Switzerland: One in five people owns a smartwatch or a fitness tracker
Anyone who thinks smartwatches and fitness trackers are just for tech or sports enthusiasts is mistaken. Already, 21 percent of the Swiss population owns a smartwatch or a fitness tracker. And the trend is on the rise.
Widespread—but with differences based on age, gender, and region of residence. Smartwatches and smartbands—so-called wearables—are very popular in Switzerland. In a face-to-face survey conducted by the independent market research institute GFS-Zürich in the spring of 2016, 21 percent of respondents said they owned a smartwatch (10 percent), a smartband (8 percent), or even both (3 percent).
As expected, the differences between the Age groups significant. Among 18- to 39-year-olds, nearly one-third (30 percent) of respondents say they own wearables. Among 40- to 64-year-olds, the figure is still about one-fifth (21 percent), while among those over 65, it is only 3 percent of respondents.
Men are more likely to own a smartwatch (12 percent), which is generally more expensive and has more features than a smartband (8 percent). Among the Women The opposite is true: 9 percent say they own a smartband, which, as so-called activity trackers, feature functions such as step and calorie counters, heart rate monitors, and other fitness features.
What's surprising is the Differences Between Germans and Western Swiss. In German-speaking Switzerland, 17 percent of respondents own a smartwatch, a smartband, or both, while in French-speaking Switzerland, the figure is already 32 percent.
Market Leader Samsung
Owners of a smartwatch or smartband were also asked about the model: 30 percent said they own a Samsung model. Apple (22 percent) and Sony (15 percent) followed in second and third place. The Swiss brand Swatch was mentioned by only 1 percent of the wearable owners surveyed.
Future Outlook
Six percent of respondents rate the likelihood of buying a smartwatch in the next six months as somewhat or very high. In French-speaking Switzerland, purchase intentions are significantly higher at 18 percent than in German-speaking Switzerland (3 percent). Samsung is also the market leader in terms of purchase intent: 37 percent of respondents name Samsung as their preferred brand for a potential purchase in the next six months, followed by Apple at 21 percent. The Swiss brand Swatch ranks fourth with 6 percent, behind Garmin. Smartbands have similar future prospects to smartwatches: 5 percent of respondents rate the likelihood of purchasing one in the next six months as somewhat or very high.
About the study
The research institute gfs-zürich surveyed 1,004 people in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland from February 22 to March 12, 2016, as part of a face-to-face omnibus survey covering multiple topics. When it comes to the use of digital media in particular, face-to-face surveys are the preferred method, as they do not overrepresent people who are tech-savvy or active online. The survey is representative of the population aged 18 and older in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 3.2 percent at a 50 percent confidence level.
