Global smartwatch shipments declined by 4% year-over-year (YoY) in the second quarter (Q2) 2026, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Smartwatch Shipments Tracker, Q2 2026. However, it was good news for Apple.
The tech giant recorded the fastest YoY growth among the top five brands. Apple recorded growth across all regions, driven by the The Apple Watch Series 11 and Watch SE 3 together accounted for over 80% of Apple’s global shipments in Q2 2026.
Apple now has 20.1% of the global smartwatch market compared to 17% in the second quarter of 2025. Ahead of it in worldwide smartwatch share is China’s Huawei with 21.8%.
The second quarter marked the first smartwatch market decline in a year. The decline was primarily driven by continued weakness in the basic smartwatch segment, as consumers delayed upgrades of low-cost devices due to limited monitoring capabilities, according to Counterpoint Principal Analyst Anshika Jain. At the same time, users of premium smartwatches postponed purchases in anticipation of upcoming product launches, leading to longer replacement cycles, he added.
Commenting on the global smartwatch market outlook, Counterpoint Research Director Mohit Agrawal said, “Premium users are holding on to their watches longer and the basic segment continues to shrink, so we expect shipments to grow only around 1% in 2026. However, Edge AI in smartwatches, blood pressure tracking and the race towards non-invasive blood glucose monitoring give consumers a reason to upgrade. That is what underpins our 3% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) through 2030.”
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today