Apple has shipped nearly 7 million smartwatches since it launched, a number passing the combined shipment of all other vendors over the past five quarters, the latest report from Canalys reported.
Apple’s smartwatch continued to dominate the smartwatch market through the third quarter, selling more than 300,000 units. The quarter also saw the release of the Pebble Time Steel, which helped the company ship more than 200,000 total smart watches, while Samsung’s Gear shipments declined ahead of the fourth quarter release of the Gear S2. Vendors will continue to battle for position behind Apple in Q4 as new devices hit the market. For example, both Fossil and Tag Heuer will be launching their first smart watches before the end of the year.
Fitbit and Xiaomi meanwhile lead the market for basic bands in Q3. Xiaomi’s Mi Band passed 10 million cumulative shipments during the quarter. Aggressive pricing and frequent promotions have allowed it to hit ambitious sales targets, especially in China. Fitbit managed to realize sequential growth in Q3, and its Charge HR band has continued to perform strongly since its introduction.
All eyes will be on Apple Watch sales during the Q4 holiday quarter as a barometer of the strength of the nascent smart watch market.
