Apple leads in global smartwatch market, Huawei 2nd

Chinese brand Huawei with 11.1 mn smartwatch shipments was second while Samsung with 9.1

mn units came third, according to Counterpoint Research’s ‘Global Smartphone Shipments Tracker’.

Overall, Apple saw a 19 per cent growth while Huawei registered 26 per cent growth (despite US

sanctions) in the global smartwatch segment last year.

In a year where annual smartwatch growth inched forward at only 1.5 per cent, Apple maintained

its number one position and increased its market share by 6 per cent from 2019, helping shift

the overall market closer to the premium segment.

The Apple Watch Series 6 and SE did exceptionally well, shipping 12.9 million units and accounting

for 40 per cent market share in the festive quarter (Q4) alone. “Price band dynamics during

Q4 2020 indicate ASPs (average selling prices) are on the rise. The 2019’s biggest segment ($101-$200) shrank by 7 pc, while the more premium $300-plus segments grew by 8 per cent, helped tremendously by Apple, which enjoyed a dominant market share of over 70 per cent in this category,” informed senior analyst Sujeong Lim.

Samsung raised its share by 1 pc (YoY), rebounding in the latter half of the year with the launch of Galaxy 3 Watch. Honor, newly spun off from Huawei, also did well, with shipments doubling from 2019. Other Chinese brands such as Xiaomi also did well, enjoying double-digit growth.