Although the smartwatch market is set to hot up this year with the rumoured entry of Apple and the upcoming Android Wear collection from Google, it seems that most manufacturers will be playing catch up with Samsung for a while.
According to new figures released by Strategy Analytics, the Korean manufacturer – which was an early entrant in the burgeoning werables sector with its Galaxy Gear device – sold an estimated 500,000 smartwatches in Q1 of this year.
With the market itself estimated at 700,000 in total, that brings Samsung’s total stake to a jaw dropping 71% (close to three-quarters of the entire sector).
What’s even more impressive is that the new report doesn’t even take in to account sales of the company’s latest wearables, the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, which only launched in April.
Consequently, the figures can be solely attributed to the original Galaxy Gear smartwatch. What the new data doesn’t account for, however, is the high return rate for the device – with conflicting reports stating that as many as 30% of the company’s smartwatches were returned to shops after purchase.
Still, it proves that there is a market for wearables beyond mere fitness trackers. And for now, that market is being dominated by Samsung.
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