Wear OS expected to take a bite out of Apple’s market share in 2024

Summary

• Wear OS is projected to increase its market share to 27% outside of China by 2024, as it’s launched on more devices like Pixel Watch series.
• Apple’s watchOS currently dominates the smartwatch market with 53%, but is expected to dip to 49% in 2024 as competitors grow.
• Newer Wear OS offerings from Google and OnePlus, in addition to existing stalwarts like the Galaxy Watch series, are thought to be fueling growth.

Just as there is rigorous competition between phone and computer operating systems, a race has emerged between wearable OS developers as well. With wearables and smartwatches, in particular, becoming more complex, there has been an increasing demand for software that can handle them. The High-Level Operating Systems (HLOS) market has been primarily steered by Apple and Samsung, but Google’s Wear OS may now be gaining ground.

According to research compiled by Counterpoint, Wear OS is expected to make up 27 percent of the market outside of China by the end of 2024. This comes as it’s more widely launched on devices, such as the Pixel Watch and OnePlus Watch 2, right out of the box. This is an increase from the 21 percent recorded in 2023. Alternatively, HarmonyOS – the native operating system used in Huawei smartwatches – is expected to make up 61% of the market in China.

Apple’s stronghold on the wearables market

In terms of the most popular smartwatch operating system outside of China, Apple’s watchOS still remains dominant. As of 2023, the operating system had 53 percent of the whole pie, per Counterpoint’s statistics. That being said, this percentage is projected to dip to 49 percent by the end of 2024, presumably as others, like Wear OS, grow in adoption. The researchers behind the data believe that the demand for advanced smartwatches is expected to rise in the coming months.

Google is one company that has seen success with its Pixel Watch series, and it’s generating hype as consumers await more information on its upcoming Pixel Watch 3. However, a curious filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now has some speculating that Google could soon integrate WearOS into more than just its new Pixel. If the rumors prove true, the company may be focused on developing a mid-range version of the Pixel Watch. The filing suggests that it’s for a single model that includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and LTE connectivity. In any case, more details about the entire series are likely to be revealed at a hardware event this fall.