Towards an Apple Watch monopoly on connected watches?

2024-02-29 15:30:00

Four years ago, most connected watches worked with most phones. But now, the monopoly of l’Apple Watch is being felt more and more.

Even if the brand’s wearables have always been a device exclusively compatible with the iPhone. This reduces consumer choice in the market. Here’s what it’s all about.

A gradual abandonment of iOS by other brands

Previously, Samsung, Fitbit, Mobvoi and even Amazon were manufacturing connected watches and fitness trackers compatible by default with iOS and Android. While some companies used early versions of Google’s Wear OS to build these smartwatches. They then used a proprietary operating system like Tizen.

But one after the other, these companies have dropped support for iOS. For example, Amazon has absolutely left the wearables category. And more recently, Fossil announced that his watch Gen 6 would be there latest Wear OS smartwatch of the company. Which eliminates from the market one of the most affordable ways to use Google’s Wear OS 3 as an alternative to the Apple Watch.

For his part, Samsung partnered with Google for the exclusive development of Wear OS. Fitbit only releaseda single multiplatform wearable last year, with the Fitbit Charge 6 alongside the Android-only Pixel Watch 2. While it is the former champion of iOS and Android development before Google bought the brand. And the TicWatch Pro 5 de Mobvoi only works with Android after supporting iOS on previous watches.

A worrying trend for consumer choice

Aside from the Apple Watch monopoly, consumers now only have little choice in connected watches.

Fortunatelythere are multi-platform smartwatch plus affordable. They work with their own operating system. And its irreducible actors are undoubtedly the last bastions of the old regime.

Garmin is one of the largest manufacturers of smartwatches compatible with any phone. With most of its models focused on fitness tracking. Then there is also Amazfitwhose connected watches use their own Zepp operating system which supports to be associated with Android and iOS.

Outside of these companies, it increasingly seems that the most major smartwatch manufacturers are also the most major smartphone manufacturers. The result is a market dominated by expensive smartwatches that lose functionality if not paired with the correct phone.

Apple’s monopoly requires a well-defined strategy

The monopoly ofApple is due to the fact that the brand has managed to convince customers of the iPhone to buy Apple Watches by offering them a easy access to Siri. Just as it is easier to access iMessage and fitness tracking functions via this smartwatch.

Although a subscription is not required to use Apple Watch, Apple Fitness Plus constitutes a additional argument by integrating workout data from the watch directly into its exercise videos.

Samsung and Google follow roughly the same pattern For their Galaxy Watch and Pixel ranges Watch. Both companies sell smartwatches that offer benefits when paired with most Android phones.

With so much effort dedicated to theexclusive association of a smartphone with a smartwatchit is normal that companies like Fossil et TicWatch can’t keep up with the movement. And the cumulative delays in updating their watches with respect to its operating systems constitute another problem. This is why Apple and Samsung are the leaders of the connected watch market.

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