Apple Watch Ultra models combine to outsell the affordable Apple Watch SE

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In the latest CIRP report, the company analyzed sales of the current generation of Apple Watch models. Ahead of a refresh with Series 10, Ultra 3, and SE 3, CIRP wanted to understand how well Apple Watches have been selling.

According to the study, Series 9 (43%) and Series 8 (19%) were the best-selling models in the June quarter of 2024. Interestingly enough, Apple is still banned from selling Series 9 with blood oxygen monitor in the US, and Series 8 is only available through other retailers.

The Apple Watch SE 2 follows, with 12% of sales. Combined, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (11%) and the first Ultra (9%) sold more than the SE 2 and Nike edition (5%) combined. However, it’s interesting to see that a large portion of customers are still buying older models.

In total, almost one in every three Apple Watches sold in this June quarter were from an older generation, which shows that Apple hasn’t made significant changes to justify the upgrade instead of saving some money.

According to CIRP, Apple Watch models break down similarly to iPhone and iPad sales, although with fewer sales of the most expensive Ultra models, at 20% combined. For both iPhone and iPad, the most expensive models generally account for one-quarter or more of total sales.

That said, for the next generation, Apple is still expected to focus on both Ultra and SE lineups. The latter is expected to come in a plastic finish, which might help Apple make this device more enticing for more people, as it could lower the price significantly.

I still find it odd that Apple upgrades the Apple Watch Ultra yearly, even though it doesn’t add many new features. As for the flagship models—successors to the original model—I expected Apple to adopt a more radical design change for the tenth anniversary. Instead, it seems the Apple Watch Series 10 will be a less exciting update.

BGR will continue to follow everything related to the new Apple Watch models, including sales, features, and more.