A study of the connected watches and bracelets market published in early March reveals that Google ranked second in sales of connected watches in the last quarter of 2022, behind Apple but ahead of Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi. A position on the podium explained in part by the good sales of its Pixel Watch, but there is a wolf.
The figures are clear: the market for connected watches and bracelets is not doing well. According to a study of this market published on Thursday, March 9 by the technology market analysis firm Canalys, global sales fell for the first time by 5% in 2022. This trend even intensified in the fourth quarter of this year: October As of December, the market has shrunk by 18%.
And yet: during the same period, Google sold 800,000 units of its Pixel Watch. The good sales of its first connected watch even allow it to be the 2nd largest seller of connected watches in the last quarter… with 8% of the total.
A painful last quarter of 2022
If this percentage is not very high, it is also because this 4th quarter of 2022 has hurt all the players in this market. Behind the American multinational, Xiaomi, Huawei and then Samsung saw their sales fall by 46%, 42% and 35% respectively compared to the same period in 2021. Even Apple, largely the leading vendor in the market during this period with 28% of the total sales of connected bracelets and watches, saw their figures fall by 17% compared to the 4th quarter of 2021.
Google also suffered a 25% drop in sales, but the launch of its Pixel Watch in October partly offset the overall decline in the market for connected watches and wristbands.
Fitbit continues to push Google who wants to abandon it
Only in part, because Google’s good health in this market is mainly due to good sales of Fitbit connected bracelets and watches, acquired by the Californian firm. In fact, this brand’s devices accounted for the vast majority of sales of wrist-wearable devices, according to 9to5Google.
Ironic fact since, as this specialized medium reminds us, Google has chosen on several occasions to devalue its Fitbit products in the eyes of consumers, removing functions while the company adds them to its Pixel Watch. In the long term, the multinational seems to want to favor its own brand of connected watches, but, in this declining market, it is still Fitbit that allows it to hold on.
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