Apple boss Tim Cook to unveil smartwatch
APPLE boss Tim Cook will today show off the Apple Watch – the firm’s much-awaited version the smartwatch.
Almost all analysts have called 2015 the year of wearables and predict Apple will dominate the market.
The tech giant will sell more Apple Watches than the rest of the market combined, according to Strategy Analytics, grabbing a 55 per cent market share and making it the number one smartwatch vendor in the world. It also predicts that it will be the biggest fuel to the 511 per cent growth in global smartwatch shipments which will happen this year.
“The Apple Watch is the catalyst to ignite the global smartwatch market. Apple’s famous brand, loyal fan base, deep retail presence and extensive apps ecosystem will ensure healthy uptake for its watch,” said Neil Mawston, executive director at the research firm.
CCS insights is expecting the overall wearables market to boom, with sales of 29m wearable devices last year rocketing to 172m by 2018. Apple will account for a quarter of the wearables market this year, which also includes other devices not solely smartwatches.
“The Apple Watch will be instrumental in taking the wearables market to the next level of growth. If successful, it’ll create a rising tide that will lift the whole market. People without an iPhone will still have a huge choice of alternative wearables. If the Apple Watch performs as well as expected, its halo effect will result in a sales bonanza in the second half of 2015,” said CCS Insights chief researcher Ben Wood.