Multiple reports have confirmed that Samsung is the king of the global smart TV market. On the other hand, its wearable division was consistently playing second fiddle to the likes of Apple. Things are more or less the same this time around, according to a new survey from a South Korean market research firm.
In Q2, 2021, Samsung captured 7.6% of the global smartwatch market. Despite the overwhelming odds, Huawei still managed to hold its position in the market with a share of 9.3%, which is significantly lower than its last year's figure of 13%. Apple is still the king of the hill with 28% of all smartwatches sold globally.
Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 2 Active ensured Samsung's success
Samsung's success can be attributed to impressive Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 sales, despite them falling on the ‘premium' edge of the spectrum. There's no denying that they are some of the best Samsung smartwatches ever.
It is quite impressive, especially when we consider that Samsung managed to sell more smartwatches than all of China's BBK International (Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, Realme iQOO) combined.
Although high-end smartwatches from Apple and Samsung continue to reign supreme, the demand for sub-$100 wearables has grown by a whopping 527% compared to last year. Now, we can't really expect Apple to foray into that segment, but Samsung would do well to launch some low-cost fitness trackers like the Galaxy Fit to capture some of that market.
It'll be interesting to see if the newly-launched WearOS-powered Galaxy Watch 4 has any meaningful impact on Samsung's future prospects. Samsung's heavily-publicized partnership with Google is undoubtedly good for end-users, but whether or not it will help drive sales remains to be seen.
