個案總覽

The case describes the launch of a newly designed Apple Watch, a smartwatch, and the market for wearable technology at the time of the launch. Apple Watch was launched in April 2015 by Apple Inc. with a big fanfare and generated a lot of buzz in the media and amongst Apple brand aficionados. Apple Watch entered the market at the price of $349. Samsung was the first mover in this market and held the largest market share at the time of the launch. Its Samsung Gear S was sold at $380. Pebble held the second largest share in the market and distinguished itself in the market by its simplicity and long battery life. Was the choice of the R&D at Apple in designing features of the new Apple Watch aligned with best opportunities in the market? What was the objective of the pricing strategy at which Apple Watch was introduced? What kind of market dynamic might have ensued as a result of the product definition and pricing decisions at launch? The case provides a concise description of the market for wearable technology, characteristics of the products in the market, and estimates of the demand forecast faced by Apple at the time of launch. How did Apple position its product in the market? How did the demand forecast for Apple Watch align with the revenue and cost data?