For a long time, the market for smartwatches only knew one direction, namely constant and sometimes even sudden growth. There was only a one-off decline in 2024, which Apple is said to have been particularly hard hit by. The reasons given were a lack of innovations and patent problems, as Apple had to deal with a sales ban in the USA at the time and the subsequent removal of the blood oxygen measurement system. However, new figures now speak a different language, as Apple in particular can look forward to a significant increase. Market plus, but above all Apple plus
While the entire smartwatch market grew by four percent, Apple increased deliveries by 21 percent in the first quarter. This significantly increased the gap to numerous competitors – this is particularly true of Samsung with a big minus of 28 percent. In parallel with the growing demand, the average selling price of computer watches also increased. Counterpoint puts the increase compared to the previous year at six percent. However, this is the average of the entire market and not specifically the prices of the Apple Watch.
Storage prices less important
The recent sharp rise in prices for memory chips is unlikely to leave the smartwatch market completely unscathed. However, Counterpoint expects the impact to be smaller than with smartphones, tablets or traditional computers. Smartwatches require less memory and have comparatively high margins, especially in the premium segment. The reason why manufacturers achieved slightly higher sales prices per watch on average was more due to trends in emerging markets – where inexpensive fitness bracelets are increasingly being replaced by full-fledged smartwatches. Improved sensors and additional health functions also increased customers’ willingness to dig deeper into their pockets.
