Earlier today, IDC reported on the wearables market and claimed Apple only had unit shipments of 1.1 million in Q3 2016, seeing a massive plunge of 71 per cent, year-over-year, at a 4.9 per cent worldwide marketshare, behind Fitbit, Xiaomi and Garmin.
Now, in a rare response to Reuters, Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed Apple Watch sales data for the first week of holiday shopping, noting the company is seeing a record number.
“Our data shows that Apple Watch is doing great and looks to be one of the most popular holiday gifts this year,” Cook explained.
Cook said “Sales growth is off the charts. In fact, during the first week of holiday shopping, our sell-through of Apple Watch was greater than any week in the product’s history. And as we expected, we’re on track for the best quarter ever for Apple Watch.”
Sell-through equates to actual units sold to customers—not just a number of units stocked on shelves, which other competitors like to tout. In other words, Apple Watch sales have hit a record high during this crucial first week in holiday sales, countering the suggestion from IDC’s numbers, which paint Apple Watch as a failing product.
