Lack of updates and new models sees Apple Watch sales decline
A lack of significant new features in the Apple Watch Series 10 and no updates to the Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch Ultra, is claimed to be behind another year of declining sales.
Apple Watch Ultra
First reports about Apple Watch sales in 2024 had already showed a significant drop, but now new figures from Counterpoint Research say the decline is tied to a lack of updates.
Counterpoint says that globally, Apple Watch sales declined 19% in 2024 year on year. That makes the second year that Apple Watch has seen a year on year decline, and Q4 2025 was the fifth consecutive quarter of decreasing sales.
The research firm says that the decline was worldwide except for India. While the company does not break down the sales per region further, Counterpoint says that the global figure was chiefly driven by the decline in North America.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 has previously accounted for over 10%, but fell to under 8% in 2024. That has been ascribed to the lack of a new Apple Watch Ultra 3 during the year.
Sales have the Apple Watch have declined in the last two years -- source: Counterpoint Research
Similarly, the Apple Watch SE hasn't been updated since 2022. The report says that the Apple Watch SE constitutes the majority of Apple Watch sales immediately after launch, so the lack of one in Q3 2023 is what prompted the first quarterly decline.
Separately, as well as Apple Watch Series 10 being seen to offer few new features over its predecessor, the model was affected by legal battles. Those saw the removal of the Apple Watch Series 10's blood oxygen feature, at least from models sold in the US.
Apple is expected to launch an Apple Watch Series 11 in September, and while it is predicted to look the same, it may have significant new features. Those are said to include additional health sensors, as well as possibly cameras.
Then it's previously been reported that Apple has been working on introducing an Apple Watch SE with a plastic chassis. That would lower production costs, though it isn't guaranteed that Apple would pass those savings on to buyers.
Apple has also been rumored to be working on an update to the Apple Watch Ultra. It's suggested that an Apple Watch Ultra 3 could add the ability to use Messages via satellite, directly on the watch.
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Comments
You get the picture.
Just what exactly would you expect? How many features can be added to an Apple Watch, every year until the end of the product line? What are buyers demanding? What crucial feature must an Apple Watch have before these others buy it? Maybe everyone who wants one has bought one? Do iPhone sales keep rising every single year?
I know computers are different from anything else in that they contain software which can be updated whereas your TV, cooker, car, grass mower, microwave and the like stay the boring same, year after year. Such is the strange life we lead as humans in the West today where it’s expected that there will always be more features in our tech products. Every. Single. Year.
Of course, the biggie is non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring. That will be a watershed moment.
The other factor was the S10's form factor. It's subtle, but I notice it still especially if I wear my 8. The Ultra 2 in black is nice looking but still too close to the Ultra and not much else to get me to buy.
The platform has matured so much nobody should be surprised if the next Gen or two don't induce buyers of the S10 to get the newest Watch for the next iteration or two.
Different products have different life times. The iPhone seems to be replaced after about 3 - 4 years. iPads seem to be kept for longer, maybe 6 years? TV sets last maybe 9 or 10 years. I wonder what the number is for the Watch?
I’ve got the series 9 and it is really good. It is very lightweight so I barely know I’m wearing it. The battery lasts a long time. If I turned off “always on” it would probably last two days. In addition to telling time I use a lot of activity and health monitors.
Right now I don’t know what would motivate me to buy a new one. I’ll keep it for another 3 -5 years, easily.
Interesting news about Masimo today: they sold off that high-end audio company that ex-CEO Kiana bought for $1 billion in 2022 and they only got $330 million for it just three years later. Kiani was also the guy who went to war against Apple in court at enormous cost for no payoff. I keep hoping that Masimo's new sane management and Apple can settle their differences and get pulse ox activated again on Apple Watches in the U.S.
Well… obviously if Apple used some revolutionary new battery technology that gave the Apple Watch a week-long battery life, that would get me to upgrade. But aside from revolutionary new tech like that, I have everything I already need with the Apple Watch I already own. And that’s a great thing (for me and other consumers).
Note: I have an Apple Watch old enough to have the O2 app enabled.
2) I do have a medical grade device for my finger.
3) Studies have shown that Apple's O2 sensor is good.
4) The best device is the one you already have on your person.
however I suspect the decline will be the same. The economy is tight, cost of living has rapidly risen, while Apple Watches are premium priced and not real additional features.
basically priorities currently elsewhere, lack of feature expansion to generate interest in new models, and high price in current economy limit purchases.
I asked Apple about getting my battery in my Series 6 replaced, and whether it'd result in me getting a refurb with the O2 sensor disabled, and they said that was likely the case. I may try to do it myself with a 3rd party battery at some point, though it's not dire just yet. I'll be seriously disappointed if they don't return that feature in the Series 11.