Global smartwatch shipments leaped 67 percent year-on-year in the third quarter to 10 million units, according to the latest study from Strategy Analytics. The number was at 6.0 million the year before. Apple Watch maintained its top position with a worldwide market share of 45 percent, with Fitbit jumping into second place, overtaking Samsung and Garmin.
Apple alone shipped 4.5 million smartwatches in the quarter, up 25 percent from the 3.6 million shipped the year earlier. Its impressive market share was nevertheless lower than the 60 percent enjoyed the year before, with competition coming from Fitbit and Samsung.
Fitbit shipped 1.5 million smartwatches in the quarter, grabbing a 15 percent market share, a strong rise from last year’s zero share. The world’s second largest smartwatch brand is popular in North America (Versa portfolio) and could grow sharply next year as it pushes deeper into Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Samsung, in third place, had a market share of 11 percent, up slightly from 10 percent year-on-year, its first marketshare gain in the smartwatch segment for over a year. The company’s new Galaxy Watch range is selling fairly well, due to improved hardware design and aggressive marketing.
In fourth place, Garmin’s market share slipped to 8 percent from 10 percent, hit by rising competition from Fitbit, Samsung and others in the sports and music categories.
