Apple has been unable to keep interest in its smartwatch high during the summer season, according to new smartwatch sales data from IDC.
The report claims that Apple Watch sales fell to 1.6 million in the second quarter of 2016, a 55 percent decline from the 3.6 million sales recorded in the same quarter last year.
See Also: Apple drives wearables to $6 billion in first quarter sales
Part of the reason for the decline, according to IDC, may be rumors of the Apple Watch 2 launching this fall. Buyers may be waiting for the improved second edition, which is expected to feature a faster processor, higher resolution display, and a FaceTime camera.
Apple is still ahead of the pack in the smartwatch market, even at 1.6 million quarterly sales. Samsung came second with 600,000 sales, a slight increase on the 400,000 sales last year.
Apple Watch strap on market loosening?
That said, Apple’s hold on the smartwatch market is starting to dwindle. It went from 72 to 47 percent market share in the past year, as more devices from Lenovo, LG, and Garmin hit the market.
“Despite a down quarter, Apple remains far and away the market leader in smartwatches,” said IDC in a press release. “Apple faces the same challenges as other OEMs, but the pure exposure of the device and brand through tactical marketing gives it a leg up on the competition.”
Apple introduced a host of new updates to the Watch at WWDC 2016 last month, including a much faster load time that pleased app developers. That, bundled with the upgraded specs, may be enough to keep investors and wearable fans happy.
In the wearable market, the Apple Watch is a big player, but does not control the market like it does with smartwatches. It remains firmly behind Fitbit and Xiaomi, both sell a range of fitness trackers.
