If you’re an early adopter of the smartwatch, you’re probably already convinced of their potential. If not, let this convince you: Sales of the Apple Watch in its first year have far exceeded sales of the iPhone in its first year.
Actually, the Apple Watch sold twice as many units over the past year compared to sales of the original iPhone, the device that arguably kicked off the smartphone revolution, between 2007 and 2008.
Of course, it’s important to remember a few things: The Apple Watch, while pricey, starts at quite a bit less than the iPhone did when it was released. The Apple Watch starts at $350 — the iPhone started at $500. Still, analysts estimate that the average price of an Apple Watch sale over the past year did indeed hit $500, suggesting that many people bought better than the base model, and that price may not be that big of a factor in the Apple Watch’s success compared to the iPhone.
According to estimates, sales of the Apple Watch sit at around 12 or 13 million units, putting the device second only to sales of the iPad, which hit a massive 19.5 million units in its first year. By comparison, the original iPhone only hit 6.1 million units — a big accomplishment to be sure, but somewhat lackluster compared to unit numbers that Apple ships these days. Official Apple Watch numbers are expected to be released during an earnings call scheduled for the company tomorrow.
Sure, the Apple Watch isn’t perfect. It’s fairly low-powered, relies heavily on the iPhone, and the battery only gives the device enough juice to last through a day. Many, however, suggest that the Apple Watch 2 will be a far more useful device, offering increased battery power and perhaps even an LTE chip.
Whatever the next version of the Apple Watch looks like, it’s sure to be a big seller — in a few years it’s likely we’ll look back on the original Apple Watch and see it as clunky and outdated. Perhaps in a few years we’ll also see it as weird not to own a smartwatch.
