The latest data from NPD shows that as Apple's own wearable device category continues to grow, the company is affecting other areas of the smartwatch industry, in which the sales of smartwatches up by 61% in the 12 months ending November 2018. In addition, the unit sales saw a 61% increases, the dollar sales were also up 51%, totaling nearly $5 billion in sales in the US.
The three brands Apple, Samsung and Fitbit accounted for 88% of sales during this period, and Apple is the “clear market leader”. As for traditional watchmakers, such as Fossil and Garmin, they are in the work to expand their brand into the smartwatch industry and improve the share of the market.
NPD's data also reveals that 16% of American adults currently use smartwatches, an increase from 12% in December 2017. In the 18-34 age group, this figure is slightly higher, reaching 23%. Looking ahead, NPD expects health monitoring features to rise the popularity of smartwatches among older generations of users.
At the first quarter of the 2019 earnings call held last month, Apple announced that its wearable device category revenue grew 50% during the quarter, which combines products such as Apple Watch and AirPods. Apple said that the revenue of wearable devices is close to the size of Fortune 200 companies.