According to Strategy Analytics, global smartwatch shipments reached 1.9 million units last year. And Google’s Android mobile OS captured a 61 percent market share.

Galaxy Gear by Samsung achieved a dominant market share. Firefox and Pebble OS are the alternatives but have little chance of being a major threat at this stage. The main threat is from Apple, Microsoft and perhaps backers of Tizen. Again, according to Strategy Analytics, These four have the potential scale or marketing power to offer a credible alternative to Google’s platform.



Critics stress that in order for smartwatches to achieve the same usage success as smartphones and tablets, smartwatches need to improve in both the hardware and the surrounding ecosystems of apps. Prices will also need to be reduced.

executive director at Strategy Analytics, Neil Mawston, said: “Today there is quite a big gap between what smartwatches cost and what most people are willing to pay."

While smartwatch distribution was around 1.9 million units last year, compare that with about 227 million tablets and 990 million smartphones for the same period.