In 2024, Apple Watch shipments fell 19% year-over-year, per Counterpoint’s Global Smartwatch Shipment Tracker for Q4 2024. Declines occurred in all regions except India, with the North American market, accounting for over half of Apple’s shipments, driving the global drop. 2024 marked the second straight year of year-over-year shipment declines.
Balbir Singh for Counterpoint Technology Market Research:
In the advanced smartwatch segment, Apple’s market share decreased by 8 percentage points YoY in 2024. Q4 2024 was the fifth consecutive quarter to see a decline in Apple’s smartwatch shipments even as all the other major competitors offering advanced smartwatches witnessed growth.
In addition to the decline in North America, the overall decline in 2024 was also pushed by fewer substantial upgrades in Apple’s latest Watch Series 10. Also, the Watch Ultra 3 and Watch SE were not there in the latest releases. The Watch Ultra 3, being the most premium Apple model, usually holds over 10% shipment share, which went down to under 8% in Q4 2024. The Watch SE is a cheaper option among Apple smartwatches and constitutes most of its shipments in the post-launch period. As a result, Q3 2024 was the first time Apple witnessed a YoY shipment decline in a quarter in which a new smartwatch series was also launched.
The last Watch SE iteration was released in Q3 2022. Apple is also experimenting with the Watch SE design, changing from an aluminum base to plastic. This led to a delay in the release of a new Watch SE model.
To make a comeback in 2025 and retain its market share, Apple needs to focus on a few things, including the introduction of new features, launch of Watch SE and Watch Ultra models, and possible design upgrades.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s next-gen Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3, alongside watchOS 12, will boost sales back to growth.
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
There’s no compelling reason to upgrade annually. The refresh timeline for this product is longer than the phone. This strikes me as a non-story. Unlike the phone, there is no real viable competitor in the space. Sure, there are competitors, but anyone who’s anyone has an Apple Watch.
More and more people are embracing the reality that being digitally connected actually translates to disconnection from rich analogue life. Disconnection also results in dissolution of the “I Gotta Know” itch that drives the “Gotta be Close” to The Device.
This, combined with the paltry release of dynamic, meme-rich and life giving emojis is likely the other reason. Emojis are my life-blood and AAPL has met my need up ’til now.
I’ve tried a dozen smartwatches and nothing beats the Pebble, for me. Perhaps I’m in a niche, but I think there are actually lots of other people out there who wouldn’t mind trading off some “smartness” in their smartwatch for some additional “watchiness”—like a battery you don’t have to charge every night or two. The new Pebbles will go for nearly a month on a charge!
If Apple came out with a Pebble-like watch, I’d almost certainly buy one. But in the meantime, the AW is one of the few Apple products that I won’t buy.
Absolutely. Being bound to the “the wall” has trained the human to embrace powering up a necessity for a well-functioning (normal life). It’s linked to an unhealthy “urgency.”
I’ll buy it when it can do 80% of what my iPhone does without a lot of extra charges from the local operator. May never happen.
How many extra charges from your local operator are there? I thought it was just a flat monthly fee if you get a cellular one, and nothing if you get a wifi-only one.
Ultra 2 wasn’t enough of an upgrade to justify the expense
Waiting for the Ultra 3 upgrade.
My Apple Watch series six is FINE, especially after a new battery last year.
There’s just no compelling upgrade reason.