Apple Watch Proves To Be Apple’s Biggest Flop In Years

There was a lot of hype for the Apple Watch in early 2015. It was supposed to be the device that changed our wrists forever. It was supposed to be the device that changed the way we think about mobile technology. However, outlets such as The Verge knew Apple was taking a risk when they officially announced the device on March 9, 2015.

“After months of fanfare, Apple finally announced a date for its smartwatch: April 24th. The timepieces are one of the riskiest ventures Apple has made in years, and they’re going to play a big role in either making smartwatches the new smartphones or sending them back to the panels of Dick Tracy.”

The Apple Watch received mixed reviews when it finally arrived in stores one month later. Even though CNET gave the Watch three-and-a-half stars, it was a rating that was lower than any other Apple product during the past year.

“The Apple Watch is the most ambitious, well-constructed smartwatch ever seen, but first-gen shortfalls make it feel more like a fashionable toy than a necessary tool. That may change with a big software update later this year, though.”

CNET didn’t like the fact that the battery only lasts about a day and that the price for most models was more than it should be. The New York Times didn’t like the fact that there was a steep learning curve.

“First there was a day to learn the device’s initially complex user interface. Then another to determine how it could best fit it into my life. And still one more to figure out exactly what Apple’s first major new product in five years is trying to do — and, crucially, what it isn’t,” claimed reviewer Farhad Manjoo.

One year later, Apple has not only had to reduce the price of the Watch, but they have failed to ignite the smartwatch industry the same way they did with tablets and smartphones. Tech Times analyzes the claims the Apple Watch is a flop.

“Circling back to the here and now, there has been talk suggesting the Apple Watch is a flop. And it is. The Apple Watch is a flop in that it failed to live up to some of the loftier of predictions and the castles of air built on them,” says columnist Quinten Plummer.

However, Plummer adds that in terms of being special and taking the lead in the smartwatch market, the Apple Watch may not be such a flop. He says that even though the Watch has been losing steam, Apple is currently working to finish a follow-up that will launch later this year. Despite criticism, the Watch is still commanding 52 percent of the smartwatch market share.

Still, there have been several tweets that associate the Apple Watch as a flop.

People have had enough of being ripped off by overpriced & poorly made gadgets. That's why Apple Watch has been a flop…

— Lydia Bigley (@lydiabigley) April 11, 2016

The next version of the Apple Watch is said to be a major improvement with more robust apps, a faster processor, and the ability to use the Watch without being connected to the iPhone. Do you think it’s too early to consider the Apple Watch a flop? Let us know in the comments section.

[Photo via Daryl Deino]