I know, it pains a lot when somebody who didn't start the smartwatch market suddenly shows up and got everybody's attention. Customers rushing to buy their products and not paying attention or giving applause to the one who created the smartwatch market. Calm down!Here's why Apple keep getting all the credit when Google and Pebble have been selling smart watches before that Cupertino firm even announced its first wearable technology, as told by the experts.
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The Brutal truth: Fanboism
Pebble started off with a limited budget and limited resources at hand and they ended up with a pretty decent, in fact impressive product. That's when Google released Android wear, now that's epic. Large text, pictures all the necessary features and Google Now integration. It is the perfect recipe for wearable software. However, the number of quality premium watches running android wear is nil. This makes fandroids to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, Do I need a wearable now or should I give it some time ? No. When apple releases their watch, frankly the software is the most impractical idea of what a watch should run. Why the hell would I want pictures on a watch ? Why would I want to speak to my watch unless I am a 10 year old ? but, they buy it because it's apple. No reason whatsoever.
After 2-3 years, it's reported that there were about 800k smart watches sold - Apple reportedly sold 2.3 MM IN 24 hours. Or a hour by hour comparison - there are about 1.6 million minutes in 3 years versus 24 for Apple. What does that tell you. Consumers were not very interested in android or other smart watches - the reason does not matter. It's not like other smartwatch distribution was suppressed or that the companies were unknown (Samsung, moto, etc ...). The bottom line is that until April 10, consumers were not interested in smart watches but in 24 hours, a company tripled the market. That is delivering what consumers want. The bigger picture is unless google has an os to copy, there is no market for android products ( glasses and smart watches until 4/10/15). That is called inventing the market. Like Edison, he didn't invent the lightbulb but the incandescent light bulb that did not explode randomly. Apple did not invent the touchscreen mobile phone - they invented one that was not laggy and worked as consumers wanted. Same here. There is now a marketplace thanks to Apple again.
Apple set the pace when it comes to Innovation and Marketing that even Google,Pebble,Samsung,Sony,etc. put together can't match.Marketing is the field of study which drives the development of consumer-derived needs. It is research, R&D, product distribution, design of appearance, advertising, promotion, and logistics. It's practically everything but the atoms that make up the watch. Apple does marketing very well. They make an intuitive product that reaches the market at the right time, with the right amount of "must have it" appeal. They merge hardware and software. They develop features that make them seem irreplaceable (although they sometimes steal or buy the "innovations").Pebble Time and Google Android Wear Watches do not have the market awareness and media purchasing power that Apple has.
Customers trust Apple. They are not buying the Apple Watch because it is of high quality, they are buying it because it has an Apple brand. They would probably buy anything made by Apple be it a pen or tissue paper. It is Apple they are buying not the smart watch.
Another point to notice is the result of the Halo effect created by Apple's previous insanely successful product launches.The iPhone is the most sold mobile in the world(74 million smartphones in a year) and Android wear doesn't pair with the iPhone.
Pebble and Google and the handful of other smartwatch manufacturers and dealers get their fair share of coverage in the media. Its just that their fair share is tiny compared to Apple which sold millions of its Watches in the first weekend and has already outsold the next biggest smartwatch brand in total smartwatch sales to date. will outsell all other brands combined within the first month of release.Watch will be the kleenex and the Bandaid of Smart watches. In fact it already is.
Apple wasn't either the first to make a smartphone, tablet and MP3 player but they have pioneered or reinvented all these device categories once again. When it comes to Apple, it's always about perfecting a recipe rather than bombarding the user with a bunch of features.
Apple clearly understands the problems in choice overload. The more choices you give, the more confused the customers are. Apple exactly knows what customers need. Number of features on a phone or a tablet is not the only metric to derive the worth of a product. It is the seamless and flawless user experience which matters the most. Apple understands this better than most other businesses in the market. They offered a bunch of choices when required, I mean, a watch.
Watch is the most personal device they have ever made, it is a wearable and more like a jewelry. Different people have different tastes when it comes to something that they wear rather than carry. Therefore, Apple understood "one size does NOT fit all" with respect to smart watches, made a good number of different varieties of beautiful straps and watch bases. The watch was promoted more like a jewelry whereas other competitors projected it as a piece of tech or extension to their smart phones. This is where Apple "thinks different" and taps into the market selling millions of (insanely) expensive watches within first few days of the launch.
