Wearables market splits in two — Garmin gains as Apple and Samsung lose share

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Wearable shipments fell 2% year over year in Q2 2026, and consumers are increasingly choosing between premium sports watches and screenless trackers.

Garmin gained major smartwatch market share, while Samsung and Apple both lost ground year over year.

Screenless trackers are gaining momentum as consumers look for wearables that track their health without constant notifications and distractions.

Over the past several years, the wearable market has grown to be diverse and full of different options, and that might just be making consumers a lot more selective. Research firm Omdia has just published preliminary sales figures for the second quarter of 2026, and in addition to highlighting a decline in year-over-year shipments, it also spotlights a growing divide.

Overall wrist-based wearable shipments fell by 2% compared to the second quarter of 2025, but that decline doesn’t paint the full picture. The consumer market also seems to be split between two very different types of wearable bands: screenless trackers and the more sophisticated “feature-rich sports watches” from the likes of Garmin.