Samsung is in smartwatch trouble, and the Galaxy Watch 8 might be its last hope

With the Galaxy Watch 8 expected to launch later tomorrow at Galaxy Unpacked 2025, the pressure is mounting for Samsung to reverse a worrying trend: people are buying fewer of its smartwatches.

According to new data from Counterpoint Research (via 9to5Google), Samsung's global smartwatch shipments declined by 19% year-over-year in Q1 2025, marking the most significant drop among the top five brands, which also include Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Imoo.

And it’s not just a bad quarter. Samsung has now slipped behind Indian brand Noise and is barely holding onto its global market share lead over Fire-Boltt.

The Galaxy Watch lineup, once seen as the strongest Android rival to the Apple Watch, is losing steam, and fast.

Big rival Apple is also witnessing a YoY decline for the sixth consecutive quarter, even though the Cupertino-based company is still the leading smartwatch manufacturer in the world.

Meanwhile, Huawei is rapidly gaining ground, thanks to strong performance in China and international growth from its Watch GT and Watch 4 series.

Even Google, with its Pixel Watch 2, has posted solid gains.

Why Samsung’s Galaxy Watch strategy might be faltering

There are a few reasons for Samsung’s recent smartwatch woes.

First, demand has shifted dramatically toward budget wearables in India and other emerging markets, where brands like Noise and Fire-Boltt are thriving.

Second, Huawei’s success in China is eating into Samsung’s regional dominance.

But perhaps more critically, Samsung’s Galaxy Watches haven’t made a compelling leap forward since the switch to Wear OS 3 in 2021.

While features like the BioActive Sensor and One UI Watch have helped, the experience hasn’t differentiated itself enough from Google’s Pixel Watch ecosystem, and that’s becoming increasingly clear as consumers wait longer to upgrade.

All eyes on the Galaxy Watch 8

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic are set to be unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked event on 9 July, which you'll be able to follow here on T3.

The brand is trying to drum up interest in its upcoming wearables by teasing new features, but it remains unknown whether these will help convince people to upgrade, especially considering the rumoured price hike.

One thing is certain: Samsung needs a big win to stop its smartwatch market slide.

With more players entering the wearables space and Apple doubling down on health and accessibility, 2025 might be the most competitive year in smartwatch history.