Apple Fights For Ironman Crowd's Eyes With Apple Watch Ultra, Looks To Beat Garmin

tech.hindustantimes.com:

In the seven years since Apple Inc. released its first Apple Watch, the device has sold more than 100 million units, catapulting it to 30% of the global smartwatch market. Yet it's struggled to grab a small but important niche: endurance sports.

Peruse the start of any Ironman triathlon race and you'll see Garmin products dominating the wrists of the world's most elite athletes. These are consumers who spend $10,000 on a bicycle and travel around the globe to compete at some of the world's most majestic courses. But they've largely snubbed Apple in favor of multisport watches from the premier name in outdoor adventure and navigation.

The new Apple Watch Ultra the company debuted at an event dubbed Far Out could finally change that. At $799, the wearable is the most expensive among the models it released Wednesday, including Apple Watch Series 8 at up to $499 and Watch SE for $249. That puts it above most Garmin alternatives favored by triathletes, yet still cheaper than premium models designed for ultramarathon and rugged environments. The device can also act as a dive computer, putting it in competition with leading names in that category, such as Suunto, Cressi and Aqualung.

Chasing consumers who have expensive hobbies and high brand loyalty is a smart move, and it shows that the company is laser-focused on pushing its non-iPhone products, namely Watch and AirPods. Called Wearables, Home and Accessories (WHA), this category is the only hardware division at Apple to have consistently posted growth in each of the past six years. While WHA accounts for just 11% of sales, far less than the iPhone's 53%, revenue from that collection of devices has climbed 245% since 2016, compared with 40% for iPhones and 181% for