Global sales of wearable devices rose by 67.2 percent to 19.7 million in the first three months of the year, compared to 11.8 million units in the year-earlier quarter, according to a report from the International Data Corporation (IDC). Although first quarter sales were helped by multiple launches of fitness trackers and smartwatches as well as post-holiday price reductions, the wearables market is becoming increasingly crowded and competitive, said IDC, meaning that not everyone will be guaranteed success.
Long-established market leader Fitbit had another successful quarter, with the launch of its new Alta and Blaze devices helping drive Q1 sales to 4.8 million, compared to 3.8 million a year ago, although its market share fell from 32.6 percent to 24.5 percent. Xiaomi replaced Apple as the number 2 wearables vendor thanks to an expanded range of inexpensive fitness trackers, selling 3.7 million units for 19.0 percent of the market.
Apple was third thanks to 1.5 million Watch sales and a 7.5 percent market share, although total volumes and revenue for the company’s wearable was far behind its iPhone, iPad and Mac product lines. Garmin finished the quarter with 0.9 million sales and 4.6 percent of the market, slightly ahead of Samsung and BBK, both with 0.6 million units sold and a 3.6 percent market share.
