Skip to main content

Most people don’t want the new Apple Watch, according to a new survey

apple watch to come with power reserve time only mode hands on 7
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Apple may still be basking in the glow of fame and glory since announcing its new Apple Watch on Tuesday, but not everyone thinks the smartwatch is so hot. A new survey by Tolunda QuickSurveys of 1,000 Americans suggests that, among other insights, that most people are “very unlikely” to buy the new Apple Watch.

Most don’t want the new Apple Watch

The highlight of Tolunda’s survey comes from its questions about Apple’s unveiling of the new Apple Watch during its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus keynote. While the 1019 respondents mostly said they were “impressed” by the Apple Watch, the majority said they were still unlikely to buy it. Some 36 percent said they definitely would not buy the Apple Watch, 20 percent said they would probably not, and only 10 percent of respondents said they’d definitely buy the new Apple Watch. This response is a far cry from the standing ovation that the Apple Watch received from its audience in Cupertino’s Flint Center.

Recommended Videos

Related: Hands on: Apple’s watch changes everything. Or does it?

The survey did not ask specifically why its respondents did not want the new Apple Watch, but there are certainly several possible reasons, including its price, square shape or that most people are not yet ready for smartwatches. Tolunda’s survey did note, though, that most people either have “no opinion” on the new smartwatch’s overall design, or that it doesn’t look “much different from other smartwatches.” No particular feature of the Apple Watch stood out as the best among respondents, though many said they did like the size of the device, its health features, and customization.

The iPhone 6 remains a hit

While the Apple Watch didn’t receive much praise from the survey, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus still impressed the survey’s respondents.  According to Tolunda’s Survey, 53 percent of respondents were impressed by their first look at the pair of smartphones, which will hit stores next week. Some 42 percent also said they were satisfied by the new features, feeling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are worthy successors to last year’s iPhone 5S and 5C.

When it comes to features, it seems the larger screen and faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity were the two most popular features on the new iPhones. Despite being one of the most popular features though, 63 percent would still buy the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, as opposed to its larger, 5.5-inch cousin. It seems in any case that customers like having a sense of choice in size.

Related: Apple makes it official, announces 5.5-inch iPhone 6

One final interesting piece of information from the survey is about conversion. Of the respondents who own an Android device, only 9 percent said they’d be willing to switch, suggesting that the majority who like and want the new iPhone are already iPhone owners themselves.

Tolunda’s survey went out less than 24 hours after Apple’s event, when it was fresh on everyone’s mind. Still that doesn’t mean the sentiment about either the iPhone 6 or Apple Watch will change once release day comes around. We’ll only know how well these gadgets sell once they hit the stores and we’re able to review the devices ourselves. It does seem that the Apple Watch, despite the hype, still has to prove its worth to consumers. Feel free to check out Tolunda’s infographic of the survey results below.

iPhone 6 survey inforgraphic
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Joshua Sherman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joshua Sherman is a contributor for Digital Trends who writes about all things mobile from Apple to Zynga. Josh pulls his…
Apple Intelligence is coming to these languages in April
Apple Intelligence on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Public access to certain features of Apple Intelligence is rolling out to users with the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1 updates. However, even if you are fortunate enough to gain early access, the service is currently only available in U.S. English in select countries. That is expected to change in the coming weeks and months.

According to GSMArena, Apple plans to add local English variants in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. in December. Most recently, it was confirmed that starting in April and continuing throughout 2025, Apple Intelligence will gain support for Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. April is also when the EU will see its first Apple Intelligence release.

Read more
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 14 Plus: Is it upgrade time?
Composite shot of iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 14 Plus.

It’s an exciting year for Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup, and that’s not merely because of the upcoming Apple Intelligence features. After two years of enduring relatively uninspired updates, fans of Apple’s standard iPhone and iPhone Plus models finally have a pair of iPhones that feel like more than “also-rans” compared to Apple’s flagship iPhone Pro lineup.

While the standard iPhone 16 models may not have gotten all the upgrades we hoped for, Apple is no longer arbitrarily reserving its best chips and user interface features for its flagship Pro series. In addition to the Dynamic Island and Action button, the iPhone 16 Plus gets the same Camera Control feature that Apple introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, a powerful new A-series chip, and some unique design changes that are entirely its own.

Read more
Apple Intelligence features are finally available for everyone
Apple Intelligence & Siri screen on an iPhone 16 Pro

Apple has begun rolling out Apple Intelligence to those with eligible iPhones through the latest iOS 18.1 update. Apple Intelligence was originally shown off during WWDC 2024 in June and has been available to those on the developer and public betas. However, as of today, iOS 18.1 is available to everyone, though Apple Intelligence is only available for the iPhone 15 Pro models and the entire iPhone 16 lineup.

With iOS 18.1, those users can now access several Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools, a more natural and capable Siri, summarize notifications, a smarter Photos app, and priority messages in Mail. Be aware that these are just a fraction of Apple Intelligence features — there are even more AI tools coming in iOS 18.2, which is currently in beta.

Read more