Nearly Half of Consumers Show No Interest in Apple Watch Health Tracking Features, Survey Finds

Recently, two surveys of U.S. consumers regarding the Apple Watch were published in foreign media outlets. VCBeat has compiled and translated these articles to provide insights into American consumers’ awareness of and purchase intentions for this product.

Excessively High Prices Deter Purchase Intent

The first survey targeted 750 consumers currently enrolled in healthcare plans. Among them, 94% had heard of the Apple Watch, while the remaining 6% had not. Surprisingly, only 42% of those who had heard of it expressed interest in purchasing it, accounting for less than half of the total respondents; meanwhile, 52% stated that they would not purchase it regardless of price.

Among the 42% of respondents willing to purchase a device, only 12% were willing to spend $399 or more on a smartwatch (the Apple Watch starts at $349). Five percent were willing to pay $499 or more, and 3% were willing to pay $599. However, most consumers preferred prices lower than Apple’s: 20% were willing to pay $199 for the device, and 10% were willing to pay $299.



 

Nearly Half of People Uninterested in Apple Watch Health Tracking Features

Another survey, conducted by Survey Sampling International (SSI) and HealthMine, polled 561 consumers enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans. The findings revealed that interest in the Apple Watch began to rise in February, with 82% of respondents aware of its health and fitness tracking capabilities. This indicates that, despite anecdotal misinformation regarding the Apple Watch’s health-tracking abilities, at least a segment of the public clearly understands the device’s functionalities. Reportedly, the Apple Watch currently offers 19 health apps for users to choose from. What are the key apps included in the initial lineup? Read on to find out:Apple Watch Comes with 8 Built-in Health Apps。

The survey also found that 46% of respondents aged 18 to 34 were interested in purchasing an Apple Watch for health tracking; this figure was 38% among those aged 35 to 54, and 25% among respondents aged 55 and older.



The survey also asked respondents about their preferred channels for accessing their personal health information. Across all age groups, laptops or desktop computers ranked first. All adult respondents under the age of 55 reported smartphones as their second choice. In contrast, respondents aged 55 and older tended to prefer more traditional channels, such as call centers, postal mail, and printed notes.

“Healthcare services must never take a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Bryce Williams, CEO and President of HealthMine, in a statement. “Consumers require substantial education to understand and adopt new health-tech tools, and their preferences are highly personalized. For consumer-oriented healthcare tools, personalization is key. Customization will help enhance the impact of devices on consumers’ health and fitness activities, transforming them from mere gadgets into meaningful health partners. The Apple Watch boasts robust connectivity features, providing constant access to valuable health data, along with various personalized options that give it the potential to shape and transform individual health monitoring. Moreover, our survey indicates that Apple’s pricing strategy is correct. Early adopters are always willing to pay a premium for new innovations.”

The Apple Watch tracks user movement via its built-in accelerometer and monitors heart rate using an optical sensor on the back of the device. Additionally, it leverages the GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities of the paired iPhone to further infer data, a process that requires integration with many other features within the watch.