Apple refused to reveal exact sales figures for it Apple Watch, and that hurt its stock today, but new estimates indicate that it's still a top performer among smartwatches.
Wrists of 75% of new smartwatch owners in the second quarter are donning the Apple Watch, estimates Strategy Analytics, citing its approximation of four million of "iWatch" units shipped.
That's not exactly hard sales numbers. Apple now sells its iPhone-compatible smartwatch in stores, and there's no telling how long they'll sit on shelves (or in drawers).
And while controlling two third of smartwatch shipments is impressive, as is a 457% surge in all global smartwatch shipments year-over-year, the category is still in its infancy. Bragging rights withheld.
- Here are the best smartwatches available
Samsung takes another silver medal
The next big category leader is Samsung, with an 8% smartwatch market share backed up an estimated 0.4 million watches shipped, according to the research firm.
This includes its sole Android Wear-based smartwatch, the Samsung Gear Live, and Tizen-run watches like the Samsung Gear 2, Samsung Gear 2 Neo, and phone-free Samsung Gear S.
The South Korean company could boost its smartwatch popularity with a round-faced, GPS-equipped entry codenamed Samsung Orbis and rumored to be called Samsung Gear A.
That could happen at IFA 2015, or as soon as August, which is when the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Samsung S6 Edge Plus are thought to be launching.
