According the Intelligent Environments survey, 12% of UK consumers expect to buy an Apple Watch as soon as it goes on sale.

The figure is certainly headline-grabbing and at first glance seems to the writer to be quite astonishing.

Consider some quick stats.

Of the UK population of 64 million, roughly 50 million are aged 18 or over: 12% of this figure is 6 million.

As of November 2014, Apple accounted for roughly 25% of smartphones in the UK.

Admittedly, the soar-away success of the iPhone 6 resulted in Apple winning its highest ever share of new smartphone sales in the last quarter of 2014, roughly 40% of all sales.

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But as things stand, if my understanding of the figures is correct, around 1-in-4 smartphone owners currently have an Apple handset.
So call it about 12.5m adults.

Now go back to the I.E survey: 12% of UK consumers will buy an Apple Watch so roughly 6 million.

As the Apple Watch is only of any use of Apple phone users – the aforementioned 12.5 million – that means that almost one-half of Apple mobile users are set to shell out £300-£400 for a watch?

I do agree with I.E’s Clayton Locke that wearable technology is becoming more integrated into consumers’ lives.

I also get the fact – a tad reluctantly as a committed Android user – that the Apple brand has phenomenal appeal.

But are one- half of them going to rush out to buy an Apple Watch?

If they do, banks big and small -established and new challenger brands – are going to have no option but to offer compelling wearable tech banking apps.

It will be fascinating to watch and learn.