Smartwatch shipments reached 18.1 million units in the second quarter, led by the Apple Watch, taking Apple’s market share to 52 percent, according to the latest study from Strategy Analytics. Total shipments were up 47 percent year-on-year, the fastest rate of growth seen since 2018. Smartwatch growth is back to pre-pandemic levels, driven by fitness-led devices that support personal health care. “The smartwatch market is on fire,” Strategy Analytics said, adding that it expects the Q4 holiday season to be “highly promising.”
Apple’s Apple Watch shipped 9.5 million units in Q2, up 46 percent. The researchers noted that the Apple Watch Series 6 is “by far” the most popular smartwatch model.
Samsung held its second place, with 2.0 million units shipped worldwide, an increase of 54 percent. The company’s market share held steady at 11 percent. Samsung continues to perform well in its core smartwatch markets of North America, Europe and South Korea.
Garmin, again in third place, saw shipments rise 25 percent to 1.5 million units. Its market share however slipped to 8 percent from 10 percent. The researcher noted that while the company has a strong portfolio of smartwatches, such as the Forerunner 55 and Venu, it is facing tough competition in Asia and elsewhere from Xiaomi and Samsung, for example.
Other manufacturers together shipped 5.1 million units, an increase of 47 percent and holding a market share of 28.2 percent.
