Samsung might have beaten Apple to the smartwatch scene by two years with its Gear watch, but Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market. However, smartwatch sales recently slipped for the first time ever, according to the latest data from market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).
From March to June of 2016, Apple is estimated to have shipped 1.6 million smartwatches, which helped the company capture 47 percent of the market. However, compared to the 3.6 million and 72 percent market share Apple had at the same point in 2015, the company experienced a 55 percent year-over-year decline.
Compare that to Samsung, which shipped an estimated 600,000 Gear smartwatches during the second quarter, but saw 51 percent growth year-over-year, and increased its market share to 16 percent. In fact, every other company on the list, including Garmin, LG, and Lenovo, saw at least 25 percent market growth year-over-year. Apple is the only company named on the list to experience a decline in sales.
Keep in mind that Garmin, LG, and Lenovo combined to ship an estimated 700,000 units, with other companies shipping a combined 600,000 units. When you compare that with the nearly 2 million Apple sold, the company’s fortunes don’t look too shabby. Furthermore, Apple’s decline is relative to April 2015, when the company launched the first Apple Watch, so a drop-off at this point is expected. If Apple had launched a new watch in the spring, those numbers might have been different.
Regardless, the fact remains that not as many people are buying smartwatches as before, with a total of 3.5 million units estimated to have shipped during the second quarter. This is a 32 percent decrease year-over-year, as the second quarter of 2015 saw an estimated 5.1 million shipped.
Smartwatch shipments may be down, but the Apple Watch also leads the market when it comes to customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the Apple Watch is already a $10 billion business for Apple, and the device is twice as popular as the original iPhone. With the Apple Watch 2 rumored to be right around the corner, the Cupertino, California-based company looks to double down on its smartwatch success soon.
