Tech

The Apple Watch turned 2, but there might not be a lot to celebrate

Key Points
  • Consumers who don't already own an Apple Watch are unlikely to buy one anytime soon, a survey found
  • Less than half of all Apple Watch owners intend to upgrade their device

The Apple Watch might have just turned two years old — the first series of the smartwatch was launched on April 24, 2015 — but not everyone is keen on showing up to the party.

A customer tries out an Apple Watch Nike+ at an Apple Store in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, October 28, 2016 in New York City.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images

According to a new survey, individuals who did not already own Apple's smartwatch were unenthusiastic about buying one anytime soon, while just 8 percent of those surveyed said they planned to make the purchase.

A total of 1,339 consumers were polled by consumer marketing firm Fluent for the survey.

"Customer excitement for the Apple Watch has plateaued since hitting the market in 2015. Only current owners think it's a great product, but nearly half of them don't plan on upgrading," a Fluent spokeswoman said in an email.

Meanwhile, 15 percent of of iPhone users answered that they would purchase an Apple Watch while only 5 percent of Android owners said they would do the same.

In comparison, 42 percent of consumers who already owned an Apple Watch said they would buy the device next year.

A signage for the Apple Watch is displayed in the Apple store in Saint Germain, Paris, France on December 1, 2016.
Chesnot | Getty Images

While existing Apple Watch users might be loyal consumers, the survey also found that they were less likely to upgrade their device to a newer edition. Just 49 percent of Apple Watch owners this year indicated they would upgrade their device, compared to the 62 percent who said they would so in 2016.

This could prove problematic for Apple. While the tech giant did brisk business during the holiday season last year, it saw shipments of its wearables fall by 70 percent last year as consumers turned to simpler wearables, such as the Fitbit.

Despite the apparently flagging interest in the Apple Watch, respondents indicated that they thought smartwatches would become a mainstay in the near future. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they thought the majority of Americans would own smartwatches in 10 years' time, against the 50 percent who felt the same last year.

A new edition of the Apple Watch could potentially be unveiled in the second half of 2017.