Tim Cook Says IDC Numbers are Wrong, Claims Apple Watch Selling Better Than Ever

In a rare development, Apple CEO Tim Cook released a public rebuttal of official numbers provided by the IDC with regards to the performance of the Apple Watch. The IDC figures reflect poorly on the iPhone maker, but Cook says that the figures are misleading. He claims that the smartwatch is actually selling quite well this holiday season.

Sending an email to reporters at Reuters, the Apple CEO said that the numbers only show units shipped instead of units sold. He wrote that the sell-through of the Apple Watch just surpassed previous levels.

"Our data shows that Apple Watch is doing great and looks to be one of the most popular holiday gifts this year," the email reads. "Sales growth is off the charts. In fact, during the first week of holiday shopping, our sell-through of Apple Watch was greater than any week in the product’s history. And as we expected, we’re on track for the best quarter ever for Apple Watch.”

Moving to rebut the data by IDC is being taken as a knee-jerk reaction from Cook, especially given how serious the implications of the numbers are for Apple. The IDC report essentially placed the sales of the smartwatch at 71 percent lower year over year.

This is more than understandable, however, as the Series 2 units were released near the end of Q3. Basically, customers didn’t want to buy the first Apple Watch when the newer one was coming, The Verge points out.

Despite his claims, however, Cook didn’t provide any figures with regards to what he stresses is a high sell-through performance. By not providing the media with the exact numbers, it’s very difficult to tell whether the Apple Watch really is selling as well as Apple’s CEO is saying. The only side that provided solid data so far is IDC.