Purchasing a smartwatch is often a costly endeavor, particularly for high-end models such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, which can exceed $600 in price. As the costs associated with premium smartwatches have escalated over time, it has become vital for consumers to gauge their potential satisfaction with a device prior to making a purchase. In 2025, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) conducted its first-ever smartwatch satisfaction survey, evaluating consumer contentment with devices from three notable brands: Apple, Fitbit, and Samsung.
In this inaugural survey, Samsung emerged as the leader with a score of 83 points, while Apple followed with a score of 80, and Fitbit trailed with 72 points. Market insights from Counterpoint Research in Q2 2025 revealed that Apple dominated the North American smartwatch market with about 49%, compared to Samsung’s approximately 10%. Among the few alternatives, the Pixel Watch 3 gained a modest 1% market share, standing out as the best-selling option outside of these two leading brands.
Findings from the ACSI survey indicated that smartwatch owners were particularly pleased with aspects like durability, fitness tracking capability, and design. However, they indicated lower satisfaction when it came to repair services and overall usage experience, which received mixed feedback from respondents.
The survey doesn’t present the full story
Although the ACSI survey evaluates the two primary contenders in the smartwatch market, it does not fully encompass the width of customer experiences. Numerous economical smartwatches, such as the Amazfit Active 2, which have impressed reviewers, were excluded from this survey. Conversely, various questionable imitation smartwatches available on platforms like Amazon may appear enticing, though they often fall short of fulfilling user expectations compared to reputable brands.
Moreover, there is a noticeable scarcity of similar studies to juxtapose against the ACSI results. Given the closely matched scores between Samsung and Apple, it can be reasonably inferred that most users will likely enjoy their experience when upgrading their Apple Watch, despite Samsung receiving slightly superior satisfaction ratings in this particular survey.
