Apple Watch Takes the Lead in the Global Wearable Market
According to new estimates from IDC, Apple leads the market for wearable devices after shipping 8.0 million Apple Watch units in the fourth quarter of 2017.
A closer look at the totals from the fourth quarter of 2017.
Credit: IDCDuring the fourth quarter of 2017, the firm estimates that 8 million Apple Watch units were shipped. That’s significantly higher than the 5.4 million devices shipped by Fitbit.
Ramon T. Llamas from IDC said that Apple is continuing to capture buyers looking for smartwatches:
“Interest in smartwatches continues to grow and Apple is well-positioned to capture demand,” added Llamas. “User tastes have become more sophisticated over the past several quarters and Apple pounced on the demand for cellular connectivity and streaming multimedia. What will bear close observation is how Apple will iterate upon these and how the competition chooses to keep pace.”
For the year, Apple also took the top spot with 17.7 million units shipped. Xiaomi was second with 15.7 million units while Fitbit was a close third with 15.4 million shipments.
According to the firm, wearables include smartwatches and simpler fitness trackers.
Apple doesn’t provide specific Apple Watch sales figures, choosing to group it in the “Other Products” section that includes the Apple TV.
