Apple Returns as No.1 with 'Watch 7', Heating Up Year-End Wrist Wars

Apple to Officially Launch 'Apple Watch 7' on the 15th

Apple 'Apple Watch 7'

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Apple, the leader in smartwatches, has returned with the ‘Apple Watch 7’. As the smartwatch market continues to grow steadily every year, the new Apple Watch’s appearance in the market is expected to intensify the year-end wrist battle with Samsung Electronics’ ‘Galaxy Watch 4’, which had already stepped into the ring.

Apple announced on the 15th that it will officially launch the Apple Watch 7. It will be simultaneously supplied to over 50 countries including South Korea, the United States, Australia, Canada, China, and Japan. Pre-orders began on the 8th, with prices starting at 499,000 KRW.

Apple 'Apple Watch 7'

Compared to its predecessor, the Apple Watch 7 shows no striking changes but has improvements across both appearance and functionality. First, the bezel thickness was reduced by about 40% to 1.7mm, increasing the screen size by approximately 20% from the size maintained since the Apple Watch 4, and the body size was also increased by 1mm each, launching in 41mm and 45mm sizes.

It features a front crystal that more effectively prevents cracks caused by external impacts. Additionally, it is the first Apple Watch to receive an IP6X dust resistance rating, making it suitable for use in dusty environments, and it supports the WR50 (water resistance up to 50 meters) rating, as with its predecessor.

With the larger display, a new QWERTY keyboard was introduced, allowing users to either tap keys directly or drag multiple letters using QuickPath, improving usability. Furthermore, charging speed has increased by 33%, enabling the battery to charge from 0% to 80% in just 45 minutes.

As the global smartwatch market continues to expand, the competition between Apple and Samsung is expected to become even fiercer with Apple’s new product launch. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, the global smartwatch market size in the second quarter of this year increased by 27% compared to the same period last year. The market growth continues as manufacturers achieve continuous performance improvements and interest in health management rises.

So far, Apple has maintained the number one position in the smartwatch market with an overwhelming market share. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple held a 28% share of the global smartwatch market in the second quarter of this year, ranking first. Huawei (9.3%) and Samsung Electronics (7.6%) followed in second and third place, respectively. However, compared to a year ago, Apple’s market share decreased by 2.1 percentage points, while Samsung’s increased by 0.8 percentage points, narrowing the gap.

Samsung Electronics, which launched the Watch 4 series ahead of Apple, is also poised to continue its upward trend. The Watch 4, released in August, has sold over 400,000 units in South Korea alone within a month, gaining popularity. Notably, it is the first to feature the ‘Samsung BioActive Sensor’, which can measure various health indicators such as blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and blood oxygen saturation directly from the wrist with a single sensor, and it also supports body composition measurement, strengthening healthcare functions. It is equipped with an integrated operating system (OS) developed with Google, addressing previous compatibility weaknesses.

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