HyperLoop555

The most exciting announcement from Apple’s annual iPhone event on Tuesday was not a set of three new smartphones, but a smartwatch. The  Apple Watch Series 4  — with its rounded corners, larger display, and built-in EKG scanner — became undoubtedly the most sought-after gadget in the aftermath of Apple’s fall hardware refresh. While many people have bemoaned having to choose between the iPhone XS and XR, or are simply forgoing a mobile upgrade entirely, the Series 4 stood out for how simple of a purchase it is for those who’ve been sitting on the sidelines of the wearable market. For those like me who’ve had an older Apple Watch Series 0 or 1, it’s a no-brainer, and it was what I was most excited about when I decided to stay up late last night to claim a midnight order. The disparity is best illustrated by the fact that, after less than half a day of orders, every single tier of iPhone XS available right now has a September 28th to October 5th shipping window. Nearly eve...

There are good news and bad news for Apple on the cusp of the Apple Watch Series 4 reveal. The good news is that, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Smartwatch Tracker, Apple was again the market leader in the second quarter of 2018, with 41% of the market share. The bad news is that last year, Apple was at 48% in the same quarter, while Fitbit has jumped from 8% all the way up to 21%. But there’s even more bad news. More than three years after its launch, Apple Watch Series 1 remains the most popular smartwatch model. In fact, the Series 3 model was just the fourth most popular smartwatch last quarter, with both the Fitbit Versa and Amazfit’s BIP selling better than Apple’s latest addition to the Apple Watch lineup. “Despite initial hype and traction of cellular-based Apple Watch Series 3 in the first two quarters, Apple iPhone users are actually choosing the Series 1 as a non-cellular option over Series 3 non-cellular model which is surprising to many industry watchers,...