Apple Watch Accounts for 90% of AI Smartwatch Shipments

Apple accounted for roughly 90% of all Edge AI-capable smartwatch shipments in the first quarter of 2026, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. That dominance came as Edge AI penetration across the broader smartwatch market grew 70% year-over-year, reaching 25% in the first quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint's Global Smartwatch Shipments Tracker. "Edge AI" refers to artificial intelligence that runs directly on a device's own chip rather than being processed on remote servers. On the Apple Watch, that means the onboard Neural Engine handles tasks like recognizing an irregular heartbeat or detecting a fall in the moment, without sending data to a paired iPhone or the cloud first. Anshika Jain, Principal Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said: Brands have been continuously upgrading their smartwatch hardware to make devices more AI-capable. Edge AI integration enables real-time health insights and faster responses while helping ensure data privacy. Current