Marginal Boost in Global Smartwatch Shipments

Apple maintained its solid number one position and increased its market share by 6% pts, helping shift the overall market closer to the premium segment, says a report

Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global smartwatch shipments in Q4 2020 saw a slight YOY decrease to book an almost flat 2020, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Smartphone Shipments Tracker. In a year where annual growth inched forward at only 1.5%, Apple maintained its solid number one position and increased its market share by 6% pts, helping shift the overall market closer to the premium segment.

The Apple Watch Series 6 and SE did well, shipping 12.9 million units and accounting for 40% market share in Q4 2020. Samsung increased its share by 1% pt YOY, rebounding in the latter half of the year with the launch of its Galaxy 3 Watch.

Huawei helped drive growth of the overall smartwatch market with shipments that grew 26% YOY despite US sanctions. Honor, the newly spin-off brand from Huawei, also did well, with shipments doubling from 2019. Other Chinese brands such as Amazfit and Xiaomi also performed well, enjoying double-digit growth.

There has been a significant market shift to more expensive watches, with premium vendors like Apple, Samsung and Garmin helping to shore up the high end. Counterpoint Senior Analyst Sujeong Lim said, “Price band dynamics during Q4 2020 indicate ASPS (average selling prices) are on the rise. 2019’s biggest segment ($101-$200) shrank by 7% pts, while the more premium $300-plus segments grew by 8% pts, helped tremendously by Apple, which enjoyed a dominant market share of over 70% in this category.”

“The smartwatch market is being driven by three premium brands – Apple, Samsung and Huawei. We believe the ASPS will continue to rise over the next two to three years as these companies’ flagship models continue to lead. On the other hand, Apple’s success with its Watch SE model will likely spur others like Samsung to release similar variants, moving closer to the mass market. Over a three to four years timeframe, we see budget players like Oppo and Realme gaining a significant share, intensifying overall competition and bringing down the prices,” Lim added. ■

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“The smartwatch market is being driven by three premium brands – Apple, Samsung and Huawei. We believe the ASPS will continue to rise over the next two to three years as these companies’ flagship models continue to lead. On the other hand, Apple’s success with its Watch SE model will likely spur others like Samsung to release similar variants, moving closer to the mass market” – Sujeong Lim,

Senior Analyst, Counterpoint Research