Apple Held Top Spot in Global Smartwatch Market in Q4 2020, Shipping 13 Million Apple Watch Series 6 and SE Models

According to market data from Counterpoint Research, Apple shipped 12.9 million models of the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE in the fourth quarter of 2020.

apple watch 6s 202009
The market saw an overall decline in smartwatch shipments compared to last year due to the ongoing global health crisis. Apple, however, saw a 19% increase in shipments YoY. Apple was the single largest smartwatch maker in Q4 of 2019 when it controlled 34% of the market. In the final quarter of last year, Apple Watch models accounted for 40% of the market share.

counterpoint research q4 2020 watch shipments
Apple's market share consolidation can be attributed to the new ‌Apple Watch SE‌'s success, the mid-range Apple Watch option. Apple released the SE model alongside its flagship Series 6 at a lower $279 price point, with some caveats such as the lack of an always-on display, ECG functionality, and the faster S6 processor.

Counterpoint senior analyst Sujeong Lim says that the new mid-range ‌Apple Watch SE‌ will likely push Samsung and other smartwatch makers to create similar, mid-range options for customers looking for cheaper alternatives to main flagships.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
New MacBook Pros Launching Tomorrow With These 4 New Features 2

M5 MacBook Models to Use New Compact Camera Module in 2025

Wednesday July 17, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...

Top Rated Comments

Arbuthnott Avatar
44 months ago
“Second largest” after “Others”??? How about an edit to correct this. “Others” is only a grab-bag of all the other unidentified manufacturers - Apple was the largest by a huge margin.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bobob Avatar
44 months ago
This is the forum thread ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-announces-apple-watch-available-in-early-2015-from-349.1773623/') on the day the Apple Watch was first announced in September 2014.

Here's a couple of examples of the characteristic MacRumors' forum optimism about new Apple products:


One miniaturisation too far. A white elephant. Look for them in eBay in a year. Do you want to be "That Knob With The Apple Watch Over There?"
And by 'Knob' we aren't referring to The Digital Crown here, readers.

Save yer cash folks

The latest douchebag / nerd status symbol.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Juicy Box Avatar
44 months ago
I purchased a AW S3 about a year ago.

While I have never been a watch person, I was surprised at how quickly I got used to using the AW. I now feel kind of naked when I am not wearing it.

One thing I hate about the AW, is the handling of SW updates and the small storage size. I cannot update the OS due to not having enough free space. I tried deleting everything that was optional to delete, and I still couldn't free up enough space to do the update.

It appears that if I unpair and reset the watch, I can do the update, but this is a pretty crappy way of handling SW updates.

Overall, I am happy with it, but the SW update issues are quite annoying.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
44 months ago

While I have never been a watch person, I was surprised at how quickly I got used to using the AW. I now feel kind of naked when I am not wearing it.
Same here, love getting my notifications on it, phone stays on silent mode 24/7.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
44 months ago
Apple's sudden overtaking of the market can be attributed to the new Apple Watch SE's success, the mid-range Apple Watch option. Apple released the SE model alongside its flagship Series 6 at a lower $279 price point, with some caveats such as the lack of an always-on display, ECG functionality, and the faster S6 processor.

The rest of the tech industry could be in some serious trouble if apple keep releasing these mid range products with flagship processors.

Should've entered the midrange market ages ago.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve09090 Avatar
44 months ago

While I have never been a watch person, I was surprised at how quickly I got used to using the AW. I now feel kind of naked when I am not wearing it.
I’ve never quite had a watch tan line as I have now after 3 years!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)