Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market, holding onto its sizable lead through the second quarter of Apple Watch shipments.
The company has now shipped nearly 7 million smart watches since launch, a figure in excess of all other vendors’ combined shipments over the previous five quarters. In Q3 Apple was the only smart watch vendor to ship more than 300,000 units. Vendors will continue to battle for position behind Apple in Q4 as a raft of new devices from a diverse set of companies hits the market. For example, both Fossil and Tag Heuer will be launching their first smartwatches before the end of the year.
All eyes will be on Apple Watch sales during the Q4 holiday quarter as a barometer of the strength of the nascent smart watch market. “After experiencing significant supply chain constraints early on, Apple managed to overcome its production struggles with the Apple Watch and is building momentum going into Q4,” said analyst Daniel Matte in a statement. “Shipments are steadily increasing as it has greatly expanded the Watch’s channel footprint internationally.” VP and Principal Analyst Chris Jones added, “watchOS 2 has brought native apps to the platform, and new colors and styles have refreshed the lineup, but Apple needs to continue to generate demand six months after launch.”
Wearable band shipment data is taken from Canalys’ Wearable Technology Analysis service, which provides quarterly market tracking, including country-level estimates. Canalys defines basic wearable bands as devices serving a specific set of purposes that act as accessories to smart devices, are designed to be worn on the body and not carried and cannot run third-party computing applications. Smartwatches are multi-purpose devices that serve as accessories to smart devices, are designed to be worn on the body and not carried, run an operating system and are capable of running third-party computing applications. Bands are wearables designed to be wrapped around the body, including watches, and do not include activity trackers in the form of clips.
Source: Canalys
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s most successful product debut ever rolls on – and holiday shopping season looms!
SEE ALSO:
Rivals claim Apple Watch having ‘no material impact’ – November 4, 2015
Apple has already sold more than $1.7 billion worth of Apple Watches – October 29, 2015
Strategy Analytics: Apple Watch sells 4.5 million units in Q315, takes 74% global smartwatch market share – October 28, 2015
Why Apple Watch sales are primed to explode – September 19, 2015
Apple Watch users are abandoning traditional watches – September 15, 2015
Over 1 million Apple Watches already sold in China – September 3, 2015
Apple Watch already dominates smart-wearables market, says IDC – August 28, 2015
IDC estimates Apple sold 3.6 million Apple Watch units in Q2 – August 27, 2015
Best Buy CEO: Apple Watch demand is ‘so strong’ that we’re expanding sales to all 1,050 stores – August 25, 2015
Swiss watch exports decline most since 2009 – August 20, 2015
I own two $6,000 Swiss watches, but I wear my Apple Watch most of the time – August 14, 2015
Apple Watch will make up 40% of premium wristwatch sales by 2020 – report – August 14, 2015
Apple Watch takes 88% of total smartwatch revenue – August 14, 2015
Apple Watch dominates smartwatches with 75% market share – July 28, 2015
Juniper Research: Apple is world’s #1 smartwatch maker – July 23, 2015
Canalys: Apple ships 4.2 million Apple Watches in Q2 to become world’s top wearables vendor – July 21, 2015
Apple Watch satisfaction is unprecedented at 97%; beats original iPhone and iPad – July 20, 2015
Swiss watch exports hit worst slump in five years as Apple Watch debuts – June 19, 2015
Apple Watch is Apple’s most successful product debut ever – June 1, 2015
Apple Watch, the world’s first real smart watch, will be a massive hit – September 9, 2014
And who was that tool again who on another thread claimed that clearly Apple Watch sales were stagnant. No doubt we will see him trying to prove black is indeed white any moment now.
One of the many trolls on the MDN site likes to use the term “stillborn” when referring to the Watch, the Apple TV, each the coming iPad Pro, each and every iteration of iOS, and the like. Wonder what he/she thinks of this astounding 7,000,000 number?
He’ll say, “See. I was right. They’ve only sold 7 million.”
Trolls have a convenient sliding scale. But that’s not what makes them trolls—hell, we all play that game with our own shibboleths: change the rules to suit us when the game changes—what makes them trolls is that they are stupid idiots.
Wasn’t there a recent news item about Pebble being the top ‘smart watch’ and that Apple Watch didn’t even put a dent into their sales? Which is it now?
I didn’t read any article about Pebble currently being the top selling smartwatch, but it may have been named as the best watch as judged in some article. However Apple Watch has shone the spotlight on smart watches in general and more people may now choose to buy Pebbles.
The same thing happened when iPods appeared on the scene. Other MP3 players initially sold in higher numbers after iPods popularised the category, but that boost didn’t last long.
I see no reason to doubt the claim that Pebbles are currently selling in greater numbers, but I wouldn’t want to place a bet on their sales numbers remaining high into the future.
I’m guessing that the apple Watch will have a significantly greater relative sales boost in the Christmas quarter than other apple products. Which themselves get a big boost in this quarter.
IMHO the watch is the one apple product most ideal for gifting. It’s pricing is more reasonable. And as I see it, the utility, cost and monthly charges of an iPhone, or iPad make those items much more likely to be bought by the eventual owner himself. The Mac is similar.
The luxury and discretionary qualities of the watch make it somewhat more like jewelry. Of which gifts, no doubt, make up the great majority of sales.
Should be a fun quarter.
I think the new Gold-Midnight Blue & Rose Gold-Stone WATCH SPORT color combos are game changers in the WATCH SPORT category. I’m an earliest adopter of the 42mm Space Gray-Black WATCH SPORT and really want to get rid of it so I can get the Gold-Midnight Blue model instead. Thinking of putting it on Craig’s List for $350 so I can replace it with the newer color model.🤔⌚️