69% Of Americans Not Excited In Apple Watch, Just A ‘Passing Fad’

It maybe the world’s priciest luxury smartwatch once it hits shelves on April 24, but it seems the Americans aren’t over their heads in buying the much-hyped Apple Watch. A poll has shown that over 50 percent, precisely 68 percent of Americans, aren’t interested in the gadget, the company's first new product in five years.

Touted to have over a thousand apps, the Apple Watch, to 52 percent of the 1,245 American respondents surveyed in a Reuters/Ipsos poll between March 9 and March 13, smartwatches are a just “passing fad.” If there’s any good news that resulted from the poll, it is that 13 percent said they might buy an iPhone if only to be able to connect with an Apple Watch. The latter needs the former to become fully operational.

The Apple Watch, to hit stores on April 24, enables users to check email, listen to music and make phone calls from their wrist. Versions will be sold, from a lowly $349 'sport' edition to a whopping $17,000 18-karat gold timepiece. It is among the most expensive on the market, if compared to an Android smartwatch. The ones carried by Motorola or Sony can be availed for $250. A high-end Samsung Gear S with its own cellular connectivity is available for $300 through AT&T.

The results of the poll, which was taken immediately after Tim Cook made the announcement of the coming market launch of the Apple Watch, confirms an observation report made by the San Francisco Gate. That Americans aren’t excited to have it reflects that the “technology in the Apple Watch which is the same in all three versions is less than jaw-dropping.”

Figures from research firm Strategy Analytics showed that in 2014, some 4.6 million smartwatches were sold globally, a fraction of the over 1 billion smartphones sold worldwide. Such devices were developed by Samsung Electronics, Sony Corp and LG Electronics.

Although the Apple Watch has a “cool factor,” only 29 percent of the Reuters/Ipsos respondents said they were more interested in buying the Apple Watch over another smartwatch brand.

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