The features count on various Apple Watch models have struck a development ceiling, as the Cupertino firm continues to run into problems when bringing more functionality for users. Even the Apple Watch Series 10, which was originally supposed to ship with blood pressure monitoring, only offered a size upgrade. The chipset side of things has been given less importance regarding the manufacturing process, resulting in the same battery. According to the latest data, these are the reasons why Apple Watch shipments are estimated to have declined by 19 percent in Q4 2024.
The decline in shipments was largely due to the lack of demand in the U.S., with the latest Apple Watch models lacking in newer features to help drive momentum
The North American market contributes to more than half of Apple Watch shipments, with Counterpoint Research stating that 2024 was the second consecutive year to witness a decline. As for why this is happening, Balbir Singh writes that the lack of a new and affordable Apple Watch SE model resulted in a reduction in shipments, followed by fewer upgrades in the Apple Watch Series 10 and no new Apple Watch Ultra model.
“Apple’s smartwatch shipments declined 19% YoY in 2024, according to Counterpoint’s Global Smartwatch Shipment Tracker, Q4 2024. The brand witnessed declines in all regions except India. However, its global decline was mainly driven by the significant decline in the North American market, which contributes more than half of Apple’s smartwatch shipments. 2024 was the second consecutive year to witness a YoY shipment decline. In the advanced smartwatch segment, Apple’s market share decreased by 8 percentage points YoY in 2024. Q4 2024 was the fifth consecutive quarter to see a decline in Apple’s smartwatch shipments even as all the other major competitors offering advanced smartwatches witnessed growth.”
The research states that these shipments can witness a rebound in the coming months if there is an updated Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 3 release. Unfortunately, the California-based giant is experiencing trouble with those launches too. For the Apple Watch SE, we previously reported that the company is attempting to reduce the cost by switching to an all-plastic chassis, but the team is not too pleased with this decision.
Additionally, a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring sensor could aid in boosting shipments, but it will take several years before Apple can incorporate the feature in one of its future smartwatches. One Apple Watch Series 10 prototype was spotted with a mysterious sensor that never made the final cut, but it was never concluded whether it measured blood glucose or something else.
News Source: Counterpoint Research
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