New data suggests Apple shipped 22% more Apple Watches in 2018 compared to 2017.
Counterpoint Research suggests that the popularity of the Apple Watch Series 4 has encouraged more people to switch to the Cupertino firm’s smartwatch, with millions of others upgrading from their previous generation Apple Watch to take advantage of new features.
Apple Watch Series 4 was Apple’s most advanced smartwatch to date, with a larger screen, better battery life, an electrical heart sensor, an enhanced Digital Crown, and the freedom of cellular on the go, provided you’re willing to cough up an extra $10 per month for the feature.
According to Counterpoint Research analyst Satyajit Sinha, “Apple Watch shipments grew a solid 22% YoY in 2018. Apple Watch Series 4 was the star performer. It sold 11.5 million units during 2018, making it the best-selling model for the year.
“We believe its success was due to its focus on health-related features like ECG and fall detection. Further, it speaks volumes of how far Apple has come with Apple Watch as a meaningful health device.”
“During our last years Q2 2018 preliminary estimates, we overestimated the contribution of Apple Series 1 shipment compared to the Series 3. However, our further supply chain and channel checks revealed the relatively higher contribution of Apple Watch Series 3. As a result, Series 3 becomes the second most popular smartwatch model during 2018 instead of Series 1,” she added in a release.
Increased competition
Whilst this is great news for Apple, the truth is that the company’s market share is actually shrinking as new players enter the fold and make a splash.
Apple currently holds a market share of around 37% compared to its nearest rival Imoo at 10% and Samsung at 9%. Apple is expected to lose 1% share this year, according to estimates.
Counterpoint said that Apple Watch Series 4 and Apple Watch Series 3 were the two most popular smartwatches last year, with Fitbit Versa in third place, Imoo Z3 in fourth place, and the Apple Watch Series 2 rounding out the top five.
According to Counterpoint Research, these top five smartwatches accounted for 48% of the market.
Apple will launch watchOS 6 later this year with new features such as fitness tracking, a standalone App Store, and much more. Stay tuned for more from Apple Watch as and when we get it, and subscribe to our magazine for in-depth analysis.
