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Smartwatch Sales Fell Far Short of Projections in 2014

apple-watch-2[1]If you’ve been getting the impression that the hype surrounding smartwatches is exceeding all reality, you weren’t wrong.

Market research firm Canalys has just released its estimates for the global smartwatch sales in 2014:

Over 720,000 Android Wear devices shipped in 2014 out of a total of 4.6 million smart wearable bands. Though the Moto 360 remained supply constrained through Q4, Motorola was the clear leader among Android Wear vendors. LG’s round G Watch R performed significantly better than its original G Watch, while Asus and Sony entered the market with their own Android Wear devices. Pebble meanwhile shipped a total of 1 million units from its 2013 launch through to the end of 2014.

While 4.6 million sounds like a lot, it’s worth noting that around this time last year Canalys projected that sales of smart wearable bands would top 8 million units last year.

It looks like they missed by a bit. (So did Business Insider, which predicted 15 million smartwatches would be sold last year.)

Snickering aside, if the Canalys estimates are accurate then smartwatch sales in 2014 were over double the estimated sales for 2013 (I don’t have exact figures, so I can’t say for sure). That’s not the insanely fast growth that some were expecting but it’s still significant growth in a market which still lacks Apple.

The Apple Watch is expected to ship in April.

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Comments


Tim February 11, 2015 um 11:22 pm

I’ve said this on other sites too.. I don’t think that many people want to have a watch that does so much… they’re pretty used to their phones. I still use a watch as a timepiece (I’m somewhat old-fashioned I guess) – what I _would_ pay for is only a semi-smart watch with these simple features

1. connect to my computer with the same small USB connector as used on phones now
2. Memory enough for at least 3 sets of graphics (previous, now, next..)
3. Graphics for backgrounds, 24 hour graphics, 60 minute graphics maybe 60 second graphics in 24-bit color, 240×240 resolution?
4. software on watch combines the above once per second (or minute) to form watch face
5. Simple way to download graphics for the above, from computer

In other words, I can "skin" my watch any way I want, or buy designs from others. And that’s it.

Nate Hoffelder February 12, 2015 um 7:12 am

I recovered from the smartwatch hype early last year. Ever since then I’ve believed they would ultimately prove no popular than just another type of wrist watch.


Reuters Thinks the Apple Watch is Doomed Because ⋆ Ink, Bits, & Pixels March 16, 2015 um 11:54 am

[…] But even if Apple doesn't sell 30 million smartwatches, if for example they sell only 3 million Apple Watches, that's still more units than any other smartwatch maker managed to sell last year. […]


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