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.

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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.