Smartwatch market share worldwide 2014-2021, by vendor

Apple held the largest share of the global smartwatch shipment market in the second quarter of 2021. Their 52.5 percent share was followed by Samsung whose market amounted to11 percent.

Apple lead the way

The Apple Watch revolutionized the smartwatch market when it was unveiled in 2015: Worldwide sales of smartwatches totaled five million in 2014 before rising to 19 million units just a year later. During its first year, Apple shipped more than 12 million of its smartwatches worldwide and captured a 75 percent share of the total smartwatch market. Over the years, this share has dropped as competition within the market increases. Samsung, who were once market leaders before Apple entered the fray, have increased their global share since the introduction of its Galaxy Watch series in 2018.

Pebble: making a splash

A pioneering company of the latest smartwatch market was Pebble. The first of its smartwatches was the result of a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign that raised more than 20 million U.S. dollars in 2019. The Pebble could wirelessly connect to an iPhone or Android smartphone to provide the user with notifications; the device set the tone for things to come. However, its own story ended sadly: Pebble filed for insolvency in 2016 before most of the company’s assets were acquired by Fitbit. One reason for its collapse was the arrival of the Apple Watch, which embraced many of Pebble’s ideas and evolved them. Apple’s brand value was so strong that it quickly captured control of the smartwatch market.