Following years of anticipation, Google eventually debuted the Pixel Watch alongside its current generation of smartphones late last year and based on recent data, the wristwatch appears to be a smash for the firm, with hundreds of thousands of devices shipping in its first few months.
According to Canalys, Google shipped 880,000 Pixel Watch units in Q4 2022, the first three months the wearable was available for purchase. It was enough to retain Google in second place in the smartwatch industry, accounting for 8% of overall shipping volume. This is significantly below Apple’s overwhelming lead of nearly 28% and much ahead of Samsung’s 5.9% share.
Of course, the Pixel Watch does not account for the vast majority of Google’s wearable shipments. Fitbit devices, which account for the majority of the four million units shipped in Q4 2022, are included.
In comparison, Apple shipped just under 14 million smartwatches during the same time period, while Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei shipped less than three million. Wearable shipments have been declining over the last year, with the market contracting by 18% year on year. Google experienced a 25% drop, which was slightly better than Samsung’s 35% drop. Apple, predictably, maintained steady with a 17% decline. Canalys also claims that the Pixel Watch increased Google’s smartwatch sales by 16%.
One piece of evidence contradicts this claim: Google’s Pixel Watch software, which is required to utilize the watch, has only recently topped 500,000 installs. But, given the disparity between shipments and actual units sold, it appears to be well within the realm of possibility. This comes as Google continues to downplay Fitbit’s Versa and Sense smartwatches. Several smartwatch capabilities, like third-party apps, were deleted when those fitness-focused wearables were released last year, and Google has only emphasized this.
Google recently announced the discontinuation of key long-available Fitbit functionality, and the fitness app experienced multiple large disruptions during February. Meanwhile, Google has continued to develop the Pixel Watch, including support for Fall Detection and other features.
Of course, Google’s Pixel Watch still has a long way to go before it can catch up to its major competitors. Although Samsung and Apple sell significantly more smartwatches than Google and Fitbit combined, the Pixel Watch appears to be performing fairly well for a first-generation device with high expectations.