the cash, why not make my DI2 wireless bike shifting connect to the watch? Why can't my cadence and power meter connect? It's just so weird that what's on offer is very broad but shallow. I'd personally love better support for rucking, Spartan and other hybrid sports. And give me a fitness rating for training purposes. Show me age-related metrics for VO2 max, aerobic (high and low) and anaerobic considerations to tell me what my body battery/ power is.
Give me 10-20 days with full GPS and breadcrumbs for back country activities.
Remind me to hydrate or have some nutrition during my ride at preset intervals that I can establish based on caloric metrics.
Garmin can't be the only one to nail this... And until Apple does, it's nothing but a wrist-mounted, step-counting notification device. Anecdotally I don't see the more serious athletes in my circles with Apple watches even though everyone has an iPhone. Tons of Garmin, Coros and the like. And the Watch Ultra, I'm not sure what it solves other than a differentiating form factor and little bit extra battery (but not enough for it to count). It's all so aspirational within the broader fitness ecosystem
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There’s an high expected increase in utility of a watch for most people to consider buying a new one. Apple really outdid themselves with making the watch mainstream, but the problem is, most people are probably content with even a Series 5 unless they fall into a niche group of the fitness minded or tech savvy. And unlike the phone, most Apple Watches look identical. It’s one of those weird consequences of making a product so good, people don’t need another one.
It’ll be a while before I upgrade again. Removal of O2 from new watches in the US and being mum on it at point of sale was another shady tactic by Apple. Will be trying android this year and see if I wanna come back to Apple.
I have an Apple watch, I can tell you two things about it that are not so good and might drive most people to other watches:
1) The battery life is very poor, it must be charged every day. My Fitbit can go for days before it needs a charge
2) It costs too much compared to others. AW costs twice as much as the competition.
Those two things are very basic features that will not be fixed with only small changes.
1) The battery life is very poor, it must be charged every day. My Fitbit can go for days before it needs a charge
2) It costs too much compared to others. AW costs twice as much as the competition.
Those two things are very basic features that will not be fixed with only small changes.
I mean this isn't really surprising there isn't a compelling reason to upgrade or to convince non wearers to get one.
I made the jump from the S7 to the S10 and trust me, the upgrade is very very nice. I would never upgrade an Apple Watch after just 1 or even 2 years, unless we get a Series 4 like change of course. But believe me, the S10 is really noticeably better than the S7.
I find the Apple Watch upgrades bigger at at the very least as big/compelling as iPhone upgrades.
Apple watch 10: $400
Samsung Galaxy watch 7: $330
Pixel watch 3: $350
One plus watch 3: $350
They should make a nice *round* watch. I’ve grown to hate that ubiquitous little square on the wrist of every other person you meet. I ditched mine in favour of a nice, watch-looking Garmin. I love it. And the battery lasts over a week. Game changer.
Apple's global smartwatch shipments declined by 19% year-over-year in 2024, marking the company's second consecutive annual drop and the fifth straight quarter of falling sales, according to new data from Counterpoint Research.
According to Counterpoint's Global Smartwatch Shipment Tracker for the fourth quarter of 2024, Apple experienced shipment declines in all major regions except India. The most significant drop occurred in North America, which accounts for more than half of Apple Watch shipments globally.
The report identifies multiple contributing factors behind the sustained downturn. Chief among them is the absence of a new Apple Watch SE model, which has historically served as Apple's most popular smartwatch in terms of volume during post-launch periods. The last SE model came out in the third quarter of 2022 and its continued absence throughout 2024 is cited as a key driver of weakened shipment growth.
The Apple Watch Series 10 was released in 2024, offering "fewer substantial upgrades" over its predecessor, which reduced consumer incentive to upgrade. The model was affected by ongoing legal issues in the United States, where Apple was required to remove the blood oxygen sensor feature from affected units due to patent litigation.
The lack of an Apple Watch Ultra 3 model in 2024 is also a contributing factor. The Apple Watch Ultra line had previously accounted for over 10% of Apple Watch shipments globally, but its share dropped to under 8% in the fourth quarter of 2024 in the absence of a new model. Counterpoint noted that this decline contributed measurably to Apple's overall shipment losses in the advanced smartwatch category, where Apple's market share fell by 8% points year-over-year.
Despite the contraction in shipments, Apple continues to dominate the advanced smartwatch segment by unit volume. However, the recent declines mark a reversal from earlier years of growth. According to previous Counterpoint data, Apple Watch shipments increased by 27% in 2021. In 2022, growth stalled and the company reported zero percent year-over-year change. This was followed by a 10% decline in 2023, which nearly doubled in scale in 2024.
The downturn coincides with stronger performance from rival smartwatch manufacturers. While Apple's global shipments contracted, all other major vendors in the advanced smartwatch category saw year-over-year growth, according to the report.
Rumors suggest that Apple is preparing to release a third-generation Apple Watch SE with a revamped design and potentially a lower price point, an Apple Watch Series 11 with new health monitoring capabilities and 5G connectivity, and an Apple Watch Ultra 3 with satellite connectivity. The new models should launch in the fall, likely alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.
Article Link: Apple Watch Sales Falling Continuously Amid Lack of New Models
I came from a series 4 to the series 10. and I was impressed how fast it was. I can fully charge in 20 minutes or less.
the main downside is third party apps not supported in the watch in my opinion.