Apple Increases 1Q Smartwatch Shipments by 50%... Huawei and Samsung Strive to Compete

Counterpoint Research, Q1
Global Smartwatch Shipment Survey

Global Smartwatch Tracker as of Q1. Data provided by Counterpoint Research.

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] In the first quarter, Apple led overall market growth thanks to the strong sales of its new smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 6. Huawei and Samsung Electronics, ranked second and third in wearable device demand, are also expected to introduce countermeasures such as OS (operating system) enhancements and strategic collaborations.

According to the Smartwatch Model Tracker recently released by global market research firm Counterpoint Research, global smartwatch shipments in the first quarter of this year increased by 35% compared to the same period last year.

By company, Apple maintained its top position with a 33.5% market share, growing 50% year-over-year driven by sales of the new Apple Watch Series 6. Samsung Electronics saw a 27% increase in first-quarter shipments compared to the previous year, boosted by the popularity of the Galaxy Watch 3 and Active series, but this growth was slightly below the overall market average, resulting in a slight decline in its total market share. Huawei also showed a decline in market share compared to last year.

Im Sujeong, a researcher at Counterpoint Research, said, "Apple expanded its product lineup by releasing the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 6 at the right time, solidifying its number one position. Samsung is also expected to respond by launching mid-range models."

In Huawei's case, it experienced setbacks in the smartwatch market following the smartphone sector amid US-China tensions. Researcher Im stated, "Huawei is expected to announce its first smartwatch based on HarmonyOS, which will provide a seamless user experience for smartphone users equipped with HarmonyOS. Honor, which separated from Huawei, is anticipated to create new business opportunities with companies like Google and Qualcomm."

From the smartwatch OS platform perspective, Apple's watchOS accounted for more than one-third of the total market. Google's Wear OS holds about 4% of the market, indicating it has yet to achieve significant success in the smartwatch segment. This is because most major smartwatch brands use their own operating systems such as Fitbit OS, Tizen, and Garmin OS. Wear OS is also considered to lag behind in performance, battery life, and chipset support.

However, this trend is expected to change with the partnership between Google and Samsung. Google plans to integrate Tizen OS with Google Wear OS to target 3.5 billion users. Google's new Wear platform is expected to be applied to the Galaxy Watch series launching this fall.

Researcher Im Sujeong said, "This will be beneficial for both companies. Efforts will focus on improving battery performance, artificial intelligence (AI), applications, services, and enhancing compatibility with Android smartphones." This partnership is expected to allow Samsung to target a broader Android user base. For Google, the acquisition of Fitbit will strengthen the fitness features of its Wear platform.

Neil Shah, Vice President of Counterpoint Research, predicted, "This will be a major leap for Google in the wearable sector. If the strengths of Tizen OS, Wear OS, and Fitbit OS are integrated, a powerful wearable device portfolio can be formed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.