Apple takes one-third of Q1 smartwatch market, says Counterpoint

Apple Watch Series 6 Blue Aluminum
Apple Watch Series 6 Blue Aluminum (Image credit: Daniel Bader / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple reportedly took one-third of the smartwatch market in Q1.
  • It blew the competition from Huawei and Samsung out of the waTER.
  • The market as a whole also grew by some 35% year on year.

New research claims Apple took one-third of the smartwatch market in Q1 2021 thanks to the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 6.

From Counterpoint:

Global smartwatch shipments in Q1 2021 grew 35% YoY, according to Counterpoint Research's recently published Global Smartwatch Model Tracker. Apple maintained its leadership position, catalyzing the overall market growth by recording a 50% YoY increase in the demand for the new Series 6 models. As a result, Apple saw its market share climb by 3% points. Samsung's shipments also rose 27% YoY, with the popularity of the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active series. But the South Korean vendor's growth was below the market average and it saw a small dip in its market share. Huawei continued to lose share compared to a strong quarter a year ago.

According to the figures, Apple took a 33.5% share of Q1, up from 30.3% on the same quarter last year. Its closest competitor was Huawei, which saw its share fall to just 8.4%, and Samsung which had a share of 8.0%.

Senior Analyst Sujeong Lim said, "Apple was able to further solidify its leadership position in the market by widening the portfolio from Watch SE to Series 6 at the right time. This may drive Samsung to launch a mid-price-tier model to boost growth."

Recent leaks from Jon Prosser indicate the next Apple Watch might feature flat-edges thanks to a brand new redesign. Right now however the best Apple Watch remains the Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, and you can find the best Apple Watch deals for both products in our roundup.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9