The smartwatches market falls 2%, but in China it grows with a clear challenge of Huawei to Apple’s domain

According to Counterpoint, the world smart watches market has registered a 2% year -on -year contraction during the first quarter of 2025, marking its fifth consecutive trimester of descent. This fall is mainly attributed to the deceleration in the Indian market and a reduction in Apple shipments. It must be remembered that the last Apple Watch have not supposed a great evolution with respect to their predecessors, although future models could come with visual intelligence.

However, there are green outbreaks that we cannot ignore. The study highlights the Chinese performancewhich experienced a 37% growth thanks to the impulse of local brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Imoo. This boom has helped cushion the general fall and has raised the market share of China to its highest level since the late 2020.

Huawei and Xiaomi gain ground in a market that is changing

Despite the downward trend, Apple maintains its leadership in the global market, sustained by the continuous expansion of its iOS users base. However, Huawei and Xiaomi have registered a notable growth in their shipments, making their presence. both in the Chinese and international market, be stronger.

Its success is based on catalogs of more attractive products and competitive prices strategies in the mid and high range. On the contrary, Samsung has seen a 18% drop in their shipmentsaffected by a lower demand for its models of previous generations in the main markets.

The study also tells us about a change in consumer preferences, which are increasingly inclined to higher value devices. Without a doubt, something curious. The price segment of between $ 100 and 200 grew 21%, while the entrance range, located below $ 100, decreased by 17%.

Users seek Better health functions and greater reliability and compatibility with its digital ecosystems. Additionally, the category of Smart Watches for Children is still expanding, driven by parents’ concern for safety and location. And what will happen in the short term? Looking ahead to the rest of the year, a moderate recovery of 3% is projected by 2025, especially due to the arrival of AI to the new models.