Half of current Apple Watch owners are likely to upgrade to the new version that Apple will start shipping on Friday, according to data from a 2,500-person survey by Fluent.
If true, this means that Apple should sell 15 million units over the next 12 months without adding a single net new Apple Watch owner, since the company has sold about 32 million Apple Watches to date. Add in some net new buyers, and Apple has a shot at selling more Apple Watches over the next year than it has since launching the device category in April 2015.
According to the survey results, 27% of existing Apple Watch owners say they definitely will, and another 22% say they probably will upgrade. Another 19% say they "might or might not." The opportunity to grow is big, since 86% of Americans currently do not own a smartwatch.
But currently, iPhone owners are the driving force behind Apple Watch adoption. While 42% of iPhone owners say they're most likely to purchase an AppleWatch, only 8% of Android owners say the same. Android owners are much more likely to be interested in buying a Samsung Gear (19%), a Fitbit (10%), or another option from Sony, LG, Motorola, Huawei, or Asus.
Interestingly, while almost a third of Apple Watch owners "definitely will" upgrade their device in the next year, only 6% of other smartwatch owners say the same.
Source: forbes