The beginning of the end for the Apple Watch? Global sales slump by 19% - as bored users dub their devices 'glorified notification screens'

It has been almost 10 years since Apple unveiled its first smartwatch to the world. 

The original Apple Watch was described by the tech giant as its 'most personal device yet,' and quickly became one of its best selling products. 

But new figures suggest that many users have fallen out of love with their devices. 

Global sales of Apple Watches fell by a whopping 19 per cent in 2024, according to market research firm, Counterpoint. 

'Apple Watch witnessed a decline in momentum on its 10th anniversary, despite the launch of the S10 series,' explained Anshika Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint. 

While there are likely several reasons for this decline, it seems that many users are sick of the constant notifications on their wrist. 

Taking to X, one user said: 'After 9 years of wearing an Apple Watch every day, I realized that I didn't like having notifications on my wrist. It's been 8 months wearing this and I will never go back.'

Meanwhile, on Reddit, one user wrote: 'I had an Apple Watch. I stopped using it because it became just a glorified notification screen.'

Counterpoint's new report reveals that the global smartwatch market fell seven per cent in 2024 - the first ever decline in the overall market. 

Several brands saw an increase in sales, including Imoo (22 per cent), Xiaomi (135 per cent), Samsung (three per cent), and Huawei (35 per cent). 

In contrast, Apple saw a whopping 19 per cent decrease, while brands classed as 'others' saw a 22 per cent decrease in sales. 

According to Ms Jain, Apple's decline was due to tighter competition and weaker upgrade cycles. 

'The biggest driver of the decline was North America, where the absence of the Ultra 3 and minimal feature upgrades in the S10 lineup led consumers to hold back purchases,' she said. 

'Additionally, patent disputes limited shipments in the first half of the year. 

'The slowdown of the existing Apple Watch SE lineup and the lack of new SE models also contributed to the decline.'

Over the last few months, many Apple Watch users have taken to social media to vent their frustrations with their devices. 

'When I first got the apple watch, I stopped and went back to my "real" watch after just a few days. The constant notifications and buzzing are so annoying. Now I just use it when I go to the gym,' one user tweeted. 

Another added: 'Recently got an apple watch and now I kinda feel like the tamagotchi with the rings and the goals and the standing - it's a lot compared to my old watch...'

And one joked: 'The Apple Watch is good for fitness but I've had enough of the constant notifications. Suggestions? You're going to say turn them off aren't you.'

Meanwhile, over on Reddit, there's an entire thread dedicated to disgruntled users who got rid of their Apple Watches. 

'I've owned a smartwatch before, but at the end of the day, I'm a watch guy and I really appreciate having something beautifully made that will last the rest of my life on my wrist,' one user wrote. 

'I also find notifications intrusive enough on my phone and don't need another medium by which I can be contacted. I also like not having additional data points collected on me at (nearly) all times.'

Another said: 'Im a big runner and primarily use the activity trackings etc. Apart from that i find it to be a glorified beeper.'

And one added: 'Recently decided to stop wearing mine. It's insidious. I was roped in with feelings of "I'll be able to track my health" I'll have "silent morning vibration alarms", "I'll check my phone less" etc etc.

'The reality is until I took it off and switched back to my simple classic Tissot, I didn't realize how trapped in that Apple Watch had me feeling.'

If you have an Apple Watch and are sick of the constant notifications, thankfully it's very easy to switch these off. 

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, then Notifications. 

Tap the app you'd like to turn notifications off for, tap Custom, then choose Notifications Off. 

'Some apps let you choose the specific kind of notifications you receive,' Apple notes on its website.

'For example, for Calendar, you can allow notifications only for certain calendars or for specific actions, like when you get an invitation or someone changes a shared calendar. 

'For Mail, you can choose which email accounts are allowed to send notifications.'

MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment.