According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, Apple Watch shipments comfortably outpaced the rest of the smartwatch market during the first quarter of 2026. Here are the details.

In a report released today (via MacMagazine), Counterpoint Research says that while global smartwatch shipments grew 4% year-on-year during the first three months of 2026, Apple’s shipments surged 21%, reaching a 23% share overall.

Huawei remained in second place, with shipments rising 12% and its share of global shipments reaching 17%. Xiaomi followed with 9% shipment growth, while Imoo posted a more modest 2% increase, with both brands’ shares remaining unchanged. Samsung, meanwhile, saw shipments plunge 28% and its share decline by two percentage points.

Counterpoint Research’s Principal Analyst Anshika Jain, “North America contributed over half of the total shipments of Apple, China and Europe recorded the fastest growth for the brand.” She added that Apple’s “addition of meaningful health upgrades and the affordable SE 3 attracted new buyers.”

Another interesting tidbit from the report was the 6% increase in the average selling price of smartwatches during the period. Counterpoint attributed the rise to “the integration of improved sensors and advanced technologies to support health monitoring and AI capabilities,” as well as growing demand for more advanced models in emerging markets such as India.

Finally, the report notes that, unlike in the smartphone market, where rising memory costs have become an increasingly significant factor, their impact on smartwatches is expected to be more limited, given their lower bill of materials costs.

To read the full report, follow this link.

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