The first quarter of 2025 presented a remarkable picture in the global smartwatch market. Samsung, which experienced an 18 percent decrease compared to the same period last year, saw its market share drop to 7 percent.
The leader of the smartwatch market has emerged
With this result, the South Korea-based technology company fell to fourth place in the world rankings. Samsung, which gained momentum with the Galaxy Watch 7, Watch Ultra and Watch FE models in the last quarter of 2024, could not maintain this momentum in the face of the sharp rise of its China-based competitors at the beginning of 2025.
Apple maintains its leadership with a 20 percent market share. Although the company experienced a 9 percent decrease in shipments, its position at the top did not change. Despite this decrease, Apple’s clear lead showed that the brand maintained its stability in the segment.
Chinese brands Huawei and Xiaomi showed remarkable growth in this quarter. Huawei ranked second with a market share of 16 percent. Xiaomi rose to third place with a rate of 10 percent. Both brands grew by 53 percent annually. Xiaomi’s models, which stand out with their price-performance balance, and Huawei’s series, which stand out with their powerful hardware features, directly affected user preferences.
Another brand that stood out in the ranking was Imoo, which produces smart watches for children. The company, which reached a 7 percent market share with 23 percent growth, rose to the same level as Samsung in the global ranking. This development showed that the segment can grow with products that appeal not only to general users but also to special categories.
Looking at the overall picture, smart watch shipments worldwide decreased by 2 percent. The main reasons for this decline were the slowdown in sales in India and Apple’s shipment decline.
On the other hand, the 37 percent growth experienced in the Chinese market positively affected the general outlook of the sector. The fact that Chinese manufacturers offer affordable but technically powerful models has been one of the main factors that keep the market afloat.
