Counterpoint: Apple Watch shipments jumped 14% in Q2 as the smartwatch market shrank
Counterpoint Research says Apple Watch shipments rose 14% year over year in Q2 2026 while the global smartwatch market fell 4%, with Series 11 and SE 3 driving most of Apple’s volume.
A new Counterpoint Research report, summarized by 9to5Mac, says global smartwatch shipments fell 4% year over year in Q2 2026 — while Apple Watch shipments rose 14% over the same period.
Where Apple landed
According to figures 9to5Mac cites from Counterpoint:
- Apple held about 20.1% of global smartwatch shipments and posted the fastest year-over-year growth among the top five brands.
- Huawei led share at about 21.8%, with shipments up roughly 1% year over year.
- Imoo, Xiaomi, and Garmin followed; Garmin rose about 11%, while Xiaomi’s shipments fell sharply.
Counterpoint principal analyst Anshika Jain said Apple recorded growth across all regions, driven by continued adoption of its refreshed late-2025 lineup. The report attributes more than 80% of Apple’s global Watch shipments in Q2 2026 to Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3 combined. China was cited as a recovery bright spot for Apple after a weaker Q2 2025.
Event-week context
These figures are a reported market snapshot, not an Apple announcement. They still matter for readers watching Wednesday’s Surprise and Shine event, where Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are widely expected, alongside a rumored Readiness app. Separately, SE 3 went “Currently Unavailable” on Apple’s online store Tuesday — storefront timing, not proof of an SE 4.
Caveats
Counterpoint’s full methodology and absolute unit totals were not reproduced in the secondary coverage reviewed here. Treat the share and growth figures as research-firm estimates reported by 9to5Mac, not Apple-confirmed shipment results.
Source: 9to5Mac.