The global research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has released recent data that shows a huge decline in the smartwatch market. On the other hand, watchmaker Fossil has worked with several brands. Watch labels Armani, kate Spade, Michael Kors and Skagen have recently launched upgraded traditional-looking analog watches. This is perfectly in time for the upcoming holidays.
IDC has previously revealed that there might be around 41.8 million watches sold in 2016. Though this is yet to be confirmed, it is contrary to the fate of smartwatches. The said market has suffered a whopping 51.6 percent decline in its shipments for the third quarter of 2016.
The sales of all smartwatch vendors that include Apple, Garmin, Samsung, Lenovo and Pebble amount to only 2.7 million. This is down from 5.6 million in the same time period last year.
The Line Between Traditional Watches And Smartwatches
According to Engadget, watch makers such as Fossil and Withings could offer fashionable watches that don't look as geeky as the smartwatches. At the same time, they are simple to operate. The glaring similarity is also the fact that these traditional-looking watches function as a fitness tracking device too.
Customers seem to value devices that provide the same quality service at a lower price. Like other smart devices, they have a variety of features. They also both work with smartphones.
Engadget also made a good point that smartwatches like the Apple Watch are marketed differently from the traditional ones. Apple for instance, takes pride in being a universal tool that has apps that significantly improve people's health.
Though this is the case, it has also been noticed that smartwatch vendors have realized that consumer still prefers the traditional design. In fact, people may not be able to draw a distinction between a watch and a smartwatch. The look resembles that old but the technology inside is evident.
