Global smartwatch shipments grew a healthy rate of 48% year-on-year in quarter one of 2019 driven by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, and Huawei, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Global Smartwatch Tracker. And approximately one out of every three smartwatches sold is an Apple Watch.
“Apple Watch shipments grew a solid 49% year-on-year despite the weak demand for its iPhones,” says Counterpoint Research analyst Satyajit Sinha. “Apple continues to focus on the health-related features like ECG and fall detection in the Apple Watch Series 4. The ECG capability in the Apple Watch is the most desirable feature, according to our latest Consumer Lens survey.”
Apple has now received approval on its ECG features from healthcare authorities of Hong Kong and 19 other countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK.
“The heart rate sensor for health monitoring, GPS and pedometer sensors for fitness, and NFC embedded for payment are some of the key integrated technologies,” Sinha says. “Related use-cases and in addition to notifications with cellular capability are driving the smartwatch adoption. However, limited battery life remains a pain point for consumer’s decision-making process, irrespective of region and price band.”
