Apple Watch buyers are cheapskates

If you want an Apple Watch without water resistance, GPS or cellular capabilities, you get a Series 1 unit. And that’s what a lot of people have been doing.

Counterpoint Research recorded 37 percent year-over-year growth in smartwatch shipments for the second quarter. And while a rising tide floats all boats, some ships prove more buoyant than others.

Apple is the usual leader in this field with 41 percent market share, though that has slipped from last year by 7 points. Samsung, formerly tied with Wear OS bastion Fossil for third, falls two places from 6 percent to 2 percent.

Where has all the competitive growth gone? To Fitbit and its new Versa: brand share jumped 13 points to 21 percent while the Versa was the second-bestselling model for the quarter.

Amazingly, the Apple Watch Series 1 tops the chart. Xiaomi subsidiary Amazfit’s BIP is third while Series 3 and the Fitbit Ionic round out the top five.