Consumers ‘Still Not Sure’ About Apple Watch

The Apple Watch may not initially prove to be the blockbuster success many people thought, according to new analyst figures that suggest only a minority of consumers are prepared to buy the device.

A survey by investment firm Piper Jaffray found that customers are being unusually coy when it came to pledging their support for Apple’s first wearable, with only seven percent of American iPhone owners saying they would be buying the Apple Watch.

This is down from 10 percent who said they would be prepared to buy the device in September 2013, and 8 percent following the device’s reveal in September 2014, as customers wait for Apple to reveal more details about the device before committing to a purchase.

Wary

Alongside the figures, Piper Jaffray’s senior research analyst Gene Munster believes that Apple needs to provide more information on the device to attract consumers. He says that whilst Apple has broadly outlined the features of the Apple Watch, it has not homed in on a “killer feature” or touted third-party app capabilities, the latter being a major contributing factor in the iPhone’s success.

Munster said he expects Apple Watch sales to be around 10 million units over its first full year of availability, but warned that an expected June launch could lower this to around 8 million units in 2015.

“We continue to believe the Watch can be an important product for Apple, but expect first year sales to be modest,” Munster said.

Leaked emails purporting to be from inside Apple revealed in November said that the Watch would go on sale for around $349 (£216), and would be released in the Spring.

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