Smartwatch market sales confirm total flop

I never really understood the point of products like the Apple iWatch and it seems most consumers see no need for these products either. Despite hopes of becoming the next big revenue driver for the major gadget makers, smartwatches failed to boom and the market is now in total collapse.

A new research report from IDC claims sales of smartwatches reached 2.7 million units in Q3 2016, a 51.6 percent collapse versus the 5.6 million units sold in Q3 2015. Apple continues to be the market leader, its estimated 1.1 million sales of the iWatch give the company a 41.3 percent marketshare, but this represents a massive 71.6 percent drop in sales versus the 3.9 million units sold in Q3 2015.

Garmin holds the second place with 0.6 million units sold, Samsung ranks third with 0.4 million units and Lenovo and Pebble are a close match with each having sold about 0.1 million smartwatches in Q3 2016.

The worldwide smartwatch market experienced a round of growing pains in the third quarter of 2016 (3Q16), resulting in a year-over-year decline in shipment volumes. According to data from the International Data Corporation, (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, total smartwatch volumes reached 2.7 million units shipped in 3Q16, a decrease of 51.6% from the 5.6 million units shipped in 3Q15. Although the decline is significant, it is worth noting that 3Q15 was the first time Apple's Watch had widespread retail availablity after a limited online launch. Meanwhile, the second generation Apple Watch was only available in the last two weeks of 3Q16.

"The sharp decline in smartwatch shipment volumes reflects the way platforms and vendors are realigning," noted Ramon Llamas, research manager for IDC's Wearables team. "Apple revealed a new look and feel to watchOS that did not arrive until the launch of the second generation watch at the end of September. Google’s decision to hold back Android Wear 2.0 has repercussions for its OEM partners as to whether to launch devices before or after the holidays. Samsung’s Gear S3, announced at IFA in September, has yet to be released. Collectively, this left vendors relying on older, aging devices to satisfy customers."

"It has also become evident that at present smartwatches are not for everyone," said Jitesh Ubrani senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. "Having a clear purpose and use case is paramount, hence many vendors are focusing on fitness due to its simplicity. However, moving forward, differentiating the experience of a smartwatch from the smartphone will be key and we're starting to see early signs of this as cellular integration is rising and as the commercial audience begins to pilot these devices."