Global smartwatch shipments dipped 7% in 2024 compared to the year prior. This is the first time since the original Apple Watch model debuted in 2014 that the market has seen any decline.

Based on data from the market research firm Counterpoint, Apple was hit hard by sluggish sales numbers. Compared to 2023, the Cupertino King shipped customers 19% fewer Apple Watch units. That’s quite the drop.

Hvorfor falder salget af Apple Watch?

Source: Counterpoint Research Global Smartwatch Shipments Tracker by Model, Q4 2024

Blame it on the highly-anticipated Apple Watch Ultra 3 failing to materialize or the fact that the tenth-anniversary Apple Watch — the only new release we did get in 2024 — isn’t all that different from the Series 9 that came before it, even if it is the best smartwatch you can buy today.

Apple’s patent dispute with Masimo — which Apple recently effectively won — over the brand’s blood oxygen sensor tech also hurt sales early in 2024. For a short time, sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 were banned in the U.S.

Endelig er Apple endnu ikke blevet væsentligt bedre til at integrere avancerede funktioner i Apple Watch, selvom nogle AI-genererede notifikationsoversigter er ret nyttige. Dette har medført en generel mangel på begejstring omkring enheden. Uden forventning om virkelig banebrydende opdateringer i år kan salget fortsat falde. Dog tyder rygter på, at kommende modeller som Apple Watch Ultra 3 kan få større skærm, længere batterilevetid og sundhedsalarmer såsom advarsler om forhøjet blodtryk. Derudover kan en mere overkommelig Apple Watch SE 3 være på vej. Med disse potentielle forbedringer har Apple stadig muligheder for at genoplive interessen for deres smartwatch-serie.

Nogle smartwatch-mærker oplevede vækst

On the flip side, Samsung noted a slight uptick in smartwatch sales of 3%. Google, meanwhile, was absent from the report.

Smartwatch makers focused on budget-friendly models managed to fare even better. The Chinese manufacturer Huawei, for instance, shipped 35% more devices in 2024 than in 2023. Xiaomi, meanwhile, noted a massive 135% increase in smartwatch sales.

While both manufacturers have a modest presence in the U.S., they’re selling smartwatches like hotcakes in other markets, most notably in Asia.

According to Xiaomi, the wallet-friendly Xiaomi Redmi series — which starts at around $50 — and the higher-end Xiaomi S1 proved especially popular.