The growth trend in the smart watch market continued in the first quarter of 2026. According to the latest report published by Counterpoint Research, the global smart wearable device market grew by 4 percent compared to the same period last year. This result shows that the recovery process seen throughout 2025, after the difficult period the sector experienced in 2024, continues. The research company states that wearable products, especially those recently launched by Apple, play a decisive role in this growth. In addition, consumers’ tendency towards smart watches with higher segment features also contributed to the expansion of the market in terms of value.
According to the report, users’ purchasing preferences are increasingly shifting to models that offer more advanced health and fitness features. In response to this demand, manufacturers are offering products equipped with more sensors, advanced health tracking tools and comprehensive software features. This increases not only the sales volume but also the revenue per device. New functions, especially in areas such as heart health monitoring, sleep analysis and exercise measurements, support consumers’ tendency towards higher priced models.
The trend towards premium models in smart watches is getting stronger
In the first quarter of 2026, the global average selling price (ASP) increased by 6 percent on an annual basis. Counterpoint attributes this increase to a strengthening consumer interest in premium features. The inclusion of more advanced sensors in the models recently introduced by manufacturers and the expansion of health tracking capabilities are among the factors that support this trend. In addition, new health analyzes and artificial intelligence-supported features offered by the software also increase the interest in upper segment products.
The Chinese market was one of the regions that contributed the most to growth. Smartwatch shipments in the country increased by 15 percent on an annual basis. While Huawei maintained its leading position in China with a market share of 40 percent, the company was followed by Imoo and Xiaomi. The strong position of local brands continues to increase China’s influence in the global smartwatch market. The performance of Imoo, which operates in the smart watch category especially for children, is also remarkable.
Apple continued its leadership in the global rankings. While the company reached a market share of 23 percent, it increased its shipments by 21 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025. The fact that more than half of Apple’s total shipments come from the North American market reveals that the region remains important for the company. Huawei ranked second, increasing its sales by 12 percent. It seems that the investments made by the Chinese manufacturer in the wearable device category in recent years continue to yield results.
The rest of the list includes Xiaomi, Imoo and Samsung. Despite this, the picture on Samsung’s side looks weaker than its competitors. The company’s smart watch shipments decreased by 28 percent on an annual basis. This decline shows that Samsung is under pressure in terms of market share in a market where competition is increasingly intense. On the other hand, it will become clearer in the coming quarters how the new models expected to be introduced later in the year will affect the company’s performance.
Looking at the overall picture, it can be seen that the growth in the smartwatch market is no longer supported only by shipment increases, but also by consumers’ tendency towards products with higher feature levels. While Apple maintains its leadership, the rise of manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi keeps the competition alive. The proliferation of premium features and the development of health-focused functions are likely to be among the key factors determining the direction of the market through 2026.