Global Smartwatch Market Records Shipment Drop in Q1 2025

The global smartwatch market is going through a rough patch, as shipments declined by 2% year-on-year (YoY) in Q1 2025. Even worse, this is the fifth consecutive quarter with a dip, according to a recent report by Counterpoint Research. The report primarily suggests weakening demand for smartwatches in India and reduced global shipments by the Cupertino tech giant. 

Counterpoint’s report reveals that the global smartwatch market continues to slow down in Q1 2025

India, which had been one of the biggest contributors to the global smartwatch market in recent years, has reportedly experienced a dip in demand during Q1 2025. Not to mention, the shipment volumes have been affected for many brands, which once benefited due to the sudden boom in the smartwatch demand in the country. 

While Apple tops the chart as the leading company with a 20% smartwatch market share, it recorded a shipment decline of 9% YoY in Q1 2025. This resulted in Apple suffering a sixth consecutive quarterly drop. The Counterpoint report hints that the growing competition on a global scale is one of the reasons. 

On the other hand, China recorded a massive jump in smartwatch shipments with 37% YoY in Q1 2025. Well, that’s the country’s highest global smartwatch shipment share since Q4 2020. The published report indicates that domestic brands like Huawei and Xiaomi have influenced the growth. Interestingly, both brands reported 53% YoY smartwatch shipment growth in Q1 2025. Huawei’s global share jumped from 10% to 16%, while Xiaomi’s rose from 6% to 10%. 

It’s worth noting that the kids’ smartwatch segment also stood its ground in Q1 2025. Imoo, a kid-focused smartwatch company from China, aka “Little Genius,” posted a 23% YoY increase in shipments. The market share of the company increased by a percent (to 7%) from the last quarterly results. 

Samsung’s shipments and global market share took a hit as well

Samsung, which launched the Galaxy Watch 8 series yesterday, saw smartwatch shipments decline by 18% YoY. The company’s global smartwatch market share also took a hit in Q1 2025 as it dropped from 9% to 7%. The company must hope that the new smartwatch series can turn the tide in the next quarter. The “Others” category, which includes smaller smartwatch brands, also saw a dip of 17% in shipments. Worth noting that the combined market share fell from 48% to 40%.  

The Counterpoint report also indicates that consumers are drawn more towards mid-tier and premium wrist-worn wearables, with prices ranging between $100-$200. This segment reportedly saw a growth of 21% YoY. Whereas, the entry-level smartwatches, generally priced below $100, saw a decline of 17%. All that said, Counterpoint Research’s report projects a 3% recovery in global smartwatch shipments by the end of 2025.