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Apple Watch tallies 42% of total dollars spent on wearables in the first half of 2015

How is the Fitbit faring against the Apple Watch? We now know, thanks to an upcoming report from 1010data’s Ecom Insights. AppleWorld.Today received an advance copy of the report, which will be released next week.

In just three months of availability, Apple now has 42% of total dollars sold in the first half of the year followed by Fitbit at 31%. Motorola, Garmin, Jawbone, Polar, Pebble and Samsung combined make up just 15%, according to 1010data’s Ecom Insights, which measures what consumers are purchasing online. However, when we look at units, Fitbit is number one with 35% of the market and Apple #2 at 11%.

Apple.com sells the most wearables, accounting for 41% of total dollars, followed by Amazon at 43%, and Best Buy and Fitbit with 5% each.

This research comes from 1010data’s Ecom Insights panel.  The panel consists of millions of online shoppers in the U.S. who allow 1010data to anonymously track their online behavior for market research purposes, including e-commerce activity. 

For the first quarter of 2015 the total dollar spend in the smartwatch segment was split among four major competitors: Motorola (33%), Pebble (23%), Samsung (16%), and LG (12%). Then the Internet blew up with news of Apple’s first new product category since the iPad. The Apple Watch was announced in March and went on sale on April 24.

Since then Apple has commanded 88% of the smartwatch category, with Motorola, Pebble, LG, and Samsung combined accounting for just over 10% of the category. Ecom lists wearables in three segments. The first is smartwatches, devices such as the Apple Watch or Pebble that are multi-purpose devices. The second is activity trackers, such as the Fitbit or Jawbone that are dedicated towards fitness. And the third is simply the combination of the first two.

Prior to Apple entering the market, the average sales price (ASP) of a smartwatch was $184. In the second quarter of 2015, the ASP of a smartwatch rose 138% to $438.The best selling smartwatch on the market is the Apple Watch Sport 42mm Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band, which is on the more affordable end of the Apple Watch pricing spectrum.

While not quite as dominant as Apple in smartwatches, Fitbit still holds a commanding market share lead in both dollars and units when it comes to activity trackers. For the six months ending June 30, FitBit earned 62% of total dollars, followed by Garmin at 7%, Jawbone at 5% and Polar at 4%.

Of course, category definitions are never easy. The Apple Watch is a smartwatch, but it also tracks things like heart rate and distance traveled just like the Activity Trackers. The Fitbit is an activity tracker but it also tells time like a watch. So which products are in which category? Can a product be both?

When you combine “smartwatch” and “smartwatch plus activity trackers” categories, in just three months of availability, Apple now has 42% of total dollars sold in the first half of the year followed by FitBit at 31%. Motorola, Garmin, Jawbone, Polar, Pebble and Samsung combined make up just 15%.

When we change over to units the script flips with Fitbit in the drivers seat at 35% and Apple #2 at 11%. Apple.com sells the most wearables, accounting for 41% of total dollars, followed by Amazon at 43%, and Best Buy and Fitbit with 5% each.

1010data’s Ecom Insights panel consists of millions of online shoppers in the U.S. who allow1010data to anonymously track their online behavior for market research purposes, including e-commerce activity. Retailers measured include the top 100 online mass retailers in the United States that – according to 1010data’s estimates – make up over 95% of hard line goods ordered online.

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.