Issues are usually not wanting nice for Apple’s smartwatch line. Market analysis firm Counterpoint has launched its newest report on Apple Watch efficiency, and it discovered that Apple Watch shipments, after dropping by 10% in 2023, fell sharply by nearly 20% year-over-year in 2024.
The drop in shipments is attributed to quite a lot of elements distinctive to Apple, since its rivals like Huawei and Xiaomi noticed development throughout the identical interval, Counterpoint mentioned. Points embrace an absence of upgrades within the newest Apple Watch fashions and an total lack of curiosity within the new Apple Watch 10 ($399 at Apple) from the North American market, which appears to be rising extra price-conscious.
Counter’s YOY graph displaying Apple Watch decline.
The present analysis doesn’t embrace the affect of 2025, which have been a complicated journey for Apple to date and will result in larger Apple Watch costs, availability points for People or manufacturing issues for Apple merchandise as a result of ongoing tariffs scenario. Maintain observe of the newest affect right here with CNET’s tariff tracker.
Once we reached out to Counterpoint analysts for extra info on how Apple Watch gross sales could look this yr, Analysis Director Jeff Fieldhack obtained again to CNET with necessary framing for these developments. “Most Apple watches getting into the US come from Vietnam — so we’re watching the Vietnam tariff scenario,” he mentioned. “If there aren’t any exemptions or commerce offers, we count on US customers to pay for the elevated prices of tariffs. We don’t imagine Apple or some other firms within the worth chain to finish customers will soak up the price of tariffs.”
Nevertheless, two attention-grabbing smartwatch areas are bucking the pattern and seeing notable development: India, which was one of many solely areas to see development in Apple Watch shipments; and child’s smartwatches, which was the one sector to see world development within the 2024 smartwatch trade.
To return to year-over-year development, Counterpoint means that Apple give attention to releasing new fashions for its Watch SE and Watch Extremely traces, in addition to specializing in substantial design upgrades for its new watches.
Counterpoint and Apple did not instantly reply to requests for remark.