14 DAY TRIAL // Android Wear devices do not seem to be as appealing as Google and smartwatch manufacturers would want. Even though it makes sense that in the first year sale numbers are small and less relevant, a recent report indicates that the number of Android Wear devices is worryingly low.
The first smartwatches powered by Android Wear made their debut on the market last summer, and since then only 720,000 devices have been shipped worldwide, research firm Canalys reports.
The same report says there were 4.6 million smart wearable bands shipped in 2014, of which over 720,000 were Android Wear devices. The best-selling smartwatch was,unsurprisingly, Moto 360, even though Motorola had issues regarding supplies in Q4.
This means that Motorola could have sold more Moto 360 smartwatches in Q4 2014, but that wouldn't have changed the total number of Android Wear devices by much.
Moto 360 is the best-selling smartwatch, but Samsung is leader on overall sales
Next in line, LG's G Watch R is placed second, followed by Asus and Sony, as both companies debuted Android Wear devices in the second half of 2014.
If we cut out the 720,000 Android Wear devices shipped in 2014, we're left with around 3.8 million smart wearable bands that made it into customers hands last year.
Pebble is well represented with 1 million units shipped from its launch in 2014 through the end of 2014, while Samsung remains the clear winner especially due to the fact that it launched no less than 6 devices in 14 months, on different platforms.
Xiaomi shipped more than 1 million Mi Band units last year, which shouldn't be surprising considering the company's popularity in China.
The Chinese company is a pure example of how a company can become leader in sales in a particular segment of the market just by shipping its devices in China.
Low battery life is the main reason for low sales
Apple is expected to announce more details on its Watch in the coming weeks. The Cupertino-based company is expected to become leader in the smartwatch market, and judging by last year's Android Wear sales, it shouldn't be that hard to achieve.
One of the reasons Android Wear wasn't too well received by customers is the low battery life as Google hasn't yet found a way to optimize its OS for better battery consumption.
All smartwatches powered by Android Wear do not last more than one day hence the low interest in acquiring one. Hopefully, Google will find a solution to this issue, otherwise Android Wear is deemed to fail.