The Apple Watch Series 4 appears to be a week and a half away from officially launching, but new data from a leading market research firm suggests that most consumers still prefer the original model that was released more than three years ago.
According to a report from BGR , the latest Global Smartwatch Tracker update from Counterpoint Research recently revealed that Apple remained the market leader in the smartwatch space in the second quarter of 2018, with a market share of 41 percent. This was, however, a decline from the company’s 48 percent share in the second quarter of 2017, as companies such as Fitbit appear to be closing in on Apple.
The slight year-over-year decline in market share might not be the only concern for Apple ahead of the Series 4’s launch date, as Counterpoint Research’s statistics also suggested that Apple’s first-ever smartwatch, the Series 1, was still the most popular model among consumers. Coming in at second and third place respectively in the second quarter of the current year were the Fitbit Versa and Amazfit BIP, which both finished ahead of the fourth-place smartwatch, last year’s Apple Watch Series 3.
In a statement, Counterpoint Research director Neil Shah explained that the results were a surprise to many industry observers, due to the great hype behind the Apple Watch Series 3, and how his company’s data revealed the apparent preference for an older non-cellular product like the Series 1 as opposed to the newer Series 3 without cellular support.
“This also shows, Apple users are choosing Series 3 preferably if they want to add cellular connectivity, else Series 1 remains the most popular model contributing to almost nine out of ten Apple Watch sold in Q2 2018. While this is great for Apple from an ecosystem perspective, from an ASP perspective it is not the same bump as Apple would expect with newer iPhone models every year.”
While BGR hinted that the Series 1’s oftentimes discounted price might be a major driver behind its popularity with consumers, the publication added that the Apple Watch Series 4 is expected to be a radical departure from the company’s previous smartwatch releases.
Earlier this week, 9to5Mac offered an “exclusive” first look at the Series 4, noting that the device will come with an edge-to-edge display as one of its key selling points, as well as other new features that might include an additional microphone and possible compatibility with current watch bands.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , the Apple Watch Series 4 is expected to be unveiled together with Apple’s new iPhone models at a media event to be held on September 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.
