After an uncertain beginning, the smartwatch market seems to possess finally found its calling and stabilized. The past year and a half may influence the market’s growth as more and more people become more aware of their health. Like smartphones, not all players are winners, and for the second quarter of this year, Samsung has managed to rise to 3rd place, though it still lags behind Huawei within the global smartwatch market.
It is, perhaps, surprising to listen to that Huawei has managed to require and keep that coveted spot. Counterpoint Research, however, thinks that it’d not last long because the embattled Chinese company’s smartphone business continues to say no. The consequence of tying the Huawei Watches so closely with its smartphones and ecosystem has also seen a steep decline within the past months.
Apple remains at the top of the race, albeit its market share went right down to 28.0% compared to the 30.1% from a comparable second quarter last year. However, the Apple Watch did reach a 100 million user base milestone, cementing its position because of the leader of smartwatches. Therefore, the newest Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE are the quarter’s top picks among consumers.
The Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 are likewise credited for Samsung’s rise to 3rd. Things could start looking better for the corporate now that it’s adopted Wear OS for its Galaxy Watch 4 series, opening the doors to more people that stayed away due to Samsung’s Tizen-based wearable platform. We won’t see its effects, however, until perhaps after the fourth quarter of 2021.
Overall, the smartwatch market grew by 27% year on year, with India named the fastest-growing market. However, the established order could soon be upset with the proliferation of a replacement sub-$100 segment made from Xiaomi, OPPO, and realme, a segment that recorded an astronomic 547% growth annually.
