Even the most successful technology conglomerates can swing and miss when they release new products (see: Google Glass), but Apple’s new wearable technology could turn out to be immensely popular, according to a recent poll.
Data from a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey found that nearly 40 percent of adults who use the Apple iPhone show some degree of interest in purchasing the Apple Watch. It’s a figure that BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk described as “pretty encouraging” considering the more than 100 million active iPhone users in the U.S., especially for a product that has yet to appear on store shelves.
The survey reached 2,469 Americans of at least the age of 18 earlier this month. Twenty-four percent of respondents showed interest in purchasing the technology, 10 percent of which said they were “very interested.” But among existing iPhone users, that number spiked to 39 percent, 17 percent of which were “very interested” in purchasing the new product.
The poll, however, does not guarantee that the interest will lead to sales, reports note.
The technology saw its long-awaited debut on March 10, during an event at which Apple noted the Apple Watch would retail for between $349 to $22,000. The Watch will show up in stores on April 24. While the device generated significant chatter, some analysts were less than impressed by the new wearable.
Pacific Crest Securities analyst Andy Hargreaves, for instance, wrote that his firm remains “somewhat critical of the device’s ability to drive mainstream adoption.”
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“The Watch’s primary functional value seems to be the convenience of being able to do certain tasks without taking your phone out of your pocket,” he added. “This is nice, but does not appear game-changing.”
Similarly, earlier research released Monday (March 16) revealed that when broken down by age, consumers under age 35 were far less likely to show interest in the Apple Watch. The study, conducted by social media analyst Fizziology, found that consumers ages 35 to 49 were about twice as likely to tweet about the product than millennials, who were more interested in Apple’s simultaneous announcement of a lower-priced Apple TV.
