Apple’s years-long leadership in the global smartwatch market has ended. According to Counterpoint Research’s Q2 2025 report, Huawei surpassed Apple for the first time, taking the top spot in the industry. The report states that global smartwatch shipments increased by 8 percent year-over-year after five consecutive quarters of decline.

Apple is losing its dominance in the smartwatch sector

During this period, Huawei saw the most significant increase in the market, increasing its shipments by a staggering 52 percent. This success is largely due to its broad product range priced between $100 and $400 and its robust integration with smartphones and the IoT ecosystem.

While over 75 percent of Huawei’s shipments come from China, growth in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific markets also contributed to this rise.

Huawei’s leadership was driven by local market influence, product diversity, and ecosystem compatibility. Apple, however, experienced a decline in the quarter. Shipments decreased by 3 percent, marking Apple’s seventh consecutive quarter of decline. Despite this, Apple maintains its leadership in the premium segment thanks to its robust health tracking features and loyal iOS user base.

Compared to other brands in the market, Xiaomi saw 38 percent growth with its affordable models. imoo, known for its smartwatches for children, maintained its leadership position in its segment with a 21 percent increase.

Samsung, meanwhile, experienced a 3 percent decline due to the new Galaxy Watch 7 failing to achieve expected momentum. Counterpoint predicts that the global smartwatch market will grow by 3 percent overall through 2025.