Man, I didn't expect Pebble to be down so much. My wife and I have 5 of them between us. The always-on screen and a week of battery life make them much more attractive than most other smartwatches.
It's true! We got one each when they first came out on Kickstarter, then I bought a Steel because it looked nicer, then we both got Times when they came out, then I got her a Round because she liked the look. counts Oh wait, that's 6. And the last one was in December... so actually, we're part of the reason for the YoY decline!
I'm with you, been wearing the Steel daily since it came out. Lovely product. Firmware upgrade was actually welcome; I'll keep it, I love that you can roll back easily by installing a different app version. Dismal market share! :( -- though, people have complimented it frequently, most don't know it's a smart watch which I consider a feature.
Looks like they should turn to some niche marketing strategies if they're not already because people who like Pebbles REALLY like Pebbles I find, though they are rare to begin with.
The Pebble 2 Kickstarter was early in the summer and didn't start shipping until October. Since the graph mentions shipped units, I'm not surprised they're down. Anyone who was interested in getting a Pebble either pledged to the Kickstarter or waited for the 2 to come out in stores.
Annoyingly, the folks who waited for the store version will be getting theirs before the Kickstarter backers do. The community took a big hit when they prioritized WalMart over the folks who helped them get off the ground. Pebble's community has always been a strong point for the company - not sure if that'll keep being true, so their blip might turn into a bigger slide.
Disclaimer: Backer of Pebble 2 who won't be getting his watch until at least mid-November.
Ditto—I love mine and am anxiously awaiting delivery of my next one. For me, it doesn't have to replace a smartphone, it just has to make it much easier for me to see and categorize the influx of information. It answers the question of (1) did I just feel my phone buzz? and (2) if so, do I need to read/respond right now.
Since I previously wore watches, I find it natural to wear. And because I never had luxury watches (Seiko was my ceiling), I don't mind that smartwatches aren't fancier-looking. I understand that watch-nevers and timepiece aficionados may feel differently...
